Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-02
An Augusta Teacher Abroad---Letter No. g.

As the paths all rpSembed each other
We got lost in that network of avenues
and went several miles out of our way
50 that we were tired when ut length
we reached the city. but that did not
deter the children Lcni and Grcdi from
coming in with their fox terrier. F'luch,
for an evenings frolic. They used /"
;imuse themselves correcting oar
German and teaching us their games,
but as the German children are Strcnu-
Gus we We're always glad when their
bed time came.
The first Sunday we spent with these
German friends, Grcdi and LEM
persuaded us to go 10 church WIN
them. Childlik" they We're half an hour
ahead of time, 50 that we had an op-
portunity u watch the congregation
which was small that day. The Ger
mans are not nutwardiy Il religious
people and the children explained that
in winter when il was cold enough they
Went skating Sunday. III the summer
boating and walking We're in order. nut
if the VI Gather intprfercd with their out
of door recreation they Went - church.
Ap we were in Il Lutheran church we
listened to the praises of Martin Luther
for an hour.
For all their seeming irrcVercnce me
Germans are religious. though their be-
lief in Il simple one. With them every
day is Sunday In all things they are
frank and do not lay claim I" a
religious arlor that they cannot feel.
We cNurIirllccd this same frankn"SS
thai very day. Coming back from
church Mas pleased to So" Il SWi-S
clock IN my room. Herr and Frau
Seiftrth We're standing in ,he door ~
to take note Of my pleasure. and when
| thanked them for putting il th"r"
Herr Scif"rth exclaimed Yes. think
| it is Il Very pretty clock. but il licked
| so loudly that il kept III" awake. 50 !
put it in your room.
october thirty-lirst came while we
w..rc tnGre. but instead of celebrating
| it as All Halloween. the Germans
| keen il sacred t. the memory of Mar
| tin Luther. All over Germany ii is
| known as Martin Luther's day. Thre"
| or four days bcfor~ ne thirty-iirst,
| there appeared in every bake-shoI
| window. queer fOur-ccrncrcd cakes
| with raspberry jam in the center ano
known as Martin Lutier's cakes. nor
| do they appear at any other season OF
| the year. We wished to get some lateI
| but the children said that we would
have TO wait another year before we
| could buy any of them.
| That day October thirty-firSt is the
! anniversary of the day when he nailed
| the theses on the church door AT
! WIttenburg in fifteen hundred anc
| seventeen. In Leipzig the stores wore
ali closed and Fraulein kirschner in
vited us to Il coffee-drinking in honor
| Of the occasion. She informed us tina
| Herr Kuhn would be there with his
violin to furnish music.
The time named was four o'clock and
promptly at that hour the all I'M
| portqnt ceremony Of coffee drinking
began. In Germany the coffee partia:
take the place Of the English afternoon
tea drinking. Over their coffee cups
iti:sv gossip and chat and knit. unles:
there are men present when the at
far is more solemn. On holidays as
Il treat they have brandy in their cot
fee. but we did not think it added t.
tht flavor. 50 after one taste We
pIealcd off and mad ours without any
but the Germans could not under
stand why We did not like coffee mi
| cognac." To them it was a delicacy.
Violin selections by Herr KUN
followed the coffee drinking, and aftel
that came German games, then just a
I've thought Of leaving We were sur