The Portland daily press., 1897-09-21
GERMAN WOMEN.
They are Trained to be Ideal Housekeep-
ers But Have Few Property Rights.

In Germany today no woman can con-
troll property; she cannot even control her
own actions; whatever of value she has
acquired in any way belongs to her
father, her husband OF her son, and the
law requires her to obey their orders, says
W. r. Curtis in the Chicago Record.
Japan is the only country on earth that
pretends to be civilized where the rights
of women are so restricted. When a
woman marries all her property passes
into the ownership of her husband for
ever. He has the legal right to use or dis
pose of it in any manner he chooses re-
CARELESS of her wishes or protests. If they
are divorced the property remains with
him. When she assents to the marriage
VOW she forfeits independence and con-
fers upon him absolute jurisdiction over
her mind, body and estate. He can COM
pei her to work or do anything else that
is lawful for women to do, and she has
no relief or protection except in public
opinion Some of the American heiresses
who have married German barons have
learned of this law to their sorrow, and
others who may have an opportunity to
assist in supporting the German army
and restoring ancestral estates should
look into the matter very carefully before
they appoint the wedding..d day.
There are no better housekeepers in the
world than German women and believe
that this is the only country in which
girls are taught at the expense of the
state to be careful, economical, indus
trious wives and mothers. Every city,
townand village has a haushaltungsscnule
in which German girls are drilled in the
art and science of housekeeping, while
the boys are learning Greek, Latin,
mathematics and 1.-THE military The
regular course of instruction in the
haushaltungsschule is:
% Cooking, baking, washing, milk
ing, dairy work and the care of vegnta-
bic garden; (2) ironing. sewing, mend
ing, patching, knitting, dressmaking
etc.; (3) domestic economy, mathematics,
bookkeeping, accounts, systems of money
and simple forms of mathematics; a.
the fourth grade includes anumber of
studies which may be summed up under
1le head of domestic chemistry; that is
the nutritive value of different kinds of
foods, the comparative value of different
kinds of fabrics, and other information
of similar character which will enable
the mother and the wife to expend her
limited allowance for the support of the
family to the best advantage; (5) a sim
pie course in medicine and pharmacy,
physiology, hygiene, sanitation, etc.
There are two courses, in winter and
in summer. The first begins in Novem-
Der and runs about five months until
Easter. r. The second commences two
weeks later and continues until harvest
time, when the girls are needed at home.
Pupils must be between IA and IS years
Of age and must furnish their own uten-
sils and books. There is no fee for
tuition, but a nominal charge for board
The pupils get up at 5 O'Clock in the
morning, make their beds, prepare their
rooms andsgo tosmorning prayer Break
per at 6. Evening prayers are said at 9
O'Clock and at 10 the lights are out. The
girls have simple amusements of their
own arrangement, but are not allowed to
enjoy the society Of men, except on holt
days, when their brothers and cousins
may spend an afternoon with them. Nor
is any attempt made to teach them de-
pertinent or other accomplishments, ex-
cept music. although girl may take les
sonssin art-that is, drawing, painting,
embroidery, etc., by paying an extra fee
to the teacher