a certain extent, an open
relinquishment of the postulate that, in accordance with the external
indissolubility of married life, there ought to be permanent intellectual
bonds between man and wife,--a postulate that is the source of the most
serious conscience struggles, but which has caused the great moral
development of the northern woman."[91]

Naturally, under such circumstances, the woman's rights movement has done
practically nothing for the masses. In the circles of the nobility the
movement, with the consent of the clergy, has until recently confined
itself to philanthropy (the forming of associations and insurance
societies, the founding of homes, asylums, etc.) and to the higher
education of girls.[92] In a private audience the Pope has expressed
himself in _favor_ of women's engaging in university studies (except
theology), but he was _opposed_ to woman's suffrage. The daughters of the
educated, liberal (but often poor) bourgeoisie are driven by want and
conviction to acquire a higher education and to engage in academic
callings. The material difficulties are not great. As in France, the
government has during the past thirty-five years promoted all educational
measures that would take from the clergy its power over youth.

Elementary education is public and obligatory. The laws are enforced
rather strictly. Coeducation nowhere exists. The number of women teachers
is 62,643.

The secondary school system is still largely in the hands of the Catholic
religious orders. There are about 100,000 girls and nuns enrolled in these
church schools; only 25,000 girls are in the secondary state and private
schools (other than the Catholic schools), which cannot give instruction
as _cheaply_ as the religious schools. The efforts of the state in this
field are not to be criticized: it has given women every educational
opportunity. Girls wishing to study in the universities are admitted to
the boys' classical schools (_ginnasii_) and to the boys' technical
schools. This experiment in coeducation during the plastic age of youth
has not even been undertaken by France. To be sure, at present the girls
sit together on the front seats, and when entering and leaving class they
have the school porter as bodyguard. In spite of all fears to the
contrary, coeducation has been a success in northern Italy (Milan), as
well as in southern Italy (Naples).

The universities have never been closed to women. In recent years 300
women have