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116

DOMESTIC MANNEKS OF TUE PEUSSIANS.

oxen in the wagons, and even the stone-breakers at tlie road-side throughout Rhineland bammer away at the lumps ofbasalt with about the same energy and rapidity. as the auto-maton figures strike the time at old-fashioned church-clocks,giving but one or two feeble strokes every quarter of an hour.Indeed, we were assured by one of the Directors of theGerman Railways, that though English labour is more thatidouble as dear as the work of the natives in Germany, it isin the end half as cheap again as the German "Arbeit" — oneof our navvies being equal to nearly three of the Deutschers.

For such people, therefore, to indulge in sedatives, is aboutas rational as it would be to administer laudanum to a sloth.

But it is the selfishness displayed by Prussians over theirpipes that, to persons of refinement, constitutes the most ob-jectionable part of their inveterate habit of smoking; for it iswell known, that though the love of tobacco rises to an in-domitable passion with some people, both the smell and taste of itare absolutely nauseous to others whose nostrils or palates areunused to the weed. Among the latter unsophisticated classsome of the Prussian ladies may still be ranked: though,perhaps, from Prussian gentlemen in no way Consulting themas to the noxiousness of their tobacco clouds, they havebecome so far barbarised by the universal practice as to findas much delight in the odour as Indian " bibbies."

Nevertheless, at tables d'hote there are occasionally gentle-women present, whose nerves have not yet been deadened tothe natural offensiveness of nicotine: still, a true-bred Prussianshows no more regard for their presence, and no more con-sideration for their feelings, than might be expected from aLondon cabman; for immediately the dessert is placed liponthe table, the unmannerly Preusse lights his cigar withouteven so much as a hope that it will not sicken the lady whomay happen to sit next to him.