The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-10
OUR EUROPEAN LETTER.
The Education and Surroundings of
German Girls
Too aIanY women-Men at Premium
Marriage.
MUNICH, April 10. 1882

MUNICH, April 10. 1882
OF the undesirable conditions incident to
humanity, an acquaintance with German
society is favorable TO the conviction, that
not among the least in this land, is the fate
of being born girl. The Disadvantages
which are supposed to be her natural inner
itance. are tenacious and hinder her every
progress. From earliest childhood she is
sphere, with 10 room 10 grow beyond or out
of the set boundaries. If she here and there
attempts to burst the letters that bind her,
and dares think sRd act to thesconventional
standard, she is looked upon with distrust,
and assigned TO ths. progressive, and, there
fore, dangerous class Of unwomenly women;
if her sin be one of reasoning, research, OF
independent opinion, she is decried as a
F.blau strumpf" (blue stocking, than which
8 more undesirable epithet is scarcely to be
dreaded
From the very beginning of her existence
restraizt and repression become the watch
word. In fact the whole course OF her train
ing Is founded on wrong principle To begin
with, the little girl Of six years is sent TO
school with only those Of her own sex, her
little brothers going to a school of their
own. From now on she is taught 20 avoid
bows as unfit for contact in any way, which
restriction grows more and more peremptory
year by year. She knows nothing OF the
stimulus Of emulation which the study with
her brothers would engender, but is led to
believe thai boy Is something foreign, in
which shs bGs aC:hing in Common. Her
education is som completed, ior 1t consists
only Of toe simplest documentary branches,
ana with the exception OF French, and per-
haps 8 little Eagli,h, might be almost wholly
incorporated into the old fashioned formula
viz: "Readin', writ-l', spellin', and ciph-
erin" In fact the Ignorance Of the WI men
IN the lowlier walks of life, which even oft
reaches up into the better classes, is truly
astounding. A sweet faced, petite creature,
charming in grace and manner, inquired
naively If en- ocean steamer couldn't put 10
shore along her route when her passengers
became sea sick, and give them q rest.
Another lady asked me ono day, if,
when you were in Ham burg, you
could look across and see America
Still another wanted to know If America
Germany, which she mentioned. That
girl should ever b1sy herself with any Of the
mental or physical sciences, or higher roath-
ematicS would BE- deemed preposterous.
And if she manifested desire for the study
of Greek or Latin, would be Immediately
set down as an
ABNORNAL PIECE OF FEAIININITY.
If she have any ambitious tastes outside
of the school curriculum, she must pursue
them at home. alone and unsided AS best
she can. This, however, she rarely does
and her leisure moments, from the time she
leaves school, until her marriage, which is
about the only eventiul epoch in her life, is
spent in knitting, crocheting and embroidery.
She is dutiful cLild, and sits 1t home day
after day, shut out, or in, from the wide,
wicked world, and all temptations. She
doesn't even know the joys and sstisfactions
of shopping, and as for picnics, excursions
and beat rides. they form no part OF her ex-
ist&nce. Her school lie is passed in bliss
full ignorance of the charms of a Church
social, and the beVildeIing scenes of the
Church festival. In short she leads life
of tame equanimity, Of which the American
girl has not the slightest conception
Here and there she attends party under
watched over as carefully and guarded rs
closely as thOugh she were the kohinoor
diamond itself, too valuable to be risked
alone. but yet must be exhibited in order 10
let IL be known that the owners are open &c
negotiations for disposal. Such q course OF
discipline girl can scarcely outlive, an
hence the inevitable result is that she be-
comes subdued into quiet, unobstrusive
and oftentimes uninteresting bit of humani
ty. The spirit and vivacity, so characters.
tic Of the American girl, under the delusior
thst it is boldness, are promptly and thor.
Oughly crushed out.
The main cause Of The non. develcpu1ent
OF, at least. imperfect development Of the
European woman, is her separation and ex
clusion from tho society of the opposite sex
Nature msnifestedly intended men and
women for the society OF each other, and
this original design can not be thwsrted
without the most serious consequences e
both sexes. One is compliment to the
other, and their characters, when brought
together IN the right relations, can not but
react upon each other to the attainment
of the pest possible good. To prepare
woman for the subsequent association with
men by continued isolation from then
during the most impossible portion Of then
lives, IL IS impractical as pernlciOus. VIVA
would one think Of a man, Who, in prepar
ing his son or pupil for profession or bust
ness, should studiously shut him out from
coniast with anything which proclaimed to il
and, at a given moment, expect him to Cd
ter fully equipped upon MS life work, wit
luck or chalce to take the place Of expert
ence2
The object of this seclusion is based on tn
false hypothesis that ignorance is purity
Not being brought into contact with men,
young girl knows nothing OF her power t.
resist temptation, and the influence So
could exert for good; but is led to believ
that force Of viii is the peculiar inheritance
of the nascalar nature. She. knows moth
ing of young man except as he is repre-
sented to her through other mediums tina.
that of her OWE senses. She regards him e
wonderful, mysterious, fascinating and ut
terly irresistible something, that sweeps
everything before him. She believe
herself to BE perfectly helples
under his magnetic influence. That i
is possible for young man, in constant snC
TnrestraineS intercourse with young lady
t. have homer enough not to take advant
ago of her, or that she is capable Of with
standing any advances he may choose t,
make, is never expected. Consequent,
vouror rnen and women are kent apsrt Sp.