HAMBURG: GENERAL IMPRESSIONS 59 



other with the familiar "thou" characterizes the free 

 and easy spirit which prevails during these Sunday after- 

 noons. One thing has surprised me especially: the ele- 

 gance and luxury with which places of public amuse- 

 ments are fitted up; I am at a loss to describe them, as 

 what I witnessed in Berlin does not begin to approach 

 them. This is not only true of the larger establishments, 

 such as the Tonhalle, Appollo-Saal and many others, but 

 even ordinary beer and wine resorts everywhere abound 

 in luxury. The gardens have generally long rows of 

 beautiful arbors of choicest climbers, often costly impor- 

 tations from foreign lands. These arbors are so arranged 

 that each division has its table around which green 

 benches complete the furniture, inviting the visitors and 

 their friends to a pleasant rendezvous, be it en famille 

 or otherwise. And it is in just such places where the 

 tired clerks and storekeepers, as well as others, meet to 

 talk shop, or more likely to divert themselves in various 

 ways as inclination may suggest. These beer gardens 

 are seldom peopled in day time— except Sundays— but by 

 eight o'clock in the evening you will find every one of 

 them crowded, and merry laughter fills the air. The 

 inner halls of these resorts are mostly well frescoed or 

 elegantly draped and papered. Be it said to the credit 

 of the Hamburg people that they are very moderate in 

 the use of alcoholic drinks. One may sit for hours with 

 the same glass of beer and a cigar, while enjoying a pleas 

 ant chat with a neighbor. Though there happen to be 

 nearly thirty thousand Austrian soldiers in and near tin' 

 city, one seldom sees them mix with citizens or partici- 

 pate in public frolics; if they do, their presence always 

 marks modesty and politeness and twenty Austrian offi- 

 cers do not make nearly as much noise as four Prussian 

 ensigns. It consequently does not surprise me that the 

 Austrians enjoy a better reputation in Hamburg than the 

 Prussians, who are not at all liked here.* 



*This statement is absolutely true, for the reason that the 

 plain, cosmopolitan-spirited Hamburger cannot and will not bar- 



