THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

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As for industry, the beautiful, artistic lace work my country-women do will prove this to the fullest advantage. Much honor is due to your noble country-woman, Countess Cora di Brazza, for it is to her intelligent efforts and spirit of organization that we owe all that is to be admired in the Italian section of the Woman’s Building. The rich historical laces of our royal family she obtained herself from the Queen, and many others from personal friends. But her perseverance in organizing schools for, and teaching lace-making herself, so as to give easy and beautiful work to our Italian peasant girls, is, indeed, worthy of all praise. Many noble ladies have lately become interested in this industry in Italy, foremost of whom was the late lamented Countess Marcello, who revived the old lace manufactories in Venice, and the Countess Maria Pasolini, one of the few ladies in the aristocracy remarkable for her culture and her interest in the girls of the working classes.

As for women’s papers, we have a few nicely written, but of a light literary kind, and several stupid ones, devoted exclusively to French fashions. Having dared, sev­eral years ago, at my own expense and alone, to establish a review for promoting the intellectual, moral, and legal interests of women, after fourteen months I was com­pelled to give it up, although I had the good fortune to interest the Queen and a large number of intellectual women. But the review did not please the clergy, that so ener­getically opposes woman’s promotion, and they managed things so well that the paper had to come to an end. So tired was I that I would then and there have given up my work but for the promptings of duty to the contrary. This led me, lately, to publish a book, in which is an account of the struggles during the best twelve years of my life, spent in endeavoring to raise the intellectual standard of the women in Italy. Indeed,

I am happy and proud to say that I owe to that book my presence here, as the Italian Minister of Instruction asked me to write a similar report of woman’s institutions in America. This book, besides containing the lectures I have delivered on the subject of woman’s intellectual development, also contained my report to the Italian govern­ment of woman’s culture and work in England. It also cleared away many misunder­standings, and was considered by eminent writers of both sexes to contain a true conception of the true ideal of womanhood we have yet to attain in Italy. During my last tour in Italy I had the pleasure to observe a great change in the general public opinion regarding the woman question. Many ideas, not understood ten years ago, are now perfectly admitted. So I look forward hopefully to the future, trusting in the reviving of education to promote the much needed reforms in our laws to control the fearful injustice that oppresses womankind in Italy.

This leads me to say a few words about the legal condition of women in Italy, and for this I have only to repeat what I said four years ago on this subject in England: “If we look at the civil and penal code of Italy concerning women, and at the laws concerning their rights, their culture and their work, we easily see that a general opin­ion of their moral weakness inspired these laws. It is commonly believed in Italy that a woman is morally, intellectually, and physically inferior to man; that she can not stand by herself in life, nor presume to be respected and considered if she is not sup­ported by the protection of man.’’ What this protection often means is misery to reveal!

Italians, both men and women, have very distinct characteristics, of which we must also take notice to understand better their present condition and the reforms required for their social and intellectual progress. Above all, they are intensely pas­sionate people, and family links are very strong; this much more in the south, where woman’s individuality rarely exists. Woman lives the life man makes for her. As a child, a girl, she blindly obeys her father; and as a woman, her will submits entirely to her husband, whom she regards as the absolute master of her body and soul. If she does not marry, old as she may become, she remains always the obedient child of her father or brother, and never dares regard herself as a free human being. This is the worst of all—the general want of a consciousness of one’s own individual rights. Very often I tried to arouse such feelings in some naturally intelligent women of our