'The World Through a Woman's Eyes.'

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 156, 4 July 1896, Page 4 (Supplement)

'The World Through a Woman's Eyes.'

By Jbssib A. Ackebmann,

This work, nicolr priced, i luxated «nd Sd in clotfa, is i«^d from Ch.cago without prißfcer', or publishes name. An In eating ..arrativa of a woman's travels ibou tha%orld told in an unpretenfcoua Jufc pleasing roanaer. The authored, who Offered severely from sea-s.ckneaß, ha* Ln more of tb. ocean than moot women tlv e lTer fl , aa 'midsb her other explo.fca she tZT* rip to the masthead of a ship.a , i and one to the bottom of the aa div^-dres, Though her JI, BB AcKerm gayg lfc W|l , toSTStaw.i ■*nown tofchowos'- daaib in the WW"" wor kiD K -raan'B paradise ; a f Xf flowers, of limitt"e re onS and poeeibiliti... and defined lo become one of the ereateab republics on tb InSlt bhe' inbmauction written by Mr William Curtis, we are fcold than :— In hS travel , MJbb Ackarmann wore the £Si, delivered 370 I~™ «£ «•£ 447 informal addresses. sho., BP ek° n go pel of temperance and purity, upon 41 burners and vessel* of vr»r, and 182 pulp" " -S visited I,l^ Sunday-^oola J76 day schools, and 69 Baiida of Hop• : inibtetod 647 Good Templar*, .f"* 911** Site ribbons upon 8,479 brewta, •»*•£• revived the pledge* of 7,460 m«. She wrote 5,949 letters, 420 newspaper artaj ctes. 220 letters to home paperß, printed 6U.WU Icaflota and 2.000 manuals, and raised $8,976, which she expended in her work aa •he journeyed on. This mfebfcbave been the labour of a lifetime, bub Miss Ackermann crowded ib into six ahorb years. The first chapter of the book is headed • Some Remarks on English • speaking Women,' and i«, as bhe writer admits, eomewhat irrelevant to the bale of her wanderings. These remarks are P« n|y somewhat) of an elaboration, applied to women, showing the truth of the philosophic summing up • that contentment is in the mind.' As, however, they refer to the "New Woman ' and the general restlessness nroong women in general, they will, we think, prove interesting, and so quote the greater parb of the first chapter, as follows : English-speaking women are the ree:pienta of more courtesy and greater cmlifey than those «f any other race or tongue. We meefc a gentleman, and as a mark of respect he bares his head —w« cxnacb him to do it. We enter a crowded room or car, and a gentleman ab once rises to give us his scab. Ib is acceptedTsometimes without rendering thanks. I am sorry to say-aa a matter of course, a ceurtesy due to our ccx. Yet with all this deference ehown us, and all manner or attentions bestowed on us, there are really few contonted English-speaking women. We are alwayi longing to be something we are not; reaching for things jnsb beyond our grasp; trying to climb to beiehbs we can never attain. This longing, yearning, climbing, or trying bo climb, has lod to great unresb among womenkind. The air is electric with it, and in bhese days in has taken bhe form oF bho 'New Woman.' Next will come bhe • New Girl;' with feheae developments, the •Old Man ' and the 'Old Boy' will have a lively chase fco keep up with women in the race of life. The outgrowth of all this • reaching out' aeemß to be an increasing discontent among women. I have jusb com plated a second tour ot the world. Ib covered a period of six yearo snd daring this time I .travelled the great dintenee of one hundred and fifty thousand miles. I was a gue.«b in nearly two thousand homes; all kinds of homes, rich and poor, high and low-from *he palace, government* hovae and castle to the thatch ad cod of the sturdy; farmer,.the canvas or tan tenb of the miasr, and the bark hub of the lumber camp. I havo eeen life i» .all its Taried forms, and under every condition, and I hare found few roally contented women, co few thab they could be counted on my fingers. What is the matter with these women, do you aak? Everything. Leb ua illustrate. Igo to one house, where everything ib beautiful and lovely. Surely, I think, this must bo a ' heaven to go to heaven in. After I have been there a few dayß I express ray appreciation of my BurrOHndingß. s VYhab a pleaßanb home you have !' I cay The good woman is fully conscious that libble could bo added, either of comforbor adornment, and she replies, ' Yes, I can have anything I want for my home ; I Bometimea chink I never have a chance to express a wiah concerning ib ; every wanb ,ia anticipated.' Here she draws a long breath and continues, ' Bub you know ib takes more than b house to make a woman happy. I don't suppose you ever heard—n», I don'b suppose you have—bub my husband —well, all I have to Bay is, if you know when you are well of# don't ever marry.' With this ■woman I found bhe house perfect, bub the husband a little wrong. I take her advice and go on my way. The next houso ia which I am a guest Is A email six-roomed cottage. The woman seems perfectly happy, for she has the * loveliest husband !' She thinks the Lord never created bub jusb one man, and he is bare. All his virtues are enumerated ; ebo tells how he ia bhe ' chief pillar and prop in every good enterprise,' and proceeds to give me a little advice, which I do nob take. 'If there is another man in the world like my husband, I should Bay, " Get imarried to-morrow."' ?ub she, too. heaves a deep sigh, and fairly wails out, ' Ib'a an awful thing, though, bo be compelled to live in a small house. When I was a girl we bad pleufcy of room, bnfc herp we cannot; ■'have even one guesb. We wapjttd to entertain you, bub really had no place to pun you ; it is almost like living in a hen-coop.' Here the husband is almosb perfect—juab faults enough bo class him as a human being —bub the house . Oh, the house! My observations have not been eonEned 4o bhese abodes. One day lam being en- '■■'. 'certained in a lovely house, where I am the guesb of a most gifted woman. Seeing she has large means and special talents, I try to interesb her in 'some department of Christian work, bub Bhe exclaims, 'For goodness sake don't ask me to do anything subside my house! Do you know i have ten children ?' I bald the pood woman I ' was fully aware of this fact, and reminded ; feer of the six servants. Her reply filled jne with thanksgiving thab I never had aix ieivanbs bo manage. 'Yes ; bub bhe servants »re worße than the children, between them ■% have no peace of mind or resb of body. %t takes me hall my time to keep bhe coachoian from faesing with the gardener, and iho other baif to settle disputes between the cook and housemaids. Bon'b ask me to do anything outside my house !' I leave this poor soul, burdened with the care of tec children and the direction of six servantl?, and tarry in the bouse sf a aadfaced woman who has neither ' chick nor child' upon which to bestow her tender care. She goea into the yard, looks over the fence, and sees bhese ten romping, laughing, happy children. In despair, she exclaim*, • Well, husband, how do you'account for ib that the neighbours have all the blessings in life, and wo have none ?' In one house ib ia boo many children, in the other it is no child/en and neither of the women is satisfied. The greatest curiosity in the form ot a discontented woman remains yeb to be dor scribed. She waß of the • New Woman ' order. Her family consisted of two beautiixii children and 'a moat desirable buaband.'

Sha wat interested in mj travels, the work and tho world generally. After a Bhorb cooveraation with ber, she clasped her bands and exclaimed, 'Oh, vrhub a career ; bow lovely ib musb bs! Do you know, I have always felt thai I should have had a missioti in the world ; this housekeeping is such a. tame life !' Juafc think of a woman with a husband and two children looking for a mission. If I only bad the husband I should think I had the biggeab miasion on earth, I would ne*er look for a greater. A woman with home, husband and children looking for a miasion in this world is far beyond my limited powers of comprehension.