Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1876 — How the German Is Controlled. [ARTICLE]

How the German Is Controlled.

In her “ German Home-Life" articles, in Frazer'» Magazine, 'the Countess von Bothmer illustrates the thoroughness of discipline and authority of social law in Germany, as follows: In everything is controlled. He is controlled in his love-makings and his marryings; he is controlled in the utterance of his opinion; he is controlled m his goings out and his comings in. The journalist is liable at any moment to fine and imprisonment; the caricaturist to arrest; of liberty of the press there can be no question; of the license of the law no doubt. In the old gambling days of Baden and Homburg no native officer was permitted to play at the tables; the money of the State must remain absolutely in the State pocket; but this fatherly solicitude for the coin of the country did not extend itself to the pocket of the peasant, who would stand gloating through long Sunday afternoons at the heaps of gold, venture at last his florin or his thaler, and retire into his work-a-day world on Monday a disillusioned chaw-bacon. Control touches even the follies and flirtations of the, young. Lately in a northern capital garrisoned by Prussian troops an ardent young Lieutenant and a coy and bashful maiden found themselves for a moment, by some rare chance, in a deserted tea-room alone. The enamored youth had just caught his fair one by the hand, when her most intimate of intimate bosom friends entered. The poor girl started up in terror and, forgetful alike of her love and her lover, broke out: "Pray, pray, best Evelina, do not say what you have seen.” Evelina promised and the imprudent maiden returned at once to the ballroom. But lo! next day the story, with various embroideries, was circulating through all the Kaffeez, and behold! the day after the ardent Lieutenant was summoned to an irate General’s presence. "Young man," said his stern Vorgesftzter, glooming down upon him in grim regulation wrath, “ you are transferred to depot duty on the frontier; there you will have ample time to reflect on your indiscretion.” And forth, like ball from the cannon's mouth, behold our gay young militaire shot over the frontier! Hear this, gallant young English gentlemen, horse', foot and dragoons; hear it, too, young English maidens inclining tender ears to manly pleadings, and be thankful that your bosom friends are not spies; nor, as a rule, the Colonels of our regiments martinets in matters of the affections!« This is a scene on the door-steps of a Portland doctor, as.related in the Adcerriser of that city: “Is the docther in?" “ He is not at this moment,’’ said the doc tor’s wife. “ What shaft I tell him when he returns?" “ Well, ye see, mum, me little b’y was sick a sphel ago, and the docther came to him, an’ heiould me thin he would die, an’ he did die" an’ now the wife is tuck sick, an’, be gorra, I want him to pass the same judgment on the old woman." “Go out, young man; she’s not here,” said a Pennsylvania preacher, the other Sunday, in the midst of his sermon, to a youth whom he saw standing hesitatingly in the doorway. }