The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-01-02

pardon with trill upon the 'r' and
a 'g' at the end, sill pronounced &C
short snd vigorous. that our deaI
lsdy is frightened worse than ever
Now, she goes straight to the hotel
and sighs to her comrades "What
dreadful beasts these Germans are ~
Our tourist, unfortunately never gets
into the presence OF the household
gods; never sits at the table where
the most frugal fare is made delicious
by the smiles of that happy German
spouse /; never has seen or felt that
contentment which in the German
family bids defiance to ambition
and its distractions. This person
only secs those peculiarities, which, il
he remained here three months, he
would forget or accept as the mos
natural thing in the world, AS indeed,
for which We have many proofs.
As 1 have written in q previous
letter, the education of the German
and American women differ some
what. The German is ahead in prac
tical knowledge, for America, while
the German women know more OF
languages, etc. The American wo-
men write for the press, and some
times her opinion on questions at
issue have much weight. She is much
more adapted to business than the
German. In this respect, the society
of America gives women the highest
position in society. That the lower
class of women of America are held
in mere respect by the male part of
their class is surely true. But the
wife, in intelligent society, occupies
in the family the same high position
in Germany that is awarded to her in
all Christian countries.
You know thefe are some of Eu-
clid's problems which can only be
proved by indirect demonstration.
So 1 have written about the wrong
Impressions, and their causes, after
the knowing of which you cannot
mistake the right. ] shall close this
manner OF writing by showing you
type of American women unknown in
this country. This woman is of q
good class Of society, and ia interest
ing, partly because she is well in
formed, and partly because she is
curious. She travels much, and her
personal description fills this bill
'flarge, healthy, from thirty to fifty
years of age, wears substantial, rich,
but not gsudy clothes, is known by
the name OF Miss or Mrs. etc.
Now, forgot to put in the bill that
she wears glasses set in gold. We
have all met her in America, and she
is seen also travelling in Europe. In
the beautiful city of--in the large
collections of arts which grace that
city, was introduced to the party
of which this woman was one. We
dined together-a company of six
Americans. About the time the first
course was finished, the large, healthy
lady, who had taken a place opposite
me, having adjusted her spectacles
properly, and fixed large smile sll
over her face, began in the most con-
descending manner: "Mr.-, may
l ask, are you a Democrat or a Re
publican 2'' "Mrs.-,'' returned !,
with q far-fetched smile, 81 can
scarcely say that | am either. l hold
some principles in common with both
parties" "Why, that's strange
said ste. and the young lady at my
right asked me show | liked the
claret." "Strange, indeed" contin-
ued the large lady. "DO you mean
to say you belong to neither party ?"
Having answered the young lady's
question, / answered the large lady
still more evasively than previously,
whereupon with half a laugh she
went on. 81 suppose you are net
'woman's rights either" :" / con-
fessed l had no interest in the ques-
tion. Now the large lady fixed her
eyes upon me with such look that
had it come from the young lsdy's
eyes, / should have melted sure, anG
said, "Why, you're a curious sort of q
young man; I teach my boys to be
something" Now the young lady
b!ushed, and | began to sweat. But
the large lady, in the magnanimity Of
herself, and as if having Pity on q
7anquished foe, and in her mercy
desiring TO turn the conversation,
lowered her voice one octave and
asked, "At what college did you grad
uate ?" /, having just at that time
forgotten the name, and being very
thirsty, took to wine (Oh, what
blessed thing that wine was ! and
drank so long that the large
lady essed her mind, by finish
ing with, "Oh, 1 think women are
treated dreadfulIy here. " Here a
still older lady than the large one,
seeing the embarrassment, took up the
conversation and turn ed 1t upon
pleasant subjects. Now, ladies, if
there is the semblance of irreverence
for the sex about this, / sincerely beg
your pardon, as mean it for nothing
of the kind. Neither do l mean it as
a hit on Women's Rights, for i do
not know that this large lady was a
Women's Rights woman. ] have
Just related this circumstance, word
for word, for the purpose of showing
how easy it is for lady, a woman /
should say, to introduce questions
which bring embarrassments, the
effects of which are not easily eradi
Gated. 1t shows, also, the impression
this woman, who had seen and not Oh
se,ved German society, was about to
carry back to America. / may have
some lady friend reading this letter,
who wonders why such questions
should be improper. The answer is
that such questions lead to unP!eas
ant argument, and embarrassment.