Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-01-21
MARRIAGE SCHOOLS.

MARRIAGE SCHOOLS.
Several Reasons Why German
Women Make Good Wives.
Finishing schools in England are OF
doubtful utility. In south Germany,
however, writes q London Chronicle
correspondent, the institution has
been developed on very practical lines.
Before admission the girls are sup
posed to have been thoroughly well
educated. They must know the rudi-
ments of arithmetic, must have a fair
acquaintance with English and Ger
man grammar, and must be able to
write and speak their own language
properly. They come to the school
mainly to learn housekeeping.
The schools generally number from
ten to twenty boarders, each of whom
has separate bedroom. Every morn
ing after breakfast the girl has to
make her own bed and dust the room.
Once or twice month she is obliged
to alter the position OF the furniture
SO that she may know how to arrange
things. Evey week she is called upon
to take her dresses from the cupboards
where they hang and pack them in a
box with everything else she may re-
quire for long visit. This done, the
mistress inspects it and points out the
many ways in which she may save
space.
In a school in Baden visited, only
16 pupils are admitted, and two house
maids and one cook are kept. At the
commencement of the term the girls
are informed by the mistress that four
of them are required every week to
take absolute charge of the house.
They have to rise early in the morning
and see to the preparation of break
fast. When this is finished, they
make their beds and tidy their rooms
and afterward 60 around the house
te see that the servants have done
their work. Then they are told by the
mistress what the midday dinner will
consist of, and this they have to pre-
pare, though the cook will supervise
what they do in the kitchen, giving
hints and preventing waste.
One of the four girls will have to sit
at the head OF the table and serve the
soup, carve the poultry or joint and
help the sweets. This meal over,
those ON duty have after short rest
to arrange afternoon tea, which they
lay in the drawing room and at which
they have to wait upon their compan-
ions and any visitors who may happen
to call. In the evening there is fire.
quently some music or light recrea.
ton, where the four girls have to act
as hostesses. They finish up their
days work by arranging supper, but
are not allowed to retire for the night
until they have left the kitchen in
perfect order and have seen that the
doors and windows all over the house
are properly secured.
The value of such training at this
cannot be overestimated. The girls
leave school quite competent to I'M
dertake the management of a house
They are good cooks and are able to
turn their hand to anything without
being dependent on the servants.
The other girls who have not been
so actively engaged in the house are
taught sewing and the making and re.
pairing of their own garments. In
the morning they have their studies
and in the afternoon generally 60 for
walks. The mistress of the school
visited is we'll connected and has many
visitors. In the winter evenings
dances are arranged, and these are en-.
tlrely managed by the girls on duty
They see to the preparation of the
rooms, engage the musicians, draw ur
the programmes, etc. This lady told
me that 80 of the girls had met their
husbands at these dances.
1--WE mistresses," she added, care
said in Germany to be the proprietors
of marriage schools. Don't laugh. II
is true and the term is not quite in
appropriate"