Berkeley Smith

“ I was at that time (some five or six years ago) studying at a German university; and was, of course, intimate with a considerable number of the students, whose countless duels I was very fond of witnessing. One day, as I was walking home with one them, Müller by name, from the fighting ground, he suddenly said to me:
“I say, Albion,” (Albion was my nickname among the students) , “I say, Albion, you ought to fight once, too; you will never get quite behind the scenes of German student life, unless you do so.” ”

“ The Senior—a splendid swordsman—was the first to engage; and after a very spirited and scientific combat of about ten minutes’ duration, put his opponent hors de combat by cutting his left cheek quite through. The surgeon immediately sewed up the gash, and the wounded hero was taken home, to amuse himself for the next three or four days with making iced applications to his cheek, and living upon soup, being, of course, most strictly forbidden either to smoke or to touch any beer, which prohibition is about the severest punishment in the world for a German student. ”

“ I am afraid to say how much Bavarian beer was disposed of—we all drank like fishes; the more we drank, the thirstier we seemed to get: in fact, no one who has not seen German students drink beer, can form any adequate idea of the quantity they consume. Bavarian beer, is of course, not nearly so strong as the English beer; but is still a very agreeable drink; and tastes much like pale ale. About eleven o’clock, Müller said to me:
“Come, let us go and take a turn in the street, we shall not be many minutes finding you a man.” ”