The wanderings and fortunes of some German emigrantsGerstäcker, Friedrich
General
The wanderings and fortunes of some German emigrants
Gerstäcker, Friedrich
Germany -- Emigration and immigration -- Fiction; Immigrants -- Fiction
"And two have to sleep in one bed?" asked another.
"It might happen," replied the landlord, "that we might be compelled to
accommodate three in some of them; it's only for one night, and you are
not spoiled--on board ship, things are worse, I know;" he laughed, and
descended the steep stairs.
"Yes, that's true enough--on board ship it's worse still. But upon my
word, I don't see why on that account it should not be otherwise here in
New York."
The others comforted him with "Well, it's for one night only!" and
easily pacified, they walked down to the bar-room, where a kind of
barman, half sailor, half waiter, stood behind a counter covered with
unwashed glasses, and filled liquors for the guests out of pitchers and
bottles.
Tobacco smoke and noise filled the room, and the sound of curses and
laughter, of violence and hallooing, met them at their entrance. They
called for a can of cider, it is true, in an unoccupied corner--but they
did not feel at home or comfortable there, and determined, at last, to
go and have a look at New York.
Meanwhile, Mr. Siebert had led his protegées to a somewhat more decent
and better house; and the brewer, the little tailor, the shoemaker, and
old Schmidt, the quondam ambassador to the committee, took a room
together. But the shoemaker was in despair, for one of his chests,
containing all the tools of his trade, and many other things, was
nowhere to be found. He had last seen it upon the shoulders of a negro,
who was walking behind the cart containing the other luggage, but
distracted by the gaudily-ornamented shops, he had lost sight of the
black suddenly, and neither him nor the chest did he ever see again.
All inquiry was in vain, and he was now convinced how much reason Mr.
Siebert had to recommend particular attention to their property.
The others felt themselves the more comfortable, and the little tailor
declared it was worth while to travel to America, if it were only to
look at the streets and the people. Soon afterwards they were summoned
to dinner, and in the large room of the house they found a long table
spread, at which all of them, without distinction of rank, took their
seats, and were allowed to torture their teeth with some very tough
beef.
The dinner was not particularly good; but a glass of cider, which they
got with it, consoled them, and a stroll through the town was agreed
upon by all the Germans immediately after dinner. The shoemaker alone
remained behind, in order to prepare a pot of his new expeditious
blacking, with which he hoped to earn something, and to reimburse
himself somewhat for the loss of his chest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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