The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-03-07


questions of ordinary citizens-unless
the request for information is accom-
panied by "tip."
Before going to Europe l had a
pretty firm conviction that a woman
stood a better show than a man in
getting through a crowd, but | now
know the use of elbows. On narrow
bit of sidewalk near my place OF
residence in Berlin | was often crowd
ed off the curbstone in meeting two
men walking abreast, and on several
occasions have given my seat in the
street car to women with children in
their arms, although there were many
men among the unconcerned pas
sengers who filled the car.
During the whole three years of my
stay abroad l cannot recall dozen
occasions on which saw men taking
any active share in the care of their
children, although the German pater-
familias is quite exemplary in his
manner of spending Sunday-stroll-
ing about in the parks with his whole
family in tow. The lunch baskets
are taken along-for what is life with
out eating and drinking?-and the
mothers recreation consists in carry
ing or wheeling the youngest child
hos bot N q
after the other children, while the
"little tin god" of the household
considerably carried his own pipe
and cane.
My unfortunate American views on
t his subject earned me snub on one
occasion. A restaurant proprietor's
wife, who practically supported her
husban d and child by doing all the
cooking of their small establishment,
complained that her child was suffer-
ing for want of outdoor exercise in the
absence of young maid who general
ly cared for it. Quite innocently |
asked why the father did not take the
little girl along as he frequently went
strolling in the park. Being present
the man answered for himself-that
he had not yet descended to being
nursemaid.
In Denmark also, young Ameri-
can wife told me that she had been
taken to task by some Danish cousins
for allowing her husband to wheel
the baby carriage. He was injuring
his chances of success in his profess
sion.
There will probably be a change of
custom in Norway, causing an oc-
casional shift of this burden from the
mothers shoulders, for the new king
has set the fashion of carrying his
own child. 1t was much commented
upon by the press at first, and also
criticised by some, as lowering of
his royal dignity.
In most continental homes the at
tentions showered upon the man Of
the house is only rivaled by those
bestowed upon the sons. Mothers
and sisters play the parts of obseqious
lackeys. used to enjoy the shocked
look that !. could bring to my listeners,
faces by telling of American men who
helped in housecleaning, dishwashing,
care of children, and who must black
their own shoes unless they lived in
the city where boot-blacks were at
their service. A Dane, thinking to
enjoy still greater shock, asked me
who blacked the wcmen's shoes. l
thought best to say it was done by
women themselves.
Labor is so cheap in Europe that
few homes of the middle class are
without at least one maid. The most
menial duties fall to her, of course.
Women on the farms do great deal
of the outside work; caring for the
cattle, milking, haying and harvest
ing, carrying wood and water. An
old Danish woman told me that when
she began housekeeping she also
attended to the butchering of sheep,
pigs, etc. In France as in Germany
and the Scandinavian states, much
of the field work is done by women.
1 also saw quite number of women
employed in coal and lime yards In
Berlin it is an every day spectacle to
see a woman and dog drawing a
cart loaded with vegetables, rags or
scrap iron. On one occasion l saw
man in the cart. do not think he
was a cripple but it is possible he was
very tired. 1t made me quite tired
to see him.
There were number of robust girls
employed on railway grading near
Berlin, the summer was there. They
seemed to like their work too, for the
wages, though lower than mems
wages, were much better than those
paid for housework. There were un-
employed men in the city, however,
who did not think so favorably of the
thriftiness of the government. Old
women are employed in caring for
the public parks, for the same econo-
mical reasons. 1t was quaint sight,
an old man in the lead, swinging
his scythe, (lawn mowers appeared to
be unknown) and a group of old