Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-05-27
LETTER FROM VIENNA
Miss veIma Sharp Writes Enter
taininsly OF the Austrian
City
MAIDS DO MENIAL WORK
The City Has Many Picturesque Shops
And is Full Of Interest to all
florists
Wien. the .Kiser stadt,

best he should visit the city in the
spring-at this season ii is the mos
beautiful. Its many well-kept parks
and gardens are then in their firs'
fresh green. dress, and the Ringstrasst
is especially attractive with its broao
tree -bordered promenades. This broad
street is built upon the site of the
ancient moat and completely encircles
that part of the city which was the
Wien of by-gone days. To walk
around the ring" is fsvorite con
stitutional'' and IL requires about an
hour
The city is at present divided into
twenty-one sections or 'Bezirks" and
the ''innere Stsdt" is the heart
and is Bezirk No. 1. 1t contains the
best shopping district, the fashionable
tea rooms, etc., and if one wishes to
see smart shopping and street cos
tunes. it is very agreeable to walk
down the Karthnerstrasse or Graben
about noon or drop in at Demels'
for IA at five in the afternoon. One
thing which at once attracts the notice
of an American is the class distinctions
which exist. The lines are very sharply
drawn and are seldom overstepped,
and the ignorance of some of the SER
want class is appalling For example,
the little maid. moderately intelli-
gent girl of about twenty years, who
takes care of my room, asked me one
day if everybody in America spoke
English as we'll as 1? if the Kaiser
Franz Josef was also the American
Kaiser? and if one had to go over much
water to reach New York; 1t seems
unbelievable be but it is nevertheless
true. This maid cleans and polishes my
shoes and brushes my skirt ont
every morning before ] am up-duties
which a cham bermaid at home would
scorn. And when she brings me hot
water and my breakfast, which con-
sists of hot milk. rolls with unsalted
butter and honey or a soft boiled egg 4,
she kisses nv hand as she says. ''Guten
Morgen. Fraulien and she seldom
says, "Would you like" this or that ;
she'says, Would the Fraulien like ="
Kissing the hand is customary also in
society. The gallant gentleman SO
salutes the lady and very often when
it is not done 1t is said. so Kuss die
Hand. AS you are leaving shop
after having made purchase the
salesman who has attended you, the
cashier, the proprietor, and anyone
else who belongs to the establishment
and is not otherwise engaged. join in
chorus of ''Kuss die Hand, - Tch
empfehle mich" Il recommend my
self 'Ich habe die Ehre. ~ have
the honcr), etc, etc 1t really makes
one feel very grand
The department store is here almost
unknown. There is one shop only
which can at all claim that title.
The leather goods are especially fine
in Vienna and the shops of Bob emian
glass are very fascinating One buys
garnets very cheaply here also. On
the streets the cars run to the left
on the left-hand side of the street.
instead of to the right as at home and
the fares are very low-twelve or
twenty heller two and halt or four
cents) according to the distance tra-
yelled.
In the winter women of the poorer
class may often be seen working with
the men, shoveling OIL the walks. and
in fact. they perform many menial
tasks which with us are left entirely
to men. The cry OF the newsboys is
absolutely unknown here the news
papers are delivered at the homes Of
Subscribers (ofteu also by women) or
may De purchased ia the little shops
known as "Tabak- Iratik Tne sale
of tobacco is a government monopoly
and cigars. etc are sold IN these
little shops where one buys also postal
supplies. souvenir postcards, etc.
Cigarette smoking is yors prevalent.
also among women and you can i'm
agine my surprise the fist tiUe
saw lady light cigarette IN a cafe.
as the Amer lean idea on the subject
is qu ie different. 1t Is considered
quite the proper thing here and several
ladies of my acquaintance enjoy their
cigarette after dinner quite ~ they
take their black coffee Ard 20 far
as their chracter is concerned not one
of my friends st5uds digter IN my
regard and esteem than one of these
ladies, whose nobility of character is
known by all who have the privilege
of her acquaintance. Much depends
upon custom. doesn't it2
The viennese are pleasure-loving
people and also know what is good to
Continued on page Three)