Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-03-23
THE WOMEN OF SPAIN.
HOW THEY DIFFER FROM THEIR
SISTERS OF OTHER LANDS.

Interesting Statistics Relating to Social and
, Intellectual Conditions Hard Lot in
life-very Few Spanish Women Have an
Opportunity for Leaving Her Accredited
Sphere and Earning an Honest Livelihood
Except at Menial Service or the Few Ac-
knowledsed Vacations Of Her Sex-As a Re-
suit Of this Environment the Few Pleasures
Accorded Spanish Women. Such as the Cruel
Bull.Fsht. are Heartily Enjoyed.
| Chicago Times Herald.
A great deal has been written about
Spanish men, but / think one may
find truer key to Spanish character
by taking a glimpse of the misery of
the Spanish women. 1 doubt if the
Spanish woman is any better off than
the Turkish woman, and while Ameri-
can women are not clamoring for a
conflict, the fact remains that the TAX
ing OF Spain from the European geog-
raphy might prove great step in ad-
vance for the women of that land.
It appears from an official docu.
ment which came my way the other
day that but 2,636,615 Spanish women
can read or write. This fraction is al
most as big as the male army that
knows its own language. 1t is a pitt
full showing, but it is only the begin.
ming of the table of female wretche'l-
ness. The municipalities list 51,946
professional beggars who wear petit.
coats. Then there are S2S, ,531 women
who earn their living by working in
the farm fields. There are 319,59
women rated as day servants, who get
but little more than board and shelter
for their work, and in all the dying
dynasty there are but $4,000 girls in
the schools of any kind, public or pri.
vate. There are twice as many female
mendicants as male. The census
shows that 6.764 ,406 women have nei-
ther professions nor trades, and are al
together dependent upon charity, the
possibility of getting married or hard
labor at starvation wages.
The same lamentable condition of
the Spanish woman is shown by a
glance at another side of her life
The kingdom has but seventy.four
women classed as literary writer's.
There are but seventy.eight women
physicians in the mother country and
! all the provinces. The women school
teachers number only 14,490, as COM
pared with 24,6l2 men, but this does
not include the nuns, who are classed
by themselves, and number 2S,549.
Spanish women who are fortunate
live in the most magnificent homes
and seem never to bother their heads
about the poorer sisters at their doors.
The favorite resort for the grand Sc
noras is San Sebastian, and the lives
the careless Spanish women of fashion
lead there during the summer is said
to be scandal over all Europe.
There is scarcely a pretense at propri-
ETY. or even ordinary conventionality.'
As in France, a majority of the young
girls o! the best families are educated
in the converts. Their greatest &C.
complishment is embroidery, and they
sit and sit and sit at their knitting
until some man from an ancient and
bankrupt house or a bull-raising plan
tation comes along and marries them.
Club life is unknown. Marriages are
celebrated very early in life, and but
few people who get weary of these
early alliances ever go to the trouble
and formality of getting divorce.
The unhappy couples simply divide
up the household things and live the
balance Of their lives the best way
tney eau.
Spanish women, so / have found,
have very little outdoor amusement.
The bicycle is just beginning to be ad-
mitted, but under protest. The young
women love their Queen next to pref
ty frocks and glittering fans and
bright ribbons. They flock to the
cruel show in the bull rings and laugh
and cheer at the horrible spectacles.
They show no more pity than an
American girl bestows upon the dash.
ing hardships which the average ten
mis- player or the golfer undergoes
when he performs in broiling sun to
amuse her.
Eiaa Mskind ferfe