102 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



lent, as for instance in Neppendorf, a large village in the neighborhood 

 of Hermanstadt, inhabited partly by Saxons, partly by Austrians, or 

 Landlers, as they call themselves. This latter race is of more recent 

 introduction in the country than the Saxons (who count seven centuries 

 since their emigration), having only come hither in the time of Maria- 

 Theresa, who had summoned them to the country in order to replenish 

 some of the Saxon colonies in danger of becoming extinct. If it is 

 strange to note how rigidly the Saxons have kept themselves from 

 mingling with the surrounding Magyar and Roumanian races, it is yet 

 more curious to see how these two German races have existed side by 

 side for over a hundred years without amalgamating and this for no 

 antagonistic reason, for they live together in perfect harmony, attend- 

 ing the same church, and conforming to the same regulations, hut each 

 preserving its own identical customs and costume. The Saxons and 

 Landlers have each their different parts of the church assigned to 

 them ; no Saxon woman would ever think of donning the fur cap of a 

 Landler matron as little w T ould the latter exchange her tight-fitting 

 coat for the wide-hanging cloak of the other woman. 



Until quite lately, unions have very seldom taken place between 

 members of these two races. Only within the last twenty years, have 

 some of the Saxon men awoke to the consciousness that the Austrian 

 women made better and more active housewives than their own phleg- 

 matic country-w r omen, and have consequently sought them in mar- 

 riage. Even then, when both parties are willing, and all preliminaries 

 have been arranged, many a projected union makes shipwreck on the 

 inflexibility of the two fathers, who w T ill neither concede the least trifle 

 to the other's wishes. Thus, for instance, when the Saxon father of 

 the bridegroom demands that his future daughter-in-law should adopt 

 Saxon attire when she becomes the wife of his son, the Austrian father, 

 as likely as not, will take offense, and withdraw his consent at the last 

 moment. Not a pin nor a bow will either of these two consent to 

 sacrifice to their children's happiness. Thus many hopeful marriages 

 have been nipped in the bud, and those few which have been accom- 

 plished have been almost invariably based on the understanding that 

 each party retains its own attire, the daughters following the mother, 

 the sons the father, in the matter of costume. 



Among the Landlers, the marriage proposal takes place in a way 

 which deserves to be mentioned. The youth having secretly fixed 

 upon the girl he would like to make his wife, prepares a new silver 

 thaler (about 2s. Gel.) by winding round it a piece of bright-colored 

 ribbon, and wrapping the whole in a clean sheet of white letter-paper. 

 With this coin in his pocket, he repairs to the next village dance, and 

 takes an opportunity of slipping it unobserved into the maiden's hand 

 while they are dancing together. By no word or look does she betray 

 any consciousness of his action, and only when back at home she pro- 

 duces the gift, and acquaints her parents with what has taken place. 



