Evening star., 1914-11-21
No Other Country
Would Forget Bars


quite possible, as there seems to be a
good breeding which runs through all
meanest hireling of the ancient Kaiser
stadt, is the possessor of a certain dig
nifty and ease of bearing which make
him a possible neighbor in cafe and
concert hall for even the most exact
ing Of fortunes favorites.
In consequence of this Austrian dig
nifty and spontaneity, Viennese society
Is free Of sycophants. The true Aus
trian is not anxious to be ever lifting
himself by the bootstraps in circles
which feel themselves above his natal
sort. He does not admit the blessedness
of caste by a toady's service to better
his society, nor do his wife and daugh-
ters push and intrigue for better dinner
Invitations. Social climbing, a devo-
Gonal exercise in most other lands,
finds little practice on the Danube, and,
In fact. its practice would be almost
useless.
While the claims OF no other social
organization probably are as rigid as
those of the higher Austrian nobility,
and while one unified to meet these
claims might knock upon its portals
forever in vain, yet, inasmuch as Aus
trians without it's confines entertain
neither aspirations nor curiosity con
cerning it. it loses the really seductive
element Of exclusiveness, that cher
ished element of envy and imitation in
the masses. The Austrian noble and
the Austrian peasant or shopkeeper
meet with one another in a way which
looks much like equality. However, it
appears even to the stranger that they
have few common interests, and this
view is only strengthened when one
remembers that where great com
mon interest. such as love, does arise
between prince and peasant the natu-
raj intimacies follow, prince and peas
ant disregard caste and get ssensibly
married. There is a long roll of mar
riages between sons of the higher
Austrian nobility and daughters of the
burgher and peasant classes.
The Austrian-especially the Aus
trian Of the Kaiserstadt-has no relish
to cheat OF
No Desire to Cheat blunt his
or Blunt sense-Life. sen sensen,ils -an,t,on by
struggle. He is full of the faith of a
piece of wisdom often ascribed to the
father of the reformation, Martin
| Luther which runs to the effect that
| he who loves not wine, woman and
song remains a fool his whole life
long Accepting this as true, there
are just few, Just very few, fools
in Vienna, and these fools are mostly
strangers.
| Pleasure has made it's capital in
Vienna. 1t has smothered the old i'm
| perial city in a lissome atmosphere OF
languorous music, of lighter melan-
| choly and of wondrous graces and
properness of form. Partisan giddi-
\ ness. improper. intense and cynical
giddiness. expelled pleasure, while
Berlin. more and more in recent years
known for its all-inclusive, careless
gayeties, has failed of pleasure by al
all too severe etiquette and a too ear
nest application.
| Thus Paris has been the home OF
Folly and Berlin of Bacchanalia II
Vienna, on the other hand enjoyments
have not been forced or made mock
cry. but its whole people have devel-
oped a rapprochement with Pleasure
which caused life in the Austrian capi.
tai to be comfort without cloy. Now
it is desolute, and Pain rules or
Pleasures throne.