The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-19
THE AMERICAN QUEEN.
wOman I'm Our Family and Public Life
Described for German Readers.
From ne Musnehner Nsuesse NGchrich,en.

From me Muenehner NeueSte Ndehrichten.
Among the most striking and novel features
OF American life Is the position OF woman. This
Is briefly but comprehensively described in the
phrase, wholly un European. The European woman
Is FIRST Of all a wife and mother. In Germany the
home Is the foundation OF the family, and SO, In
an extended sense, of the great nation family OF
the State. The man considers Il his most precious
privilege 20 be protector and provtder TO his wife
and children: the more faithfully he performs this
function. the more soicitously the woman keeps
his home and ~brghtens II with the most precious
characteristics OF her sex.
To Yankeeland this restricted conception Of the
family and State Is strange. The American man
Is the moneymaker OF the household. and nothing
more. But to-day the struggle for the dollar Is not
half so nercely strenuous as the battle for the franc,
the marx. the shilling. In Dollarcs men become
rich, or az least well 70 do. In a rush. The natural
result Is that In the family partnership. in the well
TO do classes. the wOman's responsibilities as wife
and mother are not great. She does not have To
toll ceaselessly, sweeping and cooking. because she
can hire others 10 do II. She need not turn every
penny over q hundred times before spending II,
for she is literally supplied with spending money.
OF course. this is not the case In all middle class
families. but II Is In most. The woman Is an ex-
pensive ornament In the home. rather than an Inn
DoTtant cog In Its machinery.
Out OF these circumstances the position Of the
American woman. at home and In public. has de-
veloped so that she is a queen whom the man serves
with devoted zeal, and whose gracious smile he
values as the best reward of his efforts. Lamprecht
rightly speaks OF an almost medieval reverence
for women In America. . Mammals wish
Ii law. Mamma Is tired OF arguing with the i'm
ported help. Papa must give up his home and
take his family TO a hotel. Mamma takes her
daughters to the country for the summer. Papa
can come out for the weekend: and he's suited.
for he. the dollar maker. doesn't know what 10
do with himself away from town, Some fine day
Mamma packs up and takes the girls OF for a year
in London or Paris-it's up to Papa 10 send the
checks. Ladies FIRST" is an almost sacred motto In
other is: Never contradict a lady" and however
false a statement made by 4 lady In converse ton
may be, no man will contradict her. II would be
bad manners" He would be no ladies' man"
'rhe press, In America the servant of public Opin-
Ion and the ruler Of the people. takes Its keynote
from the universal chorus In praise Of woman.
The great trinity that governs the newspapers Is
the dollar, politics and woman. To the great
American woman" leading articles are constantly
devoted. She Ii continually exalted as the most
beautiful. wise and charming woman In the world.
Woe 10 him who does not add his voice to this
chorus OF pralsei . . In the schools of Amer.
lea. too. woman plays n part In which she is not
seen In Europe. The education OF boys is almost
entirely the work OF women. vino train them TO
the national respect for women. The position of
the sex appears still more plainly N the much talked
Of coeducation. . The result is that the
American man is nervous almost TO the point OF
hysteria, like a woman. always going 70 extremes:
and his conduct and his tastes arc feminiEed. He
seldom has the nne. strong masculinity Of the
3ormansnlan.