Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-01
THE SUBMISSIVE GERMAN WOMAN
fWoman's Journal

VOAAAhA . VoAtA
The young Western States, which
should naturally be the homes of all
progress, are filing up on an enormous
scale, with race Of men in many re-
spects admirable, but accustomed TO
views whicr are very close TO barbarism,
In all that concerns the condition OF
women.
II needs but to travel in Germany or
TO converse with those recently returned
thence. Ia fe the importance of this
last fact. IL il mt long since young
American traveller, talking with Ger
man lady, asked her Why there was 30
much astonishment in boarding houses
whenever an American was seen to
blacken his own shoes?
Because" she said. mo German gen.
tleman blacks his own shoes"
who does itl'
"His servant"
Suppose he cannot afford TO keep a
servantT'
Then his wife does it,
"Do you approve of that?''
Certainly ! do" was the answer;
"Was no3 woman created to be the scr
want of msn?"
All the theories Of social courtesy in
Germany, 30 far as have known, i'm
ply Difference az due to the man, not
the woman. A young physician lately
from Berlin was telling me, the other
day, that at his boarding house there,
soon after arrival, he stepped aside to
give precedence to lady who. like HIM
self. was entering the dining room. She
begged him to prenede her, and when
he declined, she slided reluctantly in,
keeping her face always deferentially
tnrned toward him. as toward crown
ed head. This happened two or three
timee. until she at last demonstrated
With him. pointing out that nobody else
did ~ he did, and that il made 1t very
awkward for her. After this, observing
that every other man in the family made
bis way into the dining room and left
the ladies 10 follow ~ they could, he
found 1t easier TO do the same, and 90
adopted the common practice. But ID
II strange that our young Americans,
after three or four years Of such social
training. return home to advocate, in
the Popular Science Aoathiy, the inferi-
ority Of women2.
Mre. Pitman, in her "Europcan
Breexee," gives an amusing account of
the awkwardness of Hungarian army
officers at being asked to hold q lady,
shawl for her; since their professional
etiquette forbids their carrying any
thing in their hands. But the same Is
the rule In all'good society in Germany,
and II a gentleman and lady walk to-
Rether In the street, IL is only the lady,
not her escort, whom propriety permits
70 carry parcel. To such a paradoxi-
GAL extent does this go, that young
lady once begged young American 20
allow her, for her own sake, to carry the
bundle; IL would never do for her 10 be
seen walking with q man who would Sc
degrade himself a. 10 take il. This
throws light on the story-that has al.
ways seemed q little incredible-o
Rev. DR.. Christlieb's remark, that the
spirit Of Christ must DO wanting ID
America. since be had more than ouc<
seen husband fetch his wife's shaw
for her. Bear ye one another's bur.
dens." was not to be found in the good
pastors Bible. And as the Bible OF
German science seems equally destitute
OF any such passage, IL seems the whole
civilized world 10 in q fair way to be re-.
tArded through tho curious backward
neas OF ono highly educated but semi.
civilized nation.