The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-12-27
CHAPTER VII.


1.-THE one fault | have to find with
European life is the poor quality OF
tobacco used"
4 1t was eight O'clock, Thursday night,
ahe night Of the dinner at Muller's.
gas dressing when Max entered, with
b miserable cheroot between his teeth.
i "They say" he went on, that in
Russia they drink the finest tea in the
world, simply because it is brought
overland and not by sea. Unfortunate
ssy, tobacco-we Americans recognize
Hho leaf as tobacco unless it comes
.gfrom Cuba-has to cross the sea, and
lis. il. some unaccOuntable manner,
Weakened in the transit. There are
worse cigars in Germany than in
France, and l wouldn't have believed
sAt possible, if | had not gone to the
iErouble of proving it. Fine country!
For a week I've been trying to smoke
The German quality of the weed, as a
preventive, but see l must give it up
sbn account of my throat. My boy, l
have news for you, Tossing the che
root into the CRATE.
HI Fire away" said l, struggling with
10 collar.
E Il have a box of Havanas over at
$he custom house that | forgot to bail
Ebut."
Ell moi" said / joyfully. A Havana,
land one of Scharfenstein's
M I've an idea that they would go
Hiwell with the dinner. So, if you don't
mind, I'll trot over and get EN-"
f BE sure and get around to Mullers
Hit half-past eight, then" said l.
HEX I'll be there" He knew where to
land the place.
lsl Mullers rathskeller was the rendez-
sikous of students, officers and all those
Asrsons of quality who liked music
their meat. The place was low
hged, but roomy, and the ventila-
was excellent, considering. The
oke never got so thick that one
buldn't see the way to the door when
he students started in ito clean up
he place." to use the happy idiom of
nine own country. There were mar
Sle tables and floors and arches
sd light, Cane-bottomed chairs from
(ohn's. 1t was at once Bohemian and
Metropolitan, and, once inside, it was
sasy to imagine oneself in Vienna. A
Hungarian orchestra occupied an in
slllosed platform, and every night the
gail Of the violin and the pom-pom of
he wool-tipped hammers on the Hun.
garian piano" might be heard. ~
W 1t was essentially mans place OF
Entertainment; few women ever had
sIae courage or the inclination to enter
! sa America it would have been the
fashion; but In the capital of Barscheit
he women ate in the restaurant above
fEhich was attached to the hotel, ant
depended upon the Volksgarten bant
Tor their evenings diversion.
You had to order your table hour!
+ skhead-that is, if you were a civilian
Hi you were lucky enough to be an of
/ Ulcer, you were privileged to take an!
aeant chair you saw. But heaven all
ssou If you attempted to do this not be
ing an officer! In Barscheit there wer
,slso many unwritten laws, and yo
gere obliged to observe these with al
fidelity and attention that you CAV
the enameled signs. Only the mil
lary had the right to request the Oh
Ihestra to repeat "a piece OF music
lsometimes the lieutenants, seized wit
hat gay humor known only to cubs
aould force the orchestra in Muller
g play the Hungarian war song ii
he ears cried out in pain. This wa
lways the case when any Austrian
appened to be present But ordinar
the crowds were good-natured, boi:
rous, hat orderly.
Il was here, then, that had a.
ngea TO give my little dinner. Tn
aestra had agreed-for liberal ii
81 nlay aThe Star-spangled Banner
"a there was = case OF Doppelkinn