BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
5i 
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: — 
