Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-03-26
s. That was q horrid speech, Jenny.
How could you say such a thingf''
4. why, Nell, It popped out before !
knew it =
IS And what did Mr.. Farson say9
He blushed clean to the eyes, and I
1an away. 4 ..y..st. So
The Stiff.
ISaturdaV Review

/" :
People who are interested in the Ques-
ton Of the disposal Of superf1uous female
population may take an opportunity of
paying visit to one of these institutions.
peculiar to North Germany, for the main
tenance of destitute ladies of high birth.
Since welEknown German girl can by
no means condescend t. earn her bread,
and since the number of noble paupers lie
large, benevolent men have built and en-
dowed many Stiff in Silesia and Sax
ony for their reception. The appoint
ment OF the ladies is in the hands of q
committee; but each must have 9 certain
number of quarterings, and sometimes
preference is given to founders is given
to 'sfounder's kim" the number is limit
ed, and at the head is a Stiftshofmeister-
in, who is appointed by the Crown, and
who, in virtue of her office, takes high:
rank of precedence at Court. The,ladies
need not be orphans, and if they have
parents living they. spend SO many
months in the year with them; if they
marry, suitable dowry is provided for
them. In many cases they spend their
whole lives in Stiff. The Meisterin has
absolute control over the others, and has
to keep peace and order, which must some
times be a; difficult task among = dozen
or more idle women. One Stiff, which is
within the Saxon frontier, and where the
ladies are half Saxons, half Prussians, is
on palatial scale. It was built about
two hundred years ago In the. Italian
style, with grand approach ofsteps and
terraces; within great marble hall, with
magnificent staircases- on either side.
On the first floor is a saloon forty ieet
high, with painted ceiling, and on the
same floor are the guests room and the
Meisterin's suite of apartments. The
ladies are lodged above, the seniors hav-
ing two rooms; they all furnish the rooms
themselves, and very pretty many of
them are. They have their private laun-
dry, their MAIDS and their carriages and,
in fact, every luxury to which their birth
may be considered to entitle them. The
endowment funds are invested in farms,
which are rapidly increasing in value; so
that there is absolutely surplus in rev.
enue. One can not help wondering how
these luxurious institutions would
fare under a democratic order
Of things. Their raison d. etre is not
likely to be seen by any but the aristo-
cratic class for when they are founded,
and whom alone they benefit. Wisely,
as it seems to us, the Committee has re-
Gently agreed that some of the superf1u-
Gus income shall be devoted to the sup
port Of a school for the neighborlng peas.
ants children, and this school is estab-
lishcd in the Stiff grounds. There seems
to be lack of interests and occupations
among:the ladies; and no wonder, for cul-
tivation of the intellectual powers does
not come at present within the German
scheme of female education. They can
all play the riano and sing, often very
well; but they have little knowledge Of
the works of the great composers, and
prefer the emptiest modern music. 1t
must be dreary life to enter upon at
eighteen; for the chances of marriage are
not very many, and no other career is
open to them.