BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
45 
are above work. Work is looked upon as a disgrace. Only 
by years of patience can things be better. 
“Frau Ree would have liked to combine a kitchen with the 
school, but she said the building was too far out of town, and 
pupils would not come so far for the food. Her idea, the lead¬ 
ing one, was always to do for the public. 
“This lady has erected a monument to herself. It has been 
a colossal undertaking, — now a success and running fairly 
alone. The excellence of the work done in every department 
requires much time, and in this respect Americans are super¬ 
ficial, — they do not take the time to work properly. 
“I could not help feeling that the two years spent almost 
entirely upon practical work was at the expense of intellectual 
training. Even supposing that the pupils had not the intelli¬ 
gence to become scientists or literary women, yet absolute 
handicraft is narrowing to what intellect they have. To in¬ 
troduce good, substantial work and art work into homes of the 
middle classes certainly is a good scheme, since it helps to refine 
and cultivate the lower. To what extent practical and intellect¬ 
ual work can be run side by side is a question. Also to what 
extent is intellect involved in so-called practical work. Many 
of the parents only allow their children to stay part of the 
course. This is the same old story everywhere. Many of the 
young girls are only learning in order to make their own and 
families’ clothing. 
“A half hour is given the girls for lunch during the day. 
Some of the pupils come several miles from the country to 
attend their classes. 
“We talked over the difficulty to train servants in schools, 
when they had no means of support during their learning. In 
some cases, their families would be willing to help daughters to 
get a good training, especially when higher wages could be 
demanded for skilled work. Frau Ree believed that the public 
should, from the first, be called in to add to the support of any 
school of this kind, and on this account she took in immediately 
sewing, washing and ironing, and art work.” 
Here the account of the visit comes abruptly to a close, the 
remaining sheets having been lost or mislaid. From Ham- 
