St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-08-29

} IEDuCATION OF ITALIAN WOMEl
Members Of the Upper Glasses Are n
Only Ones who Enjoy the ADJ
vantages OF Schooling.
The Italian women, famed In soni
and story for their beauty and charm
still possess much of the physical at
Effectiveness that was once their birth
right, yet intellectually they are far De
low the average of their sex through
out Europe. Only women OF the uppel
classes are educated; the masses are
brought up in the densest Ignorance
The Italy of the past presents strik-
ing contrast to the Italy of to-day. Tor
the women of the woman country
are now of very little Importance. with
few opportunities for education, useful
ness or enjoyment, says . London pa
per.
The educational opportunities offered
to Italian women have made consider
able progress, but the upper classes
are still largely educated in converts,
where the instruction is said to be
extremely narrow and old-fashioned.
! The scheme of national education 10
also very poor and the intermediate
schools are inadequate in quantity and
quality, but several OF the large towns
have superior normal schools, with
scholarships, and many daughters OF
the middle classes are educated here.
Excellent technical schools for girls
Of the working class are now main
tanned in many Italian cities, partly
supported by the state and partly by
the patronage OF aristocratic women.
In these thorough training is given
in drawing for trade purposes and In
manual and domestic arts. such as en-
broidery, artificial flower making, |
dress making, laundry work, ETC., and
hundreds of girls absolutely perfected
In one or more trades are graduated
every year.
There are no universities specially
for women, and. though those for men
have been opened to both sexes, par
ents object to having their daughters
educated in this way. It is the same
with schools Of art Still, the NUM-
Der OF women students increases every
year and year by year there is grow
Ing demand for the better education
OF women. Those who obtain medical
degrees are gradually overcoming pref
udice and increasing their practice,
while women writer's are obtaining !
some prominence. Many take up edu-
cational work and good many oc- /
.upy posts in municipal and govern !
ment offices, where the pay is !
wretched.
With the exception Of few great /
antilles, Italians are miserably poor.
As the girls grow up they have one It
cope and desire-to marry. For this. i
however. dowry Is Indispensable, O
hough what is called dowry is some Il
lines not more than $3.50 or $500. Ii
A few young women in the great liz
owns have fmbibed English and Amer v
can views; they travel, amuse them a
elves and are amenable to new ideas. a
ut the majority lead the same lives d
hat their mothers did before them. N
hey are seldom out Of their mothers to
lght. They walk out with her, dressed b.
like and as snlartly as possible. and al
heir chief amusement is to saunter In
p and down the principal street and ar
DIV to acquaintance at the club or ey
he. The great expense Of the houses In
old is the toilets of the daughters, and w
le chief aim of the whole family is to an
t them settled. # girl does not ga
lceeed in marrying she is looked upon bo
failure and her life is wretched ev
Re. II she does marry she submits GU
1tirely to her husband, and II he en-
looses to be jealous, which is not un- SUI
'ual. he can insist on her leading the so
lllest Of lives. ca
In spite Of all this narrowness. how in,
er, the race Of Italy's noble and he TIL,
&c women Is not dead, and there is In an
e character OF all Italian women Of SCI
cry rank q note of primitive simplic- DIRE
and Kindness that is very endearine yo
ley are simple in their tastes ana the
their ambitions, have charming man 'U
rs and are full of the wish to please ers
q those who approach themg with the
npathy ind them extremely inter- 70
Ing. Public opinion with regard to ma
position Of women is slowly chang "Y,
). A widow is now granted the con- In
i OF her children. and q married wom- pee
can, II deserted, secure the manage Re,
Mt OF her personal property. The ma
'ital OF the dowry belongs to the ers
e, but the husband spends the in wa.
est. w;11
I'm,
A'siney Snake. whit
here Is q curious snake In South c.
lea that lives wholly upon birds. II 1
9. 1t has no teeth or signs Of teeth $13
the mouth. It's whole dental array I,
az located in the stomach. Buck. fly.
says that they are not true teeth of t
that they serve all purposes. They pre-,