THE GERMAN WOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 148, 25 June 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE GERMAN WOMAN.

Although Avell educated, the German woman is encouraged, says a A\-riter in 'The Englishwoman,' to giA'e only one third of her mind to the real pleasures and attainments of the intellectual life, so much do all the traditions of her training and the influences ever surrounding her tend to foster the domestic instinct. Her education comprises much culture, as at school she has studied art, music, ancl literature, and often astonishes us by soaring to unkno.vn heights with Goethe and Schiller whilst superintending the cooking of the polago. The daily routine of the household is given the prominence, to the detriment of the higher life.

These remarke only apply to tho Intellectual side of the a

GERMAN WOMAN'S NATURE, for of all beings she is the most romantic—there is ahvays her everlasting 'schAvermerei' to 'schwermerei' over. I remember being taken to a ball at a neighbouring Count's house, where I met any number of olticers in gorgeous uniforms and many interesting people. Dancing commenced at the early hour of half past eight, and Aye did not get home till about 4 o'clock in the morning. With much zest I sought my downy couch. To my astonishment when I appeared again someAvhere about the middle of breakfast, I found the Cqunt's tAvo youngest daughters had not been to bed at all, but had Avandered about the park together in the early summer morning 'schwermereiing' in the misty dawn over partners and possibilities which gained strength from their romantic surroundings. A very pretty idea but one unfortunately fraught Avith danger, as one if not both rapidly developed a severe cold. Again staying in a German professor's house in a town on the borders of that grand Thuringlan forest, where tall and lofty pines inspire in yon a deep content, I Avas amazed to sco what his wife got through in the course of the day in the housekeeping line. She might have been her husband's upper servant, and when sometimes remonstrated with would say "Oh, yes, you English ladies know nothing about cooking. You keep servants Avho do everything for you.' It can hardly be a matter of surprise then that the German woman becomes more or less

A CREATURE OF HABIT, and often dull and uninteresting, her mind narroAved into one small groove temperate but not lovely. Truly in nothing does the father, husband, or brother consider her his equal, which though hard is scarcely surprising, Avhen one thinks how well up in every subject German men are. ; What is the inevitable consequence. The men kind spend most of their evenings at restaurants with their friends, whilst the women folk are left to while aAvay the dull and dreary hours as best they may. Thus left much alone they solace themselves with what is called a ■Kranzchen,' which literally translated means a wreath. Once a week they meet a«- each other's houses, where sitting round a table for three oi; four consecutive hours with crochet or knitting in their hands, they talk, for the most part the veriest nonsense—to Avit, tne delinquencies of their servants, or any little scandal, which of course, assumes gigantic proportions by the time it has Anally got round the table. Such is their intellectual dissipation. Sometimes husband and wife go out together, but on arriving at their host s, the ladies settle themselves down comfortably for the evening in the drawing room, and the gentlemen with their usual gallantry retire to another room to play skate, the game that holds the same place In Germany as whist in this country. ; -