The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-12-16
IMPRESSIONS OF
GERMAN LIFE
Theme OF President John Thomas
Before Woman's Club.
HEAD OF MIpDLEBuRY COLLEGE
Spoke for an Hour Wednesday After
noon to Representative Audience OF
Brattleboro Women in Centre Church
Scholarly, Entertaining Address.

tine OF the most interesting meetings oi
the season oi the liratilebofO Woman =
club was held "Wednesday afternoon IN the
chapel OF the Centre Congregational
church The chapel was taxed 10 lull ca.
parity with membcrs ol the club aud
guests. Prof. John NJ. Thomas, president
of Middlebury college gave an informal
address upon Impressions OF Herman lAie:
The speaker held the closet attention OF
h, audience Tor about an hour by his m
t,resiinr exposition OF the habits, Gus
toms and educational system OF the Ger
man people a. they impressed him while a
student m the German university at Mar
burg. situated at Marbug
President Thomas opened his lecture u!
telling how readily he became familiar
with the language aud social life OF the
people hy a soioun Tor few weeks IN a
small town before going to the university
town tn begin hi course OF study lie
brought ont very emphatlcally the clumsy
methods Of acquiring familiarity WIN the
German language IN our schools aud col
eges as compared with his experiences ia
the above town. The speaker, ~ referring
Ia the stature oi the German people, said
they were not all vOrpulcnt ~ they are
cr,ditcd with being. but that the TAT pupil
Ma, quite the exception, lie spoke oil
their custom OF having luncheOns between
breakfast and dinner, and between dinner
and supper. lie stressed the fact they
drank coffee for breakfast instead OF beer
hut that beer was drunken freely during
the remainder of the day He said that
they were not a. incorporate people as
thev arc considered to be, but that they
may drink too much beer. lie spoke OF
their abstinence from strong intoNlcants
a, compared with the people. oi other
countries, aud IN support OF tins tod oil
the freedom OF then streets from intoNi-
Gated persons.
sized the simplicity OF the furniture ana
vet the atmosphere OF comfort and cozlness
which seemed To prevail. He spoke OF the
LOYALTY to each other which existed IN the
home and the pronounced affection OF the
German boy Tor his mother. The speaker
said that parallel 10 their simplicity IN the
7 home was the simplicity of their pleasure
/ and spoke of the delight which they took
! in taking long trips out through the Tor
est. and over the hills lie described the
/ fraternal spirit which was manifest at one
/ OF the birthday parties he attended, and
1.-The appreciation of the recipient OF the
gifts a. they were placed upon the table
one by one,
! President Thomas said that the religious
| life of the German people was lar supv
rior to what he had anticipated. lie sup
ported this statement by telling OF then
well filed churches and the- instruction
which was given each chlld once week
, for two years by the pastor 81 the various
ldauomlpational churches The speaker sald
that forestry was highly developed IN Ger,
Imany as an art and science. lie then told
OF then regular harvest and planting OF ihe
forests, the clearing away OF the fallen
through the forests and how the improve
.ment ,ocietie, had erected an elaborate