Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-24
WOMEN OF MANY LANDS.
How n Young Teacher Learned Six
LanguaSes-Home Life of
nj

\ traveller says that the Australian Wom-
an is not graceful, although tall and well
formed. She is fond OF dress, but has none
of the good taste nor chic of the Parisienne,
nor the sobriety of the English woman.
She is usually overdressed, and gives one
the impression Of having no artistic sense
of the fitness of things.
A plucky Philadelphia girl at is years of
age supported herself as a public school
teacher; in the course of twelve years she
has made six Journeys to Europe. and
learned to speak six modern languages
during which time she has supported her
self entirely by her earning as teacher
and has paid every penny of her travelling
expenses. Her first journey was made 10
England and Scotland, and during the next
two school years she saved money for hel
second trip to France, Belgium and Hol-
land. and learned French during her leisure
hours.
Returning TO her school work, she began
to study German. and at the end of two
years was ready for a journey up the Kline
and to Vienna and back via Dresden and
Berlin TO Bremen. At the end of the next
two years she had learned Italian and
started for Rome. She visited the import
ant Italian cities, and spent two weeks IN
Switzerland. Two years later she was in
Spain and was able to speak the language
of that country.
During the last year she has made her
sixth journey to Europe. visiting
Norway. Sweden and Russia. She had a
fair knowledge of Swedish and says she
can make herself understood in Russian.
On the death of the wife of the German
chancellor. Princess Mary OF Hohenlohe. a
most remarkable woman has passed away.
The princess was enormously wealthy, a
woman of imposing stature and appear
ance. and a great sportswoman- Despite
her IS years she shot two bears in the
woods of Werki only a few months ago.
Her brother. from whom she inherited vast
estates in Russia, was Prince Sayn-Nitt-
genstein. who was in high favor at the
court of the late Car Alexander III. The
princess had great sympathy with ramatic
art. and was pa~ssionately fond of music,
especially Wagner. and was a woman Of
most courteous and unaffected manners.
The Princess Beatrice always nails up
and arranges with her own hands the holly
and ivy that decorate the queens private
sitting room at Christmas. besides super
intending the adornnent of the royal chap
el. Once on a time every lady decked her
own house in like name but now, except
custom seems likely to fall into disuse.
This is a pity. for several reasons" says
a member of a royal family. There is
something so essentially English and home
ly about it. it svmbolizes the national faith
that unites palace and cottage. 1t has also
Its less serious aspect, inasmuch as the
bright berries of the holly and the friv-
of gayety and youthfulness into our sober
workaday life. Latent in every one of us
there is a love of the picturesque and a
sense of beauty. which 1t is to be feared
we systematically starve. A great deal Of
the grayness and sordidness of life is our
own fault. and. maybe, the ragged urchin
who steals a spris of holly from a stall
Christmassy' is wiser in hiss generation
than we."