THE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE.
In appearance Mannheim is quite modern, though some of its buildings bear the impress of the hand of time. But as a rule, its wealthy citizens, with the enterprise and go-ahead activity that characterizes a mercantile people, have erected solid substantial buildings of the most approved modern style, which gives the city the look of wealth and business success it possesses.
The theater, next to the castle, is probably the oldest building in the town. It was constructed during the last century, and restored in 1854.
The people of Mannheim are industrious, hard-working Germans, full of enterprise and business tact. During business hours they are always on duty, but, with the purely German characteristic, as soon as business is over they devote themselves to innocent amusement with as much gusto as they do to their work during the day. And the German citizen is not selfish in his enjoyments. He wants his whole family to partake of them with him. So in the evening, in the parks where the bands play, you will see him surrounded by his whole family, wife, daughters and sons, sipping beer, chatting with friends, and enjoying the music. They are a social lot of people, these Germans, and know full well how to get all the pleasure there is in life.
They differ materially from the French and the English. The French are full of life and vivacity that spur them up to an unusual state of activity all the time. They must have a constant excitement, and noise, and show, or they are miserable. He is the most generous man in speech and the closest man in action in the world. He is effusive. He will, on a steamer, embrace you at parting, and insist upon your making his house your home when you visit Paris. He will swear that he will devote his whole time to you, that he will take it as a mortal affront if you do not command him, and all that. But don’t take too much stock in it. He doubtless means it while he is saying it, but when he reaches Paris, and you find him there, it is quite another thing. You are not necessary to his happiness any more, and in the most adroit and suave way he gets rid of you, and forever.
Very like people the world over, however. The man who applauds a virtuous sentiment the most vehemently at a theater is the very fellow who will go home and kick his wife, and the wildest approver of patriotic sentiments is the very man who goes to Canada to avoid a draft, or jumps the bounty for a thousand dollars. The Frenchman makes the best outward show of any one in the world, but his goodness is very thin. It will not bear the solid weight of actual use.
The Englishman delights in what he is pleased to think dignity, but what is really overweening conceit. He is pompous, dull and heavy. If he does a good thing, he does it in such a way as to make it an offense.
The German is neither the one nor the other. He goes through life tranquilly, in perfect content with himself, always making the best of his opportunities, and in a perfectly rational way getting all the enjoyment he possibly can.
He does not profess to be your friend unless he is so in good faith, and when he invites you to his house he always means it. He is rather careful about his friendships, for as he never falsifies in this, he needs to be, but when once said it is done. A rare good man to meet is your German. He has his peculiarities, but he is good and solid all the way through.
In Mannheim, as in all German communities, the absurd American fashion of treating is most sternly discountenanced and tabooed. The true German will not have it at all, at any price. Your friend asks you to join him in a bottle of wine, and you accept, but that does not mean that he pays for your drink. Not at all. He desires you to join him because you are his friend, because he likes your society, and because he wants to talk to you and have you talk to him. And when the bottle, or three, as a German says, is consumed each pays for what he has had and they go their way.