Foreign Correspondence

XI. IÍKUI.IN, (KHMANÏ, Jim. 20, Vt, To tlie Coi KiKlt : üerlin is s:tid to be Improrlng. From olden times the custoin lias prevailcil ol making New Year's eve worse than thc time of a witches' meeting. Kven in tlie very best parts of the city sucli a tumult sed to reign tbat it was absolutely dangcrous to be upon the streets late in 8ylvester niglit. This time, however, only now and Uien was a shot fired from a window, only a fcw liad tbeir pockets robbed, and the greatest danger was tbat if one litd not retara (be salute "Prosit Neujahr ! " lie was liable to have bis hal smashcd npOB bll head. Xew Year's day was very generally ob served by calis; but the cliief interest centered in tlie royal palace, wliere the Emperor received congratulatlons from the nobility and high officials of .the realm on the eightliieth anniversay o lils entrance into the arm}-. Tbe WBperor took bis first military exercises uhen only geven yenrs of age, in 1804 and on January 1, 1807 was made an ofli cers by Frederick William III. G'hristmas, 180", he was appointed ttoond lieutenant ; in June, 18iy, first Meute nant ; ii November, 1813, captain; in 1814, miijor in 1817, cliief of the grenadier regiment of theking; in 1818, major general; in 1820, commander of the lst división of guards; in 1825, licutenant general. Un ter den Linden was Hl led the whole day with eager spectators watching the carrlages come and go. In the eveniug tbere was what was called M illumination, but in compatison to the illuminations in Paris on the 14th of June, il was like a fire-cracker to a camión. The reverence in which the Emperor is held, and the extreme formality and ceremony at the court inay be seen trom the following opening of the addressof the Crown Prince to bis father on this occasion. The Crown Prince ntroducei the comuianding generáis of the army and began as follows : "Most High and August, Most Oreat and Mlghty Emperor, Most High anc' Oracious Emperor, King, and Comtnander-in-Chief ! "Witb your Imperial and Royal Majestv, the Army celebrates to day the anniversary of the time when, eiglity years ¦go, through King Frederick William III. jrour most Boyal Hlyseet was reoeived int" the ranks of the Prussian Army." etc. All Ui Ii Inngutfre muy mean uolhIng, but on the lace ot' it. t seems to border uu worsliip. I wonder it the olcj gentleman would not have mj yed it more, if the Crown Prince hml surprised blo alone and said, "'A Happy New Year, Kullier ! " Kvery day since the Emperor returncd to Berlín l.ist ful I, Inn a niiiltitiide o( people oolleoted befora the palace at noon in see 11 lm. Bera is a short anecdote trom the Pari Figaro : During the Inte illness ot the Emptror Witlhim, the phyiclani were holding a onnvttltatlon In hl room. They were reeonnnrndlng to the Empernr mental and bodily rest. when just ai this moment the Quard marclied past the palace. Hearing ihe boute of the peoplf tbe Kinperor tarted towards the window, and to one of the physicians who wi-lie! to iletain liim, he said : 'Let niego! I must go to the window It is noon ;md in Maldeckei it myi that I can be MM ti Irom the Street at this time." I hui ot tlie opinión llial the Empernr 1 1 i n ks wine. When he goes on a huut tor a day, he takes with him for bis own HM and that of his immediate suite, IN boules of Cordeaux, 2 bottles Cognac, 1 bottle Sherry, 4 bottles Mosellc, 8 bottles Champagne, 2 bottles Bénédictine, and 1 bottle Bwedish Panch. Last weck I was so fortúnate as to be ures.-nt when Bismarck dissolved the Ii-iclü-tug. The sceue was far different trom the drat sesslon I attended. Th.it was qulel with only half the members present. The atmosphere of this one betokened a storm, and every memoer able to be the re was in bis seat. When Bismarek is expected to take part, it is a veryditlieuit matter to obtaiu a ticket, There la very little room for spectators. There are a few loges for friends of the members, for Ihe press.and the royal box. For the rest of the citizens there are two smnll galleries which eat, both together, less than one hundred and tifty. These galleries are directly over the Preideut's seat and rostrum, and are so peculiarly iltuated that if one is not seated in the lirst row, he can see only tbe back seats ot the auditorium. The front row of enen gallery seat ten persons As soon as I heurd that Bismarck was to speak, I endearored to get a ticket, but tiiiled. 1 even visited the American Embassy, but without suoceu; they could not help me. There are only a bundred and tify tickets for the whole ol' Berlín. Uut I was íesolved to see Bismarck. md rinally managed to be ailmitted to the Bureau. Here liy a judicious use of Trinkgeld, I obtaineJ a ticket for the next day with th invitation to come early, aiid the prumiae ot' beingadmitted by a secret passage Intu the gallery, so that I could take the best seat. This I did and was repaid for my trouhle by the interestinjj session. The excitcment was, of course, over the Military Bill. During the voting on the second article Bismarck appeared, and aller a few inoments brought out the 'Red Book," which was a token that Parliainent was to be disolved. As the President was about to proceed to the next article, Bismarck stepped forth with the remai k that he had a message from the Kinperor to impart to the Houe. All the niembers arose, and the Chancellor read the message dissolving the Reichstag. At the pmposal of the President, the House gave three hearty cheers for the Emperor and dispersed. To see Blsinark is considered a rare sight. Many people have lived for years in Berlin without being able to catcb giinipse ol him. At the close of the Kc'nlistag, some of the people in the galleries neuly broke their necks in ther frantic endeavors to reach tbe front in time to see him before he disappeared. The most were disappointed. Bismarck is certainly a wonderful man. His whole pereon and bearlng, every move and expre.ssion Indícate mental power and personal magnetism. Countvon Moltke isa little man with ttiin cheeks and small chin, and a niouth firinly closed, witn an ever thoughtful and sober, though somewhat pleadag expression. Von Schellendort is tall and slim, good looking, but DOthlng remarkable iu appearance. J)r. Windthorst, the leader of tbe Center, and tbe man to whose speeches Bismarck listen most attentlvely, and takes notes so that he may reply with eft'ect, is a little, oíd man, quite bald, wear.s spectacles, ind looks like a good, kind grandtather. Bismarck's speeches did not seem to overawe, nor to convince tbe Reichstag. The menibers were ready to grane the number of men demanded, but for three years only. Blsmarck wished seven years ind said -'all or nothing;" and wished to knmv wliether the army was to be an Imperial or a Parliaraentary army. This aade the opposition all the more stub:orn, and caused the dissolution. Von Moltke's statement that, "if the SeptAnnate sliould not be accepted, the result would be an iiumediati' war" bas not, yet trovad irue. A new Reichstag is to be electeil by the -21st of February, and in the ineantime the government isexpected o proeeed with the levies the same as if the Septsnoatebfll had been carried. It seems to be the general opinión that the uw Ilficlistag will be no more favorable o the Mil tlieu the last one. Owlag to the remarkable elasticity of u-r military ystcm, Uerinany bas little tu fcar. Every man who bas not been xiniplcd trom service on account of hysical eakness. Is a soldier, that is, he ms had at least one year's experiencc and Irill in the In a danger threatenng the invasión of the country all the nale population would turn out to a man, naking a forcé that could defy almost the 1 1 1 i t -tl powers of Etirope. I have inteuded for gometime to speak ot "living" in Berlin. The fare at hotels is excellent, I tliink fülly as pond as i n Taris, nuil both in cooking and in material and varieties is as ftood as onc coitld wish. In prívale familias and boardlng houwt, howevor, it It MUully different. We tuppoM that we are eapeoiaUy fortúnate In beins where we are. A frlend of mine, a profeesor in an American Universily, wlio is here with us, told me tliat lie liad tried gevernl Pensions, and that llii" onc is the unly one he eould pul up witli. Differing trom the usual custoin we eut at tabla but three times h diiy. As you well know ihe (ermans as a rule eat four or live times aday. In tbe inoniln coflfee and breadjor rolla Jut nina or ten, bread iind oold meal ; dinner varíes from twelve to six, tliosc who have it late, of course, take anotlicr lunch; upper from six to nine, with a lunch dependlnir on the time of dinner and gupprr. WC take our breakfasl and mornl u lunrh in one, and carry away :i landwlch tr laui use ; dlne at two aotl have slipper al ren. Person wlio cannot be at boma out llicir lunches wherever tliey happen to be. Students at the Umversily, clerks la the banks while at tlnir desks, pull a mndwich out of their pockets and lunch. The porter at the Universlty keeps a sort of beer-hall and restaurant, where the studenU can supply theniselves with bread, heer and sausage. In the eveninir at the theaters, people eat hetween the acis. Our breakfasts and suppers are rather thin. The dinner, of four or five courses, is fair, but one would nol Ihink of boasting of it in America, thouh we are told thal even "the professors at the University do not have sucli h'ne dinners! " The great trouble la that the Ueriuans do not have enougli variety, too inucli the tama from week to week. In warm weathcr, many people tiike their afternoon or eveninj; meal in a beer garden or a restaurant. We have not seen any "sauerkraut" yef. Fortunately the climate in lierliu is not what witli us would be called severe. The papers have been speaking the past week of the extreme cold, but the thermometer has not been lower than 10' or 12 above zero, Fahrenheit. The stoves are a wonderful machine, put together out of porcelain squares and piaster. One burns iu thein soft coal or briquetts. Our stove is a very respectable lookiug coustructlon, about twelve feet high, with ornamental figures In relief, aud cornices. I have not been inslde of it, so I do not understand the philoeophy of lts structure and working. The tirst time a tire is built in the f al I, it takes about a day to warm the stove. It is necessary to build a lire every day, or every time one wishes a little more heat. One is not liable to take eold from sudden changea, tor It takes as long tor the stove to become cool as it does to become warm. Cual is put in iu the morninr, two ihirds ol' a hod of soit coal, aud all up in an hour and a half or two hours. Tiien the stove is closed with trippledoors, airtight, and commences togive out a little heat. I think there must be some wonderful multiplicative air cliambers, t'or as Hik hut-air circulates round and round on the inside, the stove radiales considerable heat tor the amountof coal burned. It inustbean eeonomical iustilulion, and very nice for warm weather, but would not do in Northern Michigan. Authracite coal can not be bui ned in them, tor they would be ruined aud tul I to pieces. One can pl.ice h is tinest piece of furniture agftlnat the stove without danser of ditnage; the corners never become warm. Several linies, however, we have had our stove so hot in the waxmeat place t luit one eould hardly hold his humt on ii williDiit its bcing unpleaaaut Tiih pa-t gcniration of Germana were very frugal in Ilicir doniestic hab.t-, and Hie present have not outrowii it. Our landl idy, whose falher was one of the prumii.cnt priachcrs of Berlín, tella how her fatlier, when he took the cliildren out tor a walk, sent them on ahead, tuut bt Btigilt see lliat they did not strike th(;ir shoes togetber In walkln, and tlms caust? uunecessary wear. At t.ible, ihe Oermans never leave auy luod on tneir platea. If one does not eat all thitt he takes or receives, the inference is that lie dons ?ot likt; it, and it is not oft'ered him agüin. Our hostess seeius to take delijiht when we liave a K""d appetlte, and wishes us to eat heartily, but 8he feeli verv niucli hurt when evarythlng is not eaten. It is sueh a pity to waste anythinw. She says slie onee had flve boarden In iba house, wlio left on therr plates at dinner as much as "a silver groschen's (two aud a half cents) worth ot butter." Servant {iris receive very small waees. The common price here is from i22 to $30 per year, with board, md i closet to sleep in. Iu the provinces ihe price is usually only $9 to $12. The liousc-wife keeps all food aud prorUiona under lock aud key, and doles out to the glrl lier share. If a llv falls loto one's sotip. the lady of the house lishes it out and gives the aoap to the girl. The people are very particular ahout little tulngt that ara not custoinary with them. When 1 came. here I noticed that the bed-linen was not chantred at the end of the week as uual with us. Thinkini; that it was an ovcrsiüht I spoke to our landlady, and was thunderslruck with the reply thut in Gerinany the beil-linen is changed hut oncea month ! She said if 1 wtahed it changed every wetk, I would have to pay extra. I told her to chanjfe weekly. and asked how mach tbe extra oharge wonld le. Conalderins that her price tor board md room is $10 a week per person, I tllOUgilt it ruther "small" to inuntion the "extra" whicli wal only five cents a week. In inanners the Geruians are more polite than one would suppose from their general reputation. Gentlemen always remove their hats on enterinir a store, and on meeting oue another. They hive a very awkward way ot' Uitlog the liat. I'hey remove it from the head aud hold t out at ann's lensth directly In front of the face. Smoking, Ihouirh notallowed in ornnibiiges nor in streetcars, is allowed iu uearly all cnfes and restaurants, even in tboee frequenteJ by lidies as much as liy gentlemen. The suave nianner iu which a Germán or a Freuchinan takes out his pocket oooib and couibs iiis whiskers and liis halr in public places, frequently In a rest au ra ui, is soniething wonderful. Fheir tMte inanners are not as a rule the best. I don't think they have any right to ridicule Americana. Clean rin;er-nails, even on pretty hands, are comparatively rare. When a person enters a store in Iliis sountry, he is expected to bujr tomethlng. [ hare heard of proprietora rufuttug exit to Anicriciin ladlea who had examined various artielea, unlil ulier the; bad aoiifiht aomethlng. Ererylhlng here is placed in the .show Windows, nnd tbe exaniining s to be done froni the oinslde.