The herald., 1893-10-15
LETTER BAG.
lThe HERALp under this heading prints com
uuntcations, but does not assume responsi-
bility for the sentiments expressedl
Some Remark. on tho Position of VIC

EDITORS HERALD: lt 1e almOhL lH-
possible to take up magazine or jour-
nal at the present time in which there
is not an article by some one of our
ready writer's regarding the position ol
women, and so interesting and 30 inn
portant has this theme become that
every writer of note has at one time OF
another employed his pen upon it. In
an otherwise very excellent production
Of this kind in the Contemporary Re.
view OF September we come across the
oit-reiterated, much mistaken idea that
the German women, OF all women in
the world. holds the moat deplorable
position, that she is, in fact, household
drudge.
1t would be interesting to know exact
II what those feminine authors, who are
GO unanimous in applying this would-be
appalling phrase 'housebold drudge to
all classes of the German women, mean
by it. II they mean simply that every
German wife and mother from the en-
press down, takes an interest in and
oversees the management Of her home,
then they are correct in 30 saying; but
there cannot generally be anything in
such fact that reflects unfavorably up
on the position OF women in Germany.
IL they mean more than this they are
mistaken. as shall presently prove.
On the one hand it is quite absurd to
suppose that in country whore labor
is 30 cheap and where every household
of the well to do classes. is supplied
with a retinue of servants that the
head of the house can become drudge
either through necessity or good will,
while, onthe other hand, II the German
women were mere household drudges it
would be quite impossible for them to
excel in those plisbments which
are their boast and pride. / do not
speak now of the lowest classes of the
population in which, evervwnere-our
own country not excepted, may be
found drudges-but OF that large por-
tion OF the population which constitutes
in every land, the nations backbone
the middle class.
Among the middle class women of
Germany, it will be difficult, indeed, to
find one who is not an expert in some
special kind OF fancy work, one who
does not speak, at least, one language
beside German, and who is not toler-
able musician. or one who is not able to
converse intelligently about literature
and the arts. This, l think, goes to
prove that these women cannot have
spent their whole time in, $50 called, !"
household drudgery.
But what has led them to this miscon-
coption Of the position of German
women.
Glance, for q moment, with your
minds eye at some absent-minned
dreamer, sitting among crowd of wide-
awake, intelligent people, gathered
together for the purpose OF deciding
upon momentous question. Ask those
about you what you think OF him, and
they will probably tell you he is fool.
But what II suddenly awaking from his
reverie, and grasping in twinkling the
true meening of that which all present
have been debating, he pronounces
Judgment which all accede is the best
and most correct, then he will no longer
appear fool in the eyes OF the multi
tude-the dreamer will now be to them
philosopher.
We should beware OF Judging from
appearances. This idea that the German
wpruen are household drudges is the
natural result OF a superficial view.
That stout, homeiy clad, matronly
mother OF family, so apparently ab-
sorbed in the duties Of the day, attend
ing now to the wants of this one, now
to that one. giving their breakfast to
the children in the nursery, supervising
the preparations for the MONDAY meal,
or even leaning over the tub with some
piece of finery she does not entrust to
her servants. who would guess that she
has read the latest work on ethics. prac-
ticed the last new opera of Verdi, or is
perhaps Latin tutor to her own half
grown sons.
But, our lady visitors will perhaps
say that she cannot do all this without
being drudge. To this l reply again
that che cannot be drudge. according
to my understanding of the meaning OF
that word, in any sense whether she
che will or no: for whatever household
duties she takes upon herself, she takes
them from pure inclination, and she
cannot make drudge of herself, for in
every household there are too many
hands to perform the work to enable
any single member to go beyond her
strength.
II have even seen women yoked like
cattle to the plow," said one OF my COM
patriots, with uplifted hands. Yes; go
have /, on one occasion but on making
inquiries | found that the woman in
this special case Of her own accord put
on the yoke. Her husband was ill, her
only son student at the university.
she owned an old rack-o'- bones horse.
out of pity for him she slipped her
strong, well-preserved body into the
yoke in order to help the poor beast
along. Nobody required her to do it.
She was, indeed, hard-working peas
ant, like many of her class, but she en-
joyed robust health and was content
and happy withal--a good wife and
mother, and held original opinions re-
garding government and the kinge
Another German woman of the work.
ing classes, with whom came in con-
tact, who had very extensive ward
robe, used to 60 about her work in
mere rag and with bare feet, thus pre-
senting to the eye picture as of poverty
and distress, though / knew her also to
be no drudge" but on the contrary a
very independent and ambitious woman
whose one desire was to come to Amer
lea, not to earn living, for her husband
was in the employ OF the government at
very good salary, but in order to be-
come rich.
1t is not true, therefore, that the posi-
tion OF the German women ie that of
household drudges" any more than it
is true that the position OF English
women is that of slaves to their masters
or the position of American women that
OF sinecure, and it is perhaps this lack
OF regard for appearances while working,
an eharaetarsafio of o,~ os.ko-.