■HHVI

192

DOMESTIC MANNEES OF THE HtüSSIANS.

of sorae civil or military duty performed by gentlemen only.Thus, the lady of one of tlie Ministers of State is not onlyaddressed as " your Excellency," but styled in addition," Most highly-honoured Mrs. State-Ministeress." In like man-ner, too, the fair partner of a Lieutenant-General is called" Dread and most powerful Mrs. Lieutenant-Generalis"-—asif the latter lady were really one of the leaders of the PrussianAmazons, and the former were a member of the petticoat go-vernment of the country.

Indeed, whatever function the husband virtually performsin the state, the wife does so nominalhj. Hence, in Germansociety, you are introduced to a swarm of Mrs. Counselloresses,and Doctoresses, and Railway-Directoresses, and Police-In-spectoresses, and Barristeresses—together with a multitude ofother Mrs. High-and-Mightinesses.

True, the marital honours of literature and science havenot yet been appropriated by the German wives in commonwith those of the State—thougli surely a lady has as much todo with the composition of her husband's book as with hislast Act of Parliament, and is as much entitled to take rankas a labourer in the field of science as she has to be styled aleader in the field of battle. Hence, thougli the country hasnot yet classed among its dignitaries The Highly-ImaginativeMks. Authobess-of-the-" Song-of-the-Bell "-and-" Wallen-stein " Schillee, it may nevertheless soon have to numberamong its she - bigwigs The Right - Philosophical Mes.Inventeess-of-the-Gun-Cotton Schönbein, —or Mes. Disco-veeess - of-the - Chemistby-of- Animal-and -Vegetable-Physio-

LOGY LlEBIÖ.

Now, it would hardly be believed that a nation of peoplepossessing more than an egg-cup füll of brains could descendto this niere child's play at grandeur, under the idea of such