The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-21

the world as place for energetic
tumbling or as a place to be endured
with studied resignation, the folk Of
Austria inheritors of
rGeece's and Byzantium's glory and
failure of the glory and failure of
the Holy Roman Empire, wisest of
western peoples, have evolved ma
tional gayety. To the native of Aus
tria- Hungary, life has been a thing
to be borne with decency and grace
and to be enjoyed to the utmost ex-
perience.
An unformulated hedonism has
governed the lives Of all the people
of the Dual monarchy, from lowliest
peasant to the head of the House Of
Hapsburg. Nowhere does living pre-
sent more of alluring softness, and
less of vulgar tragedy than there.
The brightness, the APPARENT comfort
in themselves and their surround
lings, OF the Austrian and the Hun
Igarian thaws the most frigid stran-
ger, and. IL he loiters, he himself be-
comes intoxicated with the pleasant
Ilanguor Of the country. =
Stretched at delicious ease ingthe
cool Of the evening, the world half in
and sincere sentiment of the Waltz
'IDream"-Der Walzertraum-stealing
stealing around you, as played by a
family distant string quartet, the
music acting as buffer between you
and whatever realities of the world
that are stern; comfortable and con-
tented to point almost of dizziness;
this was Austria-Hungary and, more
particularly, Vienna. its imperial
city.
In order to appreciate to the full
the peculiar gayety of the Austro-
Hungarian people, one should have
entered into its lands through Prus-
sia A greater contrast hardly could
be found anywhere in the world
life of tenacious principles, OF un.
bending will. Of colby distant and
all-exacting ideals. In a word, ne
left behind him a people whose de-
vice contained the cruelest, grandest
word in language, Duty" and no
came among people whose ways
were all for pleasurable happiness.
He left the German of Prussia
who held that the life which we
have received can be justified only
BY the test of accomplishment. and
who, further. held that man and
woman became fitted for great ac-
complainant only through suffer-
ing and struggle and through ceas-
less attention upon the commands OF
duty. His new hosts, the Austrians,
a German people Of another sorG,
looked upon suffering as absurd, up
on struggle as indecent, and upon
the iron mastery Of duty as van
lty.
There has been little OF the spirit
Of jostling in Austria. The breath
less push for peace and recognition
has been looked upon as somewhat
in bad form there. Especially has
this been true Of Austrian society.
4 More than is the case in democratic
America, have all classes mixed to-
gether In the city of Vienna. In the
Itheaters, at all-popular masquerades.
in the cafes, restaurants and in the
concerts and other assemblies, peo-
ple of all degrees in the social scale
have mingled freely with one an
other, no trace of stiffness. aloofness
or snobbery in their mingling.
In any other land, such forget
fitness of social bars would be in-
possible. In the Dual Monarchy.
in Vienna, it is quite possible, as
there seems to be certain sense Of
fitness, OF propriety, of good breeds
ing which runs through all the cit
izenship. The day laborer. the
meanest hireling Of the ancient Kais-
erstadt, is the possessor of certain
dignity and ease Of bearing which
make him a possible neighbor in
cafe and concert hall for even the
most exacting Of fortunes favorites.
In consequence of this Austrian
dignity and sponntaneity, Viennese
society is free of sycophants. The
true Austrian is not anxious to be
ever lifting himself by the boot
straps in circles which feel them
selves above his natal sort. He does
not admit the blessedness Of caste by
today's service to better his soci-
ETY., nor does his wife and daughter
push and intrigue for better dinner
invitations. Social climbing, de-
votIonal exercise in most other lands,
finds little practice on The Danube.
and, in fact. its practice would be nj.
most useless.
While the claims of no other so.
cial organization. probably, are as
rigid as these Of the higher Austrian