The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-16

may be. they generally suffer from . pstti-
ness OF feeling and thought which IL not
calculated to make their lords bow down to
them amid the ffict.on OF every day lie. They
cannot manage to get themselves treated with
the respect and regard in private life that la
dies Invariably meet with In the German arls-
tocraoy. as well - in the educated society OF
England France. and tho United States Az
erags Germans have tendency 10 xivo way to
Their temper In dealinR With tho women
OF their family. which is likely to sur
prise foreigner. II IL not that the Germans
arc not scrupulously polita In their outward
conduct toward ladies: 1t Is In the intimacy OF
tho household that they cast of tho innuner-
able little tOards that mean 80 much. 1t ia also
unsatisfactory to note that Islander with regard
to women 10 easily set III motion and very
prevalent in Germany. The fact discloses q
by no means nice sido OF the national chafac-
ter. Downright vulRarltg. indeed. 10 not often
met with in Germany. but. according to Mr..
Whitman. when 1t Ia. It Is far more offensive
than in England. In England even the most
vulgar feel certain nervousness. and are
cowod before birth and position. Not so In
Germany. whore occasionally intense tensl-
tivsness 10 combined with aggressive arro-
Rance and RechthaJerei. the mental disease Of
feeling and asserting yourself to be always
In the right
These general statements. however, with re-
gard to the social status and mental attitude
Of mddle-class women In Germany. require
some qualification. They are scarcely applic-
able to the former free towns OF Hamburg.
Bremon. Lubbock. ami Frankfort. on. The Main.
There We lind the patrician bureher supreme.
and with him oil tho peculnrltiSs Of burgber
supremacy. 1t is true that the days when the
FrankfoIters used to spcak French In their
nj 4, Fl hav
bition. also. of the gllded youth OF Hamburg
and Bremen to pass himself or as English has
undergone some modification. 1t ncverthe-
loss remains . Tact TINT the social status
Of the well-educated and rich commoner
In tho four towns mentioned Ito which q few
others might DO added) is far higher
than where he 10 overshadowed and left IN
the cold by u court and it's military surround
ings In capitals such Us Dresden aud Stntt-
cart 1t 10 comparatively rare TO SEQ q civilian
in the best society. Here the male element
reigns supreme, but IN the above named
towns the fair sex exercises q controlling
social influence. although 1t has not always
been employed as wisely as 1t might have
been. Still, Mr.. Whitman assures US that no
body who has mixed in the best society Of
the 9 towns cnn havo failed to notice the we'll
brod ease OF manner OF the ladies and their
high culture. With the possession OF money
has como cultivation OF tho flne arts and .
great diffusion of tho social amenities. Tho
wealthy merchant citizen 10 defereDtial to his
womankind. which has q Rnaok OF exact
ing ds;crence. But conscious OF family
history. which reaches back for many
generations. lie has class vanity OF his own.
and often exhibits n bumpt!ous hauteur aud
purse pride which nut to shame the pride OF
birth OF the noble with siAty.,our 0uarterinRs.
ma potricfap hi rhor ,pho In I'm 4
is generally conspicuous for toadying 10 the
aristorracy. now ana then shows bloa'cd arro-
gance toward the mobiles In Germany. 1t 10
possible that this arrogance Is occasionally tho
veil under which he tries to hide . conscious
social inferiority. Although the rich Frank
fort patrcian will give you 10 understand that
he is the equal OF any count OF the holy
Roman empire. he Is yet aware that be Is only
their equal Ia his own Imagination, and only
30 long "a he aDdes within the four walls OF
his native town. He has clear knowledge
that. although his daughters may receive the
b. ct society at homo. they have only 70 marry
commoner in Berlin, or Dresden. or Munich
in order to lose their fine feathers
and to be quietly relegatei to a place
outside The social circle. Thus the con-
seriousness OF his greatness Is imperfect
and as suoi reveals the drawbacks that imper-
fec; COW 'ctionS are apt to develop In the hu.
man heart In general. however. 1t may be
said that German society presents ono psrticu.
lar negative advantage. 1t is comparatively
free from tho restless vulgar snobbery to be
found in some other countries. The toady.
the tufthunter. tue vulgar pushing muron, are
almost non-existent Human M IRE may not
be different. hut the conditions are healthier:
Gormun soclo offers little temptation to tho
vulgar who bow down to show and We alth a
tondy would seek IL vain n profitable return
from his endsavors. and rich heirs arc too rare
to reward the efforts OF Intriguing mothers.
In another chapter OF his book Mr. Whitman
has kind words as well us criticism for Ger
man Womankind. lie hints. indeed. that no
eulogy pronounced by Tacitus on German
women Tor their severe chastity Is som.wha:
out of date. lie says that many observers in
our dAls fail to disc Jver In them the stern
contral VI their feelings. wi h which they were
cred led 10y thc Roman historian. Ii Is ossi-
Bile that tho sickly. sentimental postry Of the
last h .ndred years has hal something 10 do
with the dove opme mt of Observation-Disclosures in
German womanhOod. 1t is certain that the
German ideal OF femiuinity. rs portrayed in
literature, is dilrerent Fl ON tho Engl si. ldeul
Eneli-h women sgow IN independence Of char
acter that is absent from the German tyre. 1t
is In, boast OF the fRther!and that there is
nothing ike the German womanliuess and
1t Is. undoubtedly, splendid quality.
Yet there is something in the German
ideal OF womenhood which suggests that their
devotion once given wonld leave lover no
further fields to conquer. In tho English and
Savonc types. upon the other hand. there
Is something which makes US feel 1t
imperative. not ONLY TO gnin but TO retain
devotion. 1t is certain That the development
OF strong y marked feminine indiviluAlities Is
not encouraged in Germany. German girls
lnck the freedom which American. or even
English. girls enjoy; and while tho Germans
arc mover tired OF Wanting the virtue OF their
women. the slightest intimacy on their part
with the other sex. unless followed by i'm
mediate betrothal. is sufficient for gossip to
lay hold OF. English women are said to be
prudsh. but in the art OF seeming shocked
Gretchen heats her English sister h .llow. On
the other hand. 1t must be acknowledge that
German Gi,ls are much less inhus ced BY tho