COFFEE HOUR

Nothing could be more misleading than to compare the coffee hour in Grandfather's home with a coffee break in a modern office. During a coffee break the worker may drink or perhaps just gulp down some coffee from a paper cup, read a newspaper or discuss business with a fellow employee. If he is too busy he may omit the coffee break altogether. Of course, father and his brother Eugen were often away on business trips, but I cannot imagine any reason why mother and the aunts could ever be excused from attending. Sickness of a child ‐ even serious illness ‐ would never be an excuse because there were always nurses and governesses to take over.

More distant relatives and grandchildren were not held to daily attendance but it would never be overlooked if they did not appear at least once a month.

But after all, why should not everybody be glad ‐ even eager ‐ to come?

For refreshments there must have been at least one large cake ‐ chocolate cake was my favourite ‐ and in addition some special cake and cookies galore. Coffee and hot chocolate were served from gleaming silver pots and the table cloth was the finest embroidered linen available.

Everything was prepared in the kitchen on the same day and the cook was alert for any shortage which might develop.

The housekeeper supervised the waitress and was ready to lend a hand. She also carefully noted the preference of the various guests for future reference.

It is now 3:30 in the afternoon. The daily guests have arrived and with them Aunt Emmy 1 from Munich, Germany and Aunt Martha who is a more distant relative and therefore not a daily visitor. Aunt Emmy is very progressive and social minded. She belongs to various societies and reports with great satisfaction that one of her organizations has succeeded in having the tuition waived for poor, but deserving high‐school students. Father says this is a nonsense, everybody had the necessary 4½ Marks monthly tuition fee. Most of the family agree with him.

The conversation quickly changes to Ida Miller, a distant cousin whose engagement to Arthur Meyer had just been announced. Uncle Eugen describes how simple the home and other circumstances of the Meyer family are. He can remember how Arthur Meyer's parents always had a piece of cake before their Sunday afternoon walk so they would not have to pay for any refreshment wherever they would take their afternoon coffee. Grandfather comments: "that is the way it was in my parents' home too." Aunt Else states with firm conviction that she does not consider the Meyer hops business as a first class hops firm. Everyone agrees without giving any reason. It is understood that there is no first class hops business except S. Tuchmann & Soehne where Grandfather, Father and Uncle Eugen are partners.

Now father reports that he has received a letter from his cousin Herbert 2 in London, England. Father has asked Herbert for a cake of special soap, not available in Germany. Herbert had sent the cake but has also written: "I am sending this one piece of cake to you only, the rest of the family will have to go around with dirty faces." Father has already drafted a sharp reply reproving Herbert, but the other guests feel that father's reply is much too sharp and say so loudly and with various justifications. Father's only answer is: "How can anyone be so stupid?" Aunt Marie 3 reminds Father what Herbert is like, he even made Uncle Ernst 4 , the patriarch of the family, mad by pressing the firm's rubber stamp on his son's forehead.