has mastered her work, she enjoys a certain position and what to her are
high wages; she is among her friends and companions; the noise and bustle
and excitement of the work-room or the factory have become an agreeable
stimulant which she can no longer do without. On the other hand, her home
means nothing to her; she only returns there to sleep, leaving it next
morning at day-break or earlier; she is ignorant even of the simplest
domestic arts; she moves about in her own home like a strange and awkward
child. The mere act of marriage cannot change this state of things;
however willing she may be at marriage to become a domesticated wife, she
is destitute alike of the inclination or the skill for domesticity. Even
in spite of herself she is driven back to the work-shop, to the one place
where she feels really at home.

In Germany women are not allowed to work for four weeks after
confinement, nor during the following two weeks except by medical
certificate. The obligatory insurance against disease which
covers women at confinement assures them an indemnity at this
time equivalent to a large part of their wages. Married and
unmarried mothers benefit alike. The Austrian law is founded on
the same model. This measure has led to a very great decrease in
infantile mortality, and, therefore, a great increase in health
among those who survive. It is, however, regarded as very
inadequate, and there is a movement in Germany for extending the
time, for applying the system to a larger number of women, and
for making it still more definitely compulsory.

In Switzerland it has been illegal since 1877 for any woman to be
received into a factory after confinement, unless she has rested
in all for eight weeks, six weeks at least of this period being
after confinement. Since 1898 Swiss working women have been