The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-16
HOUSEKEEPING IN GERMANY.
English Customs and Tastes Exercise
 Great Influence In Social Life.

From the London Telegraph
 Great changes have taken place in Ger many during the last twenty years in her social customs. Formerly the rooms wherein guests were received and enter tained were very simple indeed. The din- ing room of weN-to-do people was usually long and rather dark room, invariably papered with dark brown paper, with a little gold in 1t. The floor was parquet, and had simply a small drugget under the dining table. There was a tall side board ornamented with beer mugs and some silver, and this, with the chairs, constituted the whole furniture of the room. The usual form of entertainment was Supper" at about S:S0 or g D. m., at which one warm dish, such as roast veal garnished with every available vegetable, was handed round, and then began a reg ular procession of small dishes, passed on by each guest to his neighbor, consist ing of various kinds of sausage hard boiled eggs, smoked salmon, and goose both great luxuries-raw ham, cooked ham, herring salad, etc. All these things were eaten from the same plate and with the same knife and fork and when at last the procession came to an end and everyone had taken something of every thing, the maid came in and gave clean plates and set down a sort of apple cake with whipped cream-or some other kind of pudding.
 Having satisfied their appetites, the guests would all go together to the "gute stube" (best room), and remain there chattering for a few minutes. Then one by one the gentlemen disappeared into the 'Herrenzimmer" (gentleman's room) to smoke and drink beer, while the ladies formed large circle with their chairs and with heads close together and hands busily knitting or doing some kind of fancy work, discussed all the intricacies of housekeeping. A word about the ''gute Stube," or drawing room." It usually had high-backed sofa put across one corner, and in front of this a square of carpet, on which stood table with cover and two or three chairs. Near one of the windows was certain to be found the lady's work table, with little drawers in 1t and large basket on the top. Proba- bly, at the second window. and also cornerwise, stood the writing table, al- ways very neat and looking as if it were seldom used Perhaps there would be another square of carpet before this, but the rest of the floor was bare. A few chairs scattered about and @ piano or not, according to the musical tastes of the family, formed the remainder of the furn- iture. Here, too, the paper was a dark tint. and the curtains of vervet or rep
 
 curtains hanging straight down over the center of the windows. Such simple ar engagements as these can now only be found amongst very old fashioned or poor gentlepeople who have not moved with the times In the, large cities although they are still common in country or provincial towns, even amongst very well-to-do people.
 For the last ten years English customs and habits and tastes have exercised great influence on German social life, and the consequence Is that the old, ugly, simplicity is almost e thing of the past German drawing rooms are now the coun- terpart of English ones, with their Eng fish furniture and wall paper; only. of course, both furniture and papers cost much more than at home Then, too, a party is very different matter nowadays Balls, dinner parties and musical Fat homes" are numerous, and If you do not desire to disappear from view altogether you must do your share of entertaining.
 And the clothes required for all thisi It is no longer possible to be content with a weekday, a Sunday and a party gown! One must have costumes of different kinds for the various social gatherings, even if living comparatively quietly. Dress material of all kinds Is dear Silk suitable for blouses is double the price of the English stuffs of the same quality, boots and shoes are very expensive. or very bad if cheap. and all ready-made articles and underlinen are, without ex- ception much dearer and far less chic and pretty for the price.
 The dearness of the last named articles weighs especially heavy on the German housekeeper at Christmas time, for 1t Is then that she has to make enormous pur- chases in dress material and linen for her servants. The quality and quantity of presents made to each servant Is de- termined by two things-the length or time she has been in your service and the amount of her wages. The longer the service and the higher the wages the bet ter the presents. This giving of large Christmas presents is so universal that it is quite impossible to try to ignore 1t. In fact, 1t may almost be. said to form part of the wages of servant. and if she did not get what she considered suf- ficienty she would sulk during the Christ mas week, and most certainly give notice on January 1. As a rule, each maid re- ceives material for one woolen dress or two cotton ones, a quarter of a dozen of each article of underclothing, and some small things, such as handkerchiefs. gloves. etc. This means about s10. and. of course, as time goes on the sum grad ually increases. The writer knows one lady whose footman has been with her for twenty-two years, and this fortunate person received no less than sl00 as a Christmas box last year, in addition to