BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 51 



seem to foreigners superficial. There is probably no woman in 

 America capable of holding such a position through her ability 

 as Madame Kovalevskaya. There is very much to be learned 

 from the Europeans. Their tenacity and patience might here 

 be imitated by us." 



In Berlin, she was invited to a dinner at the Liebermanns, 

 "the table elegantly set and the food deliciously cooked in the 

 French mode," --and she found it most interesting. 



"We discussed many points of woman's position in Ger- 

 many. The young ladies, after leaving school at sixteen, take 

 conversation lessons in different languages. They do not study 

 from grammars, but acquire superficially for drawing-room use 

 several languages. They paint, do art work, and sing and play. 

 Mrs. Liebermann thought that it was because the language 

 lessons were fashionable that they were so generally followed. 

 Mrs. Liebermann designed patterns for artistic work; many 

 of her designs were given to the Lette-Verein. Her old mother 

 executed them in work. One screen nearly six feet high was 

 most beautifully done. Table-covers and other embroideries 

 wherever art work could be used had been placed. This is very 

 attractive and gives to nimble fingers employment which is 

 preferable to the waste of time at home. Mrs. Liebermann 

 told me that comparatively little time was spent in visiting 

 I suppose she spoke of her circle and in this way much time 

 was spent over lessons. Mrs. Liebermann took the lessons with 

 her daughter, and I noticed the same elsewhere. The mothers 

 take an active part in their daughters' and children's education, 

 and if they do not become renowned women, at least they keep 

 where they were when leaving school and do not retrograde. 

 There is very much for us to learn from these mothers. . . . 



"The ladies complained very much of their restrictions of 

 liberty, and how Mr. Liebermann objected to their doing this 

 thing or that. It is a question of the man keeping the control 

 by imposing this discipline. Liebermann has a Jewish face, red 

 cheeks, dark hair and beard." 



She was also entertained at dinner at the house of Professor 

 Pringsheim to whom she had brought a letter of introduction. 

 Here also her notes give a pleasant picture of herself : 



