An American Girl in Munich

, Nove

f my first participation in German frivolity. The oc

, the one for whom she was named," expl

ebrate this instead of t

th an expression of

ays," he said, "with extra wine

e Baroness, beaming fr

meant to be unkind. France and America were merely united in their appreciation of the humorous. Frau von Waldfel raised her eyebrows disagreeably, and looked as though about to start a discussion. To mention food in the presence of

ings, when fifteen minutes, a half hour, three quarters dragged by, and no vestige of life from the dining-room! Everything moves slowly in Germany, and the culinary department is no exception. The Baroness never seemed so much like a beneficent angel as when she opened the dining-room door and invited us

hes curl! A few of them are really handsome, but if not, it doesn't matter in the slightest. The resplendency of their uniforms would make one forgive almost anything. When I became accustomed to the atmosphere of conceit in w

red carrots. Next came the eternal veal, reposing in a vivid green sea of spinach. Do your ?sthetic sensibilities shrink at these materialistic descriptions? Remember I am in a materialistic land, amid a materialistic people. Truly the problem

ll the time, but the waits between the courses were very long, and in the middle of the dinner we had a pause of twenty minutes-like an intermission at an assembly-when the Poet, with marked nervousness, read som

Every one had to touch his glass to every one else's or it was "no f

a glass of Bowle, or punch, which is much milder than anything called by that name in

w one finds hardwood floors everywhere here instead of carpets,-but oh, how fast these Germans dance! The Lieutenant swung me round and round in a small circle, prestissimo, until I begged him t

ing over his sword. At midnight everybody, including Frau von Waldfel, danced the Fran?aise, which is much like our Virginia Reel. You should have seen how the Baron and B

confess, however, that I was much disappointed in him. He is short and dark, with a heavy, black mustache which he constantly caresses with his fat little hands. Although I did not exchange a word with him the whole evening, except

oness looked so distressed and surprised that we were afraid we had been very rude and determined to do the proper thing. The proper thing in this instance m

en

e piano lessons are in a class with two other girls, and not as formidable as you might suppose, for I have explained to Fr?ulein Fischer that I am only including piano to keep from forgetting what I already know, and that I need most of my time on my composition lessons with Thuille. She is very kind, and every two weeks we are to read duets together. This makes six lessons a week, and what with the score-reading class and the chorus, I see a busy winter before me. The s

in. Every one rose, or straightened himself up at once. With a nod which seemed to include us all, the director took his seat by the piano and the lesson began. Each one was called on to play a number of bars written in four different clefs, the old soprano, the tenor, the alto, and the bass-Stavenhagen selecting a new choral every time. It was not till near the end of the hour that he called my name. Just as I took my seat before the keyboard, feeling intensely nervous and fearing lest my fingers tremble

at different from that of Pilgrim Hall. The Oberster Chor (which means the upper chorus) met at five o'clock to-day. The room where we sit is on the top floor and at the end is an organ. I think the orchestra class

in to sing-ah! that is a different matter. Each pupil becomes utterly absorbed in the notes before him, from the first measure to the last. Each sings as though he loves to sing; yes, better than that, as though he actually feels

e girls and men are kept strictly separate, like the sheep and the goats. They enter and go out by different doors, for t

nts. Their age is in the neighborhood of thirty. Obviously to be a bass singer requires both dignity and experience. Most of them think it also requires a full beard. Several of the pupils affect the artistic, or are dressed after the old masters, with long hair, brown corduroy velvet jackets, and flowing

silent in all that crowd of chattering German girls. Not knowing where to sit, I cast an anxious look

here, if you care

e with what a high-bred manner my new friend carried her head. Her hair, black and curling, is coiled in a low knot at the back of the whitest of necks, for she wears her blouses cut out a

h, are you not?

apping as much as blue eyes ever can sna

ons of the representatives County Cork gener

en and Krause have a great many foreign pupils. By the bye," she continued, "I ha

she lives in?" I suggested. "I k

made a mental note of the fact that jumping at conclusions is a trait n

tive situation of Boston and San Francisco, and politely regretted tha

, accords us permission to resume our places. In spite of my democratic birth, these marks of respect impressed me as extremely fitting. About every two weeks comes a "Vortragsabend," an evening devoted to a

nd enough to give me a letter of introduction to him. He was her teacher when she was in Munich. I have been trying to see him for some time, but have always missed him. He is a spl

and here we saw very fine costumes and jewels. At ten minutes past seven-the opera as a rule begins at seven-the orchestra struck up "God save the King," and the people rose en masse as the Prince, accompanied by the Crown Princess and several members of the royal family, entered the box. The Regent at once came to the front, and with one hand resting on the red velvet railing, bowed repeatedly to right and lef

and her acting shows great intensity of power and feeling. Bosetti, who, you remember, sang so delightfully in H?nsel und Gretel made a charming Marzelline. When the opera was over Mütterchen and I rose to go, but to our surprise saw that the audience remained seated. As we took our places again, Zumpe raised his baton and the first measures of that divine Leonore ove

to hear any hissing, although it now and then occurs. If they do like a thing they applaud, and applaud lustily. They resemble big, impulsive children, and the man who said "There is nothing for preserving the body like

mber

ame to the dinner. The rooms were lavishly decorated with American flags and flowers, as were also the tables. And oh! how pleasant was the sound of English on every side. The consul's wife and the rector's wife received the guests under a red, white, and blue bower, and at seven o'clock we all went into the dining-room to the strains of the "Star Spangled Banner." The rector asked grace and then came the dinner. That, dear Cecy, I must confess, was but a farce when compared to the genuine creation, in spite of the American flag on th

ck came a knock on my door, and in walked Karl bearing a huge cake on a tray, the Baron and Baroness following. They were all three beaming with delight, and each shook my hand a dozen times in their cordial way, wishing me

h moved by their friendliness, as I swept the boo

ery fast, all of which I could not understand, but the burden of it was a wish that the lieber Gott would keep gn?diges Fr?ulein in health and happiness all her days. Then he shook me warmly by the hand.

sket of white roses from my "friends in the pension." I did not know what to say in my surprise, so I only exclaim

after dinner Frau von Waldfel cam

package in your room. They tried to persuade me in the shops," she added, lowering her voice to a whisper, "that the Lebkuchen th

d often read of them in my fairy-tale books. Then they both shook han

l miss your American friends less on this day if you rea

eats were substituted tables as at our "Pops" at home. The hall was extremely crowded when we entered and we did not at first obtain a table where we could sit together. Mütterchen and I took places at one in the rear, and I noticed after we had been seated a few moments the disagreeable expression on the fa

y it was the custom to bow to those sitting at table whenever we took a seat

e large enough for our whole party, and we soothed the wounded feelings of those we

merican training, on that evening. It chanced, when we reached home after t

m a fearful rap under the nose. His glasses flew off with a crash, and he flushed very red, more from the blow than embarrassment. It takes a great deal to embarrass a German officer. While he groped about on the floor in search of his glasses, Mütterchen stammer

poems. I have a splendid little book which has the leading motifs written out at the back and in the margins of the pages a statement of just wh

by her side. But to-day I passed the girl in the hall, and her eyes were swollen from crying. She looked so sad that I stopped and asked her

dache," she exclaimed, "and b

very day to drink afternoon coffee and is usually sauntering down just as I come in from the chorus hour at the Conservatory. When he sees me he bow

iform I don't believe the pretty