The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-25

Then again, the restaurant, buying
in large quantities, is able to serve
food almost as cheaply as it can be
| cooked at home. Thirdly, and this ap-
peals more forcibly, probably, to the
thrifty Bavarians, by making cafe
the social meeting place one preserves
his independence and relieves himself
of the necessity of playing the host.
The German is social animal. but he
is not an entertainer. 1t must be re-
membered that the Dutch treat Is
named, or msnamed, after the imme-
mortal German custom of an invita-
tion to pay your own reckoning.
Ordinarily. housewife is at home
to her friends from II to / o'clock at
midday, but calls at that hour are
purely formal. Most women belong to
Il small circle which meets daily in
Il favoritc cafe. and there they dis
cuss coffee and cake and people. No
men are ever present. The male men,
bers of the family, on the other hand,
go to another cafe, and spend the
time over billiards. and cards. Speak
ing by and large, everybody who can
afford it is in Il cafe in the afternoon.
The studcrts at the university, who
90 nothing but drink and fight duels
in the first year of their course, seem
to be always in cafes.
Being what they are, social rendeZ-
vouses, the cafes are distinguished by
an air of formality and extra polite
ness No person but an Englishman or
an American ever thinks of sitting
down at Il table without first inquiring
whether or not the chair he selected is
a leo ,,,ith ~ prrn "
to each person already seated. He
must bow again with the same for
mality when he gets up to leave. When
two strangers start to play billiards
together each first bows, then, draw
ing himself up in military attitude,
utters fercely his name, looking the
other straight in the eye. After that
the intercourse is always friendly, but
punctiliously courteous. At the end
the winner thanks the loser and begs
to hold himself at disposal for fu-
ture play at any time.
NO "TREATING."
1t is vigorously understood by every
one that each is to pay for his own
score. If Il German says to you, come
in and have a drink" 1t is perfectly
understood that the invitation extends
only to the going in part.
You would not insult a Bayarian by
Offering to pay for his drink, but his
opinion of your common sense would
he shattered. The rule is so stringent
ly observed that if two women and a
man drink together the man pays for
himself and the woman he is escorting
only; the other woman Is expected to
pay for herself, and always does.
Each cafe supplies about a hundred
German and foreign newspapers and
periodicals, and for the price of a cup
of coffee II man may spend the whole
day and evening, if he be so disposed,
without being required, or expected, to
buy more,
Not many years ago the service In
cafes throughout Germany and Aus
tria was performed by mattresses, hut
Munich is now the only large city
where they are general The Munich
kellnerin is a remarkable young per-
son, in many ways. First of all. she Is
usually pretty, because her employers
demand that. Then she must be above
the average in sprightliness and intelli-
gence, because her function is not only
to serve drinks and food, but also to
entertain the guests of the house. She
must be able TO draw to herself a cli-
entage, and to keep it.
The kellnerin begins as beer girl at
the age of sixteen. She has nothing TO
do but to carry water and beer to