"That confounded dog of mine--the uncourteous rascal," said he, "does
not understand how he ought to receive a stranger. Mr. Traveller, it
rejoices me to see you in my abode. My friend has already made me
acquainted with your name." He requested us to be seated, and offered
us each a pipe, which he himself had well supplied with tobacco, in the
kindest manner.
"But, my God," whispered the new guest to me, "every thing looks here
pretty much as with other well-bred people. All so human. Ah! I am very
sorry that I am so undeceived." Yet a closer observation conducted the
sufficiently quick eye of the Englishman to the various peculiarities
there, and served to enrich his sketch-book with sundry notices, which
he has been obliging enough to communicate to us.
The student knows how to live here. He has fitted up his room very
commodiously. The sleeping-room certainly is somewhat small; often,
rather an alcove, in which, besides his bed, his wardrobe, his
dressing-table, and a large trunk, there is little to be seen. But one
might almost pronounce his sitting-room comfortable, were it not
distinguished by rather too much of a lyrical disorder. Books, pipes,
rapiers, clothes, coffee, and writing apparatus, are somewhat too
little assorted; and the stove, standing in the room itself--but
Germans in this respect know no better. Yet one must admit that those
little machines, which look like an adiaphory, between a Roman urn and
a German beer-jug, and which one might take by the end of the long pipe
and carry with one along the streets, are very well adapted to the
needs of the student, who commonly only wiles away an hour at home, and
then hastens again to the college, since they quickly warm the room,
and as quickly let it cool again. They are readily made hot, so that
you may easily when at full heat light your pipe at them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account