AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE. 85 



interesting to hear the men to whom the direction of 

 these village affairs is intrusted (and the office was long 

 elective, being given only to such as deserved public 

 confidence) on the manifold questions arising from the 

 management of this property. Their circumspection, 

 blended with the quiet manner of expressing themselves 

 which is peculiar to respectable men of all classes in 

 Germany, has often the appearance of slowness ; and to 

 those not better acquainted with them, would seem to 

 indicate a good-natured easiness that would lead them to 

 be duped. This notion is soon dispelled when business 

 has to be ti-ansacted, and it then becomes evident that 

 the peasant has often best considered his opinion before 

 he pronounced it, and others are often glad to come round 

 to it. Within a short period the privilege of electing 

 their headborough has been taken from the villagers of 

 Prussia. The central point of meeting in every village is 

 some favourite inn. At nightfall the men of any stand- 

 ing usually resort to it as a lounge. They meet there 

 the officials of the magistracy, if there be any, the tax- 

 gatherer, and those who either, having no establishment, are 

 boarders with the host, or who seek the spot to exchange 

 opinions with their neighbours. In the early part of the 

 evening, the pastor may be seen amongst them, and his 

 presence indicates that propriety is not supposed to be 

 violated by such meetings so long as order is maintained. 

 Whoever is sufficiently master of the language to follow 

 the peculiar tone of the conversation, which is anything 

 but wordy — if he be indurated to tobacco fumes, will carry 

 away with him from a few sittings, the ideaof a people ma- 

 naging their own little interests with full consciousness — 

 with an attention to economy that is most praiseworthy — 



e3 



