The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-10
Whit the Danish Women Learn.

The Danish girl is little known and less IN
derStJOd in foreign countries. Even the
commonplace German girl is much more fire.
quently described and Analysed than She IN
the modern literature of foreign countries
She is, however, worthy of all the observation
which has been SO freely bestowed of late
years on her continental sisters For Amer-
cans especially her training and ideas of q
girls duties in life should be subjects of keen
interest as she grows 10 wOmanhOOd with
more American characteristics than almost
any other girl between the Bay of Biscay and
the Asiatic border
The Danish girl in her youth does not learn
so much soldier-lke obedience and reverence
a. the German girl, nor so much imitation Of
knowledge as the American and English girls
The object of the education of young girls IN
Denmark IS 10 render them really lndepend-
ent for life. Every effort Is made to develop
the reasoning powers and 20 arouse original
ity. KEYS and ponies are consequently
almost unknown among Danish schoolgirls.
A term IN metaphysics, Just because 1t smacks
of higher education and gives young woman
an opportunity of saving. "Oh, how | hated
it." Is an unknown institution. Everything,
on the contrary, is careful, solid, thorough.
Among the very Young object lessons are
more prevalent than in ass other country.
Among the more mature the same principle
obtains, and all the natural sciences. for IN
stance, are taught with the all of sufficient
apparatus. specimens and charts The Dan
ish girl gets the same manual training as the
boys. with whom She IS allowed TO associate
IN school hours.
The consequence Of this early training is
that most Danish girls leave school with all
sorts of un-EurOpcan ideas OF their independ-
ence Probably no Continental country has
in proportion 10 ITS size. rs many women
graduates in medicine, philOlogy and luris-
prudence, and the number Of girls IN protes-
siOnal and learned courses of study is lncreas-
inc yearly. Daughters Of rich tradespeOple
devote themselves usually % the trades of
their fathers after having served their APP
prenticeships in the concerns OF strangers,
where only the value of their services deter
mines the rapidity of their advancement.
The trade of the goldsmith has within the
last fifteen years gained popularity steadily
among daughters of the better class Of Danes,
so that to-day all the gCldsmlths of COpen-
hagen have young women as apprentices as
well as assistants often enough Ia their most
elaborate styles Of work. Young women OF
lower aspirations become bakers or cOnfec-
TONERS. and are slowly but surely crOwding
out from the trades the men TO whom such oc-
never properly belonged.
Not a few girls IN Denmark study the art Of
gardening. Scores annually become profess
sional dairy-maids Young women OF the
peasant class devote themselves mostly 10
learning all about vegetable gardening, and 10
encourage them in learning 10 do their work
numerous agricultural associations
and local authorities give prizes for the great
est skill shown in Transforming ugly and I'M
fruitful spots into model beds OF beets, peas
and the like.
High and low, rich and poor" said a Ger
man educator in a recent article on Danish
women teach their daughters to support
themselves in case Of need without being
obliged TO stiAe their lives in the crowded
rooms Of great factories and workshops. -
Chicago Inter-Ocean.