The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-14

shadow across the dead level ~ German homo
| life. The "platform woman" and the " medic Il
woman" are still only known bv evil report
beings that e tusc the vlrtuous mntron to draw
! her imaginary skirts shudderingly about her
foim aud pass By with eyes mentally ayerted on
| the other side.
| 1t is doubtless true that the ide I woman Of
! Germany IL stll much what Schill r painted
her. She poses In pissionless serenity Us we
| SEQ her in the viRncttcs Of the annu ~, sur
| rounded by ester souls and crowned with
st1rs. Shs Is a soft, sentimental creature, all
fensialty and adjcrhve4, weaving hriv
emily roses into this eir,hlv life. "sighing
| softly TO the stars. wandering In moonlight.
culliug ransies and forget-mc nots. md en-
wreathing her blond brows with the flowers
OF the feelings" melancholy. sympathetic
schcdrmcrisch; blue-oy,d and rcnslvc I'M
| ming somewhat igucly IN seas Of sentiment
not fr from dangerous gulfs OF bathos. But
while there Is no figure moe poetic than this Of
! the ideai German woman, we are assured that
there Is ~ actually more prosalc than the lc-h
and blood reality IA she lives and moves and
has her being. The ideal woman IL always un-
! IN rrlei; the real woman. al Z. IL married, and,
II wedlock be the prose Of life, German wedlock
| is OF prose the prosiost. " with the loosened
| cestus aud lost vei,' means schiller 1.-THE
sweet madness IL also los =" Thenceforth. II
goddesses at all, they are tame. houscwifaly
diylnltes, their pedos' al. II pedestal be still
possible. set upon the great reutonic tripod OF
the home-baked, the home brcwed. the home
spun Marthas hcnceforwari cumbered with
too much serving, they have time or thought for
nothing else.
We are informed by this discerning lady that
to LAY OF men generally TINT they belong to the
"nobler sex" Is TO say very little when applied
to the German man. She would prefer to go
round about the theme and aill-m that In
| Germany the relative position Of the sexc, Il
what on, imaeiEcs to be convey d IN tie sem
tence-" and the sons OF God took unto them
selves the daughters Of men" II may he limited,
however, that tle well-born German il dlstin-
auished for his morG,c and disregard Of those
IN u lower station than himself. 1his was. and
Ia. his chief reproach in the eyes Of his middle
elias. feow-countrymcn iIo docs not conceal
that he dcspses their want Of manner. their
glaring solecsms, their extraordinary coarse
ness ~ behavior and absence Of tact. Not
from the so-callcd Flower orders" Is resent
| nent 80 lkely to become dangerous rs from
the "well-educAted, undcrOred middle ct s.
| 1t must he owned tho reiu middiing
| IL refinement Of speech, suayty Of III inner ana
r'ntleness Of utierance count for anything
! Nevertheless our ir authorizes can see the
! shortcomings 81 this magnificent being, the IN n
~ noble birth, OF splendid presence, 81 polished
! II of cold and CANT manners. and AYERS that
| he "f ia where might ex ect him to fail"
| The German gentleman may ne gallant. he may
/ bs = man Of pleasure a | dy killer, n grand
rlrcrr. As A rule he IL perfectly re 1dy 20 uirt
with any pretty woman. to mako daily EHs',r
parddes before her windows. to whisper soft
sentimental nothings In the pauAes Of the co.
ullon. IL may I've even slightly to compromise"
] M
toned to the "entirc and untirinc devotion which
| English women acct with all the calm uncon.
scio Isne-s of "a right" Noman rises to open the
door for them when they leave the room ii CUPS
ofiea or coffee have TO he h pJed aoOut. IL Is the
lady " tue house that will carry them round.
She VIII be rewarded with "Tauseud' Dank,
meins Gau ,gste.' but the most gracious" viii
he ALLOW ed to trot about all the same. At II
| a lady may search for an hour for her wraps Ia
| the cloak room before one 81 thlt group OF gilt
tering creatures assembled round the door will
put out a helping hand. When az last she
energes nom those difficulties and passes down
the stair. t1ev will "driw themselves up in
! Sritnyc mfNdrische HclfWuJ. click their heels
! together, and bring their heads to the level II
their sword belts :" and IL that T. no, devotion.
chivHlric behavior, aud splendid respect, the
German world has none t. show her. and she Is
an exact!ng aud irrational malcontsn'.
O,her countries, other M lnncrs the al 1ee
will gain new meaning for the re Ider who t.
tenuted 10y these glinpses TO looA between the
! covers II this entertaining and useful book. Ger
talniy the usefulues Of a work cannot be gain
snd which powerfully helps US to understand a
great hut peruliAr people, to comprehend how
1. happens that the most highly taught Of ma
tons should also l., the most III IN lunered, why
the IN IT athe-iic society IN ,uld vet he the
] most cousery tive, ana the most sentimental