The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-01-02
NO. 33.
European Correspondence
pecial Correspondence JefeIsonian.
OUR GERMAN LETTER.

special Correspondence Jefersonian.
OUR GERMAN LETTER.
Messrs. Editors :-Hsviug written
on the general classification of socie-
y, it may be OF interest to have 8
talk about the women; Of course wo-
men are classed with their husbands,
that is there a;e women of nobility,
superior wealth and education, of the
middle and lower society, exactly
corresponding to the men. But since
it is not so much the class of society
to which women belong that interests
Us as the position she occupies in he-
class, the treatment of this subject
must be something different from
that of the last two letters. The
Glass of society in which women at
their maturity fad themselves is gen
orally the class with which their lives
are spent. Neither the opportunities
to rise nor fall are destined 10 women
that are to men. The fate of q
woman depends much upon
her marriage; her marriage upon
her education; and her eduea
tion upon her birth. In America
there are some exceptions TO this; but
in older countries but few. So we
find but two classes OF women, the
first and fortunate are those who are
married 20 intelligent and kind
hearted husbands the second snd
unfortunate are those who are mar
ried to vicious men. The reason for
such classification of women must
be patent; for all the wealth of the
emperor OF Russia makes no wife
happy unless she sees an ideal in her
husband which she can worship. Such |
feelings do not exist unless they are
reciprocated; and they can only be
reciprocated by intelligent and kind
hearted men.
l have often heard it said among
English speaking people, ,thas the wo-
menof Germany were treated badly.
There are two causes for this i'm
PRESTON First, the large immigra-
ton is of the lowest, the most ignor-
snt class, and who in America, after
the manner OF ignorance, translate
the word freedom into license, and
give more scope to their vicious hab-
It's than they ever dared at home.
There are thousands of German fami-
lies in America who are the types of
happiness, but these are forgotten in
looking at the lower class. The Sec
ond cause Is, that the majority of
travellers from England and America,
stay very little time in Germany,
especially the northern part, which is
the real bone and sinew of the Ger
men nation. 1t is not to be wondered |
at that these receive such distemper-
ed ideas, since what they see com.
pares with the genuine as the chaff,
cookie, broken and blasted wheat
found behind the cleaning mill, to
the perfect, plump, round grains
found before. What the tourist sees
Is principally the lower class, and
these when serving in the most me
NAL position. He sees he other
class little, it's true. But as these
differ but little from what he has seen
at home, he turns his eyes back again
upon that which is novel, and igno-
ranIly permits that to impress his !
mind. Such sights as these greet |
his eyes: AS lie passes through the |
country, he sees the "bauer's" wife |
side by side with her husband in all
kinds of labor. lie sees women un-
loading coal cars, sweeping streets,
carrying baggage like 'deilzman )"
and within sight of where l am
writing half the brick and mortar
carriers in the erection of a large
brick house are women. l saw wo-
Gen working on the tow-psth of
Danube canal and in cities of Ger
many, Austria and Itsly, there are
many women stone cutters. Most of |
the newspaper venders in the Ger
man cities are women over middle !
age,or crippled and old men. Women
with little wagon, (generally drawn
by large dog, which in Northern
Germany and Holland are bred for
that purpose) go through the streets
selling milk and produce or buying
up glass and all kin1s of trash. The
scrub maid carrying water from the
large pump which is generally in the
streets is seen by the tourist at many !
corners. Women can be seen roof
ing houses, saving wood in the cities,
and in the country doing every thing
Looking at these things, the tourist
concludes, that so far as labor is con-
cerned women seem too much like
slaves. These our tourist sees out
doors When he goes to his hotel
ne finds entirely different customs
from at home. Such customs as in
vsriably cause the lady tourist tU
conclude that the Germans have little
respect for their women. A German
table dHote is different, IS / have
told you before, from an American
dinner. We would call it the hight
Of impudence for q gentleman to
light his cigar at the table In fact
1 never heard Of such q thing in
America. In most dining rooms
here there is a warning placed up that
smoking is prohibited until after din
ner. But Immediately after the last
course is finished, lighted candles are
brought and cigars, when called for,
(most Germans carry cigars with
them.) In fifteen minutes smoke is
curling in different parts of the room
Often some ladies drink wine and
talk with their husbands for a long
time. In second class hotels, where
there is no tOUe d'hOte, but only By
oarH tb 90 who have finished dinner