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Foreign Correspondence

Foreign Correspondence image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
August
Year
1872
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Bad Soptíx, os titk Tatni-s, i PrUSSIA, July 16th, 1872. [ E. B. Pond : Tho country from Stuttgart to TQbingen íb a fine alíUcuHural rogion, and when one look? down upon it from some considerublo hill it presenta to tho eyo that varicty of colors in long n.irrow strips of diverse veget&tion, grain or gruss or hoed crops, wllicli rosombles riüthing so much na one grand piece o) mosaic, and as bcuitiful as a vast ejpanw of landscape gardoning, all tho more steep hillsides being dad in tho verdure of hop and grapn vnies. Tuero is sometliiiií in the lociitioii of thoso Gorman towns and villanos whieh is piirtieularly interestiag, and nostling, as they generally do, in somu lovely vale or at the foot of Rome overlooking bilí, they prerant to tho casual obsorver romantic picture? ot that rural siiuplicity and beauty which Goldsmith coulcl so well descrié, but which a oloser inspection somfitimes sadly dissiputed. It is not easy for us to admiro with poctio fervor tho locution of stablcs beneath one's living rooms, or a circular deposit for iranure and all Borts of old decaying garbage in the ouitur o' tho front door yard ; yct this is an arrangement for home comfort very common indoed in all these littlo villageH, and to which enobantmont is imparted by distance. I do not Bpeak of this as any indioation of the interior disoomfort or unoleanliness of the dwellings of the peasantry, tor, as I am told, quite a different 8tylo of tidynoss displays itself when once you oross the threshold of the d welling proper. I sliould mention in this conneotion the important fact that these numerous hamlets or illges which are spread so thickly ovor thu country are in general but an aggrogation of peagants' dwellings, and tbis will account in part for the unattractive arraugeiuonts to which I have referred. In travoling aoTOM lh country, everywhere cultivated to ita utmost limit of thoroughness, an absence of tho farmhouso and out-btiildings upon thn lands of each individual tenant or ownpr is i'oticenble. In fact the social habita of the people, tho minuto subdivisión of the nou for pnrpoflps of husbandry, and probably the traditionary usages derived from feudal timos, have all conspired to bring togethex into o.loser fellowship and convenience of villages, and upon lots exti- mely suiall, tho pensantry or laboring population, and heneo has resulted the M proximity of itables and manure heaps. I may have occasion to refei ter inoro in dütuil to the peasan,ry and tho tigriculture of Uermaiiy, as havo observed it. About Tiibingen, as in all tho more onsiderable vülages and cities, uro to be bund provisions for out-door recreation. Across the Neckiir and nearjihe depot, ru tpaciouagrounds devctod to the pubic as a park, upon which are two ave ■ ues, quite half a inile in length, of some f the largest and the fineit speeimens of he liinden and the l'htin and Horsehestnut trees I hava anywhero seen ; but sido from tho walks beneath these iplenid trees tho grounds appear uncarcd for xcept for sheep pnüturage. Over a small nountuin adjoining the east side of tlie ity, a foot-path is laid out, and much sed apparontly, whioh leads to varions ookouts, whero rustic scats are placed, ommandisg several very fine and extenive views, reaching in one direction to becastle of lloheuzoüern. Wo were in'orined that this and similar resorts are ought out, improved and kept in repair jy a society of ladies having a Germán ppellation uoarly synonymous with btautifying BOoiety." Tho university building are quito nunierous, but are most of thom scattercd bout in various parts of the city, and in ome cases quite remóte from each other, o that studente ut certain lecture hour ire to bo seen tramping in every direoion, -witlï jaunty caps of certain distinc.ive hups, and their inseparable canes ; and later in the duy numbors of thom esort to the garden s opposite our ho,el, with thoir pet dogs, of which all who oan possess at least onê, whcro to a reasmably late hour, with their jest and song and beer, thoy manage to enjoy thomelve9 as students here and elsewhere are ipt to do. Among the institutions duly protected jy .superstition and public approval in rübingen, honorable mention must be nade of the stork and its nests. As boys most of us havo read and heard Btrange 8tories of this strange bird, but horo we found it in f uil onjoyment of all its traditional rights. As portriyedin iEsop's fables and elsewlmre, it seuras to bo about the sizfi and general appoarance of tho crune, boing of various colors, from black to noarly white, aml ït botrays a nutionul trait for building cnormous ncsts upon tho high top of chiiuiiays, which in this oountry aro (juite gcnerally covered over and with tho iluea opening into the sideR Sonie of tlieso nests are fully two feet thiok, with u cirouinforenco of froui five to nine fuot, foriiiod of coarse hay, sticks otc, and npparently helil in joiut propriotorship by fis many storks as can oocupy those spacious apartments. And to wiitih these singular birds come to their lofty lioimis toward thu close of day, or souiably eitting upon aud around tin ir conimon doniicils, was an unfailiiigsource of gratifiiid curiosity. Uur stay at tb is ancient and staid ok city v:is niuch abbroviuted by the advico of onr physician, Professor Leiberineistor wlio ri'uommended Bad Soden, a water in; placo near Fronki'urt-on-the-Maine EU iv more favorable residenco in slimmer aud where wo now are. Our short visi was infido doubly agreoable by the con stant kindness af Prof. F. and party, anc wo hall not soon forget the two brie days during wliioh wo wore porraittcd to sharo their society in this center of thi i Eurriyonn world, and so far from our na tive land. It was at X. wo first bogan to ezperienóe sWme of those inconvouiences whioh are unknown in our own country If tho stranger wishes to buy a hat, er somo body linon, or, indeed, aluiost any artielo 80 easiiy found in tho smallcst country storo ut home, lio must luro ! hunt in al! sorts of out-of-tho-wuy lanos, and tliruugh orooked stroets, beforu lie oan find soine very smull room, with its singlo window, in which the dealer vonds tho particular article donired. Therp 8 soldoin any passing into a street where storo adjoins storo, and all varioties of merohandize uro to be found side by sido if not in the game ajjiuttncnt, but whoro the dealer live thero ha hfls hia fihop. In tho largo citicó thia difficulty is not o great, thoagh ;'nv oftcn iinds ! tioa always assooiated in our own try (juito disooimectcd and widely divorced here. When packing to loave T. it toóle C. and myaelf a whole hour to ind and complete thepurohaae of a small Iry gooda box ; and altor it was packed i porter had to bo called who, with a nondesoript hamnier, a juir ot' j)mcers and a tew of thoso nrly headloss vrrought nails, in an awkwurd way fasbe&ed on the Obver, Lor which service ;rinkold, or drink mouey, wasexpectod. Our trip tü Boden must bo reserved for tnother time. Vours over, J. M. W.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus