54 HELEN ABBOTT MICHAEL 



She goes on to describe a visit to Professor Schwendener 

 to whom she brought a card of introduction given her by 

 Professor Pringsheim. He received her pleasantly on Sunday 

 at his home, and made an appointment for her to inspect 

 his laboratories in the Botanical Institution on Dorotheen- 

 strasse near Hoffmann's house. 



"Schwendener," she says, "was rather afraid to say he 

 would admit a lady- student. He was very firm in his opinion 

 that the Minister of Instruction was so much opposed to 

 ladies being admitted that it would be exceedingly rare to 

 have the permission, and to do so without permission, was 

 to lay one's self open to a severe reprimand. It is quite 

 opposed to the regulations to have any women present in the 

 lecture auditoriums, and when women attend lectures, they 

 must do so under cover, behind a screen, or back of a window 

 or door. Schwendener said he had been much reprehended 

 for having Miss Gregory as a student, but as he had her in 

 his private room, no one had a right to complain. My con- 

 versation with Schwendener was interesting in the extreme. 

 My idea of chemical constituents was new to him. His only 

 speaking German and French was a disadvantage as I was 

 unable to do myself full justice. Both he and Kny offered to 

 do anything for me which lay in their power. Kny especially 

 offered his services." 



She remarks on the tremendous advantage that European 

 students had over American in the opportunities afforded 

 by the universities, museums, and gardens. She was amazed 

 at the great Botanical Garden of Berlin, with its 20,000 speci- 

 mens, its stupendous palm-house, and its facilities for study- 

 ing different species "classified according to order and all 

 fully labeled." But she thought that the trees "seemed rather 

 miniature and poorly nourished, especially those from other 

 countries, and our American trees." She adds: "The more 

 I go, the more I see the absolute necessity of knowing the art 

 of drawing sufficiently to reproduce what one observes;" and 

 this leads by a natural transition to a brief comment on her 

 enjoyment of the National Museum, the Kaulbach frescoes, the 

 splendid ancient statues and the fine paintings of the old masters. 



