The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-21
' g.

the artist turned out To- be n roller skater.
W.
As regards tho social position Of women. we
are assured that the husband in q weil-to-do
household can no longer be represented rs
slavedrivcr. Nevertheless there does undues.
tionably exist a considerable class OF men
which holds fast TO the old theory Of woman's
natural inferiority. and views with great
Jealousy and dislike all tendencies toward
conceding greater liberties to the inferior sex.
These antiqunted and narrow ideas may even
be met with occasionally in places where Wis
dom and liberation might be looked for. The
truth lie that. although there has been mark ell
Improvement since the beginning Of the CEN
tury. the grcat majority VI men and the great
majority OF women also arc not conscious that
the present relationship calls for serious
change. The average man would he surprised.
II not indignant. 10 he told that the position ot
his sisters and OF his wife is not now in every
respect what Providence intended II to lie.
Tue average woman would. in Germany. take
tho same view. so far Is she from sharing the
ideals Ot those OF her sex. who. In scorn. hre
allied the emancipated. The common opinion
Is that the home Is the only sphere in which
womnn's activity should be exercised. and
that. out OF the home. she IL ont OF her true
province. In the words OF an often. quoted
proverb. the house is womans world: the
world Is mans house.
As for the type OF the domesticated husband.
nowhere will he TO found more exemplary or
moro amiable than in tho German middle
class. Husband and wife are generally in
separable. They will be found together at
home. at the play. at the concert. in the park,
at the forest. even in the CATS. though tho vito
has usually to go alone to church The pater-
famias in this rank OF life would not in fact
enjoy himself unless in the company OF his
wife or. better still. OF his wife and children.
Mr.. Dawson tells us that the wife, for her part
well deserves the trust and attachment OF her
partner. She lives for him. and has no higher
aspiration than to earn his approval by faithful
attention to wiicly and motherly duties. Tho
German wife in general. whatever her rank.
is alphabetically hard worker II is no nomi-
nal sway that she exercises over the domestic
realm. She Is sovereign and executive COM
bined. She both issues and enfOrces the
household DEGREES. Let her dom este servants
be ever so numerous. she Is herself never
above using her hands. We are cautioned,
nevertheless against concluding because OF
their domesticity that German women and
girls are badly educated. The contrary seems
to DO the case. In the higher girls schools an
admirable education is Impaired. and the in
tellectual status OF the women who have passed
schools unquestionably surpass all but the
best Of the similar institutions In England.
Tho position OF the woman question In Cor
many is summed up In a few words. There Is,
as we have said, no opposition at all TO the
liberal education OF women IL is true that
neither academic nor public opinion Is. as yet,
prepared to sanction the admission OF women
to the universities. though many influential
petitions in favor OF this step have boon pre-
scented to the Rcichstag and to soma OF the
Diets Nevertheless. while the general p-inci.
learning is maintained. several exceptions
have been made In the cases both OF Germans
and of foreigners SO far as the, political pros
can see no reason TO expect substantial
theoretical in England. what must It
be in Germany, where even direct
leGis lative body the Reichstag and even its
application to that is lamented by a large
not allowed to vote. many OF them can and do |
advocate and ngitnte the extensio both OF the |
II is pointed out as particularly noteworthy |
nowadays fot'nd assembling in public meet
forms; to social democracy il ascribed tho |
credit OF having awakeneu the wives, sisters. |
sciousncss OF their interest in the laws. insti-
stutions. and customs Of their country
IL must. at the Same time, he acknowledged |
that in parts OF Germany women are arcus-
toned to follow some employments suited |
n either to their sex nor to their strength. Ii Is
\ common thing TO see women drawing small |
wagons along the streets OF towns or country |
roads. sometimes they only assist the dogs. |
which form the real team, hut frequently they |
bear the whOls burden alone, More reGrettable |
still is the employment u S3nen in agricul: |
lural work. The traveller who goes eastward |
rom the coast OF Holland along the shores |
Of the North Sea will all along the |
route find women in the fields busy |
4 operations which should fall to men. |
They may often be seen plonghing, harrowin z.
potato digging hand thrashinG. and carrying |
heavy baskets OF manure, while men may he |
engaged in activities OF an easier kind. In |
>ilesia women take an even more active part |
n the lRbors OF the fields. II Is cTeditAble 10 |
The Catholic and Socialist PARTIES in the eichs-
ar that for years they have pleaded for the
greater restriction Of female work in tho fac
ories preparatory 10 its entire suppression,
IN 10 this point law and public opinion are |
ikely soon to go hand in hand. NJ W. II.