gs?_" A true South-Bavarian's plan of
spending his evenings is not affected by the trifling event of his
marriage.

Indeed, there is an aspect of this virtual dissolution of family-life
which has great interest as connected with German erudition. The English
or American scholar, whose social hours are mainly spent with his
family, or in the mixed society of the sexes, would never think of
introducing the subjects of his study into such circles, and hence is
without the best means of familiarizing his mind with the very topics to
which all his hours of close application are devoted; for no subject is
fully understood and reduced to material for ready use until it has been
in some form the theme of frequent familiar discourse. It is thus turned
over,--looked at on every side,--the views of men of different tastes,
studies, and orders of mind, who have not disqualified themselves for
this by being curled into the same nutshell, are called forth,--and the
sparks thus elicited catch on other tinder, which had not been touched
by those struck out in solitary study. It is thus that the thoughts of
the learned are familiarized, and their area extended. It is thus that
subjects which sit upon us as holiday-clothes are, in a society of
German _literati_, who are together every day at dinner, or over their
coffee after dinner, and every evening over their beer, become to them
as their every-day clothing. I am not of those who deem this result well
purchased at the price of the refining influence of the other sex, and
the virtual breaking-up of family-life; but if some middle way could be
hit upon to secure the two advantages at once, both science and society
would be great gainers.

The government has regulated the manufacture of beer, and collected an
income-tax upon it, for centuries past; and this is even now one of its
most puzzling problems. It determines the price, both wholesale and
retail, at which the beer may be sold. The calculations are based upon
an estimate of the medium amount of fixed capital necessary for the
manufacture, then the labor, then the average price of barley and hops
at the October and November markets of each year; every item which
enters into the manufacture, including interest at five per cent on
capital, enters also into the government's calculation by which it
determines its tax and the price of beer. The price is never increased
or diminished by less than half a kreutzer, or two pfennigs, that i