The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-09-18
The Hard Lot Of Austrian Women.
. A Disgrace to Civilization. ~ \

The Austrian woman, however, has
my profoundest sympathy. Sheis neither
pretty, nor graceful, land has
o temper like finder. Subjugation begins
The moment she Is born. When she Is
three days old her ears are pierced. An
tAustrianlw woman, to twhomrIi
addressed the query, "Why do you put
rings In your girl.baby's, ears Y replied
with the profoundest solemnityof wisdom
"0h, for the eyes" and I soon learned
that this ridiculous old superstition domi-'
mated the entire: country, and that9girf
would never have . pair OF eyes worth
having unless her ears were stabbed .
The Austrian woman who Is born to
the inheritance Of toll Is merely q ma
chine % beast tot burden. She tolls inthe
field like an Oh, and after her day. work
is done, carries home on her bent back q
large wooden vessel filled with fod der for
cattle or fuel for the fire. From the mo.
ment she can walk well until her misera-
bly, shod old feet sink into the grave, she
Is never too young nor too old to be q
beast OF burden. Likean animal, she has
offspring every year-if a boy, he goesin.
to the Austrian army; If q girl to perpetu-
ate her own wretched existence. The
most unique spectacle that Vienna
furnishes the Exposition visitor from
civilized lands, Is the application oil
woman. power, in lieu Of horse or
steam power, to draw the water which
waters itsstreets. The girl Of the medium
class has "a fate less miserable in one
ra,oa hnk al a notbar oha 70 ,,,,ora "a 10
pitied, as she. being allowed aeertain de.
gree oil education, possesses In proportion
q greater degree OF sensitiveness. Her
iate Is matrimony. Marriage does not
enter into the Austrian domestic arrange.
meuts, as their daughters are disposed OF
In true Oriental fashion to the highest
bidder. The wedding day comprehends
ior, the poor creature two consultations,
which in her helpless condition she makes
the most Of. She has, for the first time,
dresses OF silk-and the possibility that
shc may find herself married to q man she
she will love. If she does not love her
husband, she has in course OF time any
quantity Of children on whom she can Law:
Iish her affection. She has pride, and en-
ydeavors 10 patch up her failing good looks
with powder and paint, so that at fifty she
has q frightful complexion and figure Of
the symmetry oil o beer barrel. Baden
with Is parks, where music brings togeth.
ersthree times q day the beau monde, and
where | have wasted many an hour in
watching Austrians Of both sexes, OF all
ages and conditions, has furnished me
with rare opportunity to form an opin'
ion, at least from appearance. iaI 5Hss
> Austrian women as q rule have well
formed hands and feet. They wear dust.
colored cloth shoes, and bonnets that are
veritable flower gardens. Inever saw one
too old to wear white bonnet. or a, bon
net decked with lilies and sunfowerss or
pink, sea. green, eky.blue, or corn. colored
ribbon. They adhere to life and Its FASH
ionable appurtenances with a tenacity
worthy OF o better cause. The tall women
are all married TO short men, and the most
elegant woman who has promenaded the
Baden Park this season was welded TO
,hunchback about hall her own height.
This class Of unfortunates specially
abound In Austria. counted one day, In
the Exposition, six hunchback women
from the place where was sitting in q
few minutes time. If 1t was q deformity
belonging to the burden bearing class Il
might be accounted for; but my observa-
tons have been among the wealthy and
well.to.do. In no land have I seen so
much deformity as In Austria. What can
II be but cry from Nature against the
barbarous system that they call marriagel
The number Of Legitimate children Is
frlghtful. Young men are pressed into
military service and are not allowed to
marry unless they by some means can
furnish positiye evidence that they possess
enough ready money to ssupport o wife
The frat consideration lis that the army
bewell' dressed, well.equipped, and pre-
sent q splendid appearance. The demands
Of the copscript's heart and the prompt.
ings ofhis conscience are Of not the slight.
es'conlspea sequence nSr h