The humour of Germany; (1909) (14591473688)

Identifier: humourofgermany00mlrich (find matches)
Title: The humour of Germany;
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Müller-Casenov, Hans Brock, C. E. (Charles Edmund), 1870-1938
Subjects: German wit and humor
Publisher: London, The Walter Scott publishing co., ltd New York, C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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his eyes, beneath them anose shaped like a potato, and a thin-lipped mouth drawndown at the corners in a sardonic smile. On his headthere was a straw hat, the brim of which was of a widthsuch as I had never before met with. This person sat upona camp-stool, holding with his left hand a parasol lined withgreen over the afore-mentioned straw hat, and with hisright hand guiding a small telescope screwed to a stick,which was fastened in the ground. There is no need tosay that the ruler and guider of this telescope was recon-noitring the chalet across the way. What pleased me bestwas the fussiness, the apparatus, and the intensity of re-search which served the mans curiosity. Surely this wasthe last of the Mohicans, one of the last original characterswhich are disappearing more and more out of the insipidlevel of our most modern mediocrity and uniformity. Whowas the man ? The dear old village of Ragaz has, by nomeans to the delight of everybody, grown into a fashion- THE MAN OF ORDER. 353
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Kl% who was the man? 354 GERMAN HUMOUR. able resort, and one meets queer enough figures there everysummer. But one Hke the man with a telescope and camp-stool, who had improvised an observatory on the spur of themoment, is an exotic plant, even in the Ragaz of to-day,and is well worth the trouble of observation. What a pity, I thought, that Amadeus Hoffmann is nomore among the living, or Edgar Poe. For either of themthis fellow would have been a find. Gradually the spectators dispersed, as neither the empress,who had been turned out of her empire, nor the cardinal, whohad taken the hint that he was superfluous, condescendedto show themselves, and as it was getting rather dull to gazeupon the red fez of the pasha, which was just visible abovethe railing of the verandah at the right. At last there wereonly two left: the telescope man, who continued hisobservations, and my worthy self observing the obdurateobserver. Finally, we both accomplished our purpose—he in seeingMadonna Eugenia