WORDS OF WISDOM.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 218, 13 September 1924, Page 22

WORDS OF WISDOM.

(By ROSALIKE RIGDEX.) j

THAT AMERICAN PROFESSOR. Recently the cry went forth from an American professor that women were ] drones, and that their only ambition in | life was to get married: When we New' Zealand women read this American professor's verdict, more in sorrow than in anger, we "denied the allegation and despised the alienator"; and yet in some quarters of our beautiful Island Dominion this statement caused consternation. Our leading newspapers, actuated by that spirit of justice and fair play "for which they are justly famous, sent forth their reporters to interview the managers of institutions which have the welfare of women nt

heart. "Tell us," implored the reporters, assailed by a sudden dark suspicion of their womenkind, "does this apply to our Xew Zealand women, or only to ihose of America?"' And tbe managers assured the trembling reporters that in Xew Zealand such was not the case;

they stated that here women had other ambitions besides marriage; although as a side issue marriage was occasionally contemplated and even entered into; ihat the New Zealand women were hardworking, sincere, ambitious and intelligent; and. with sighs of unutterable relief, their faith being thus restored, the reporters hurried back to their offices, carolling gaily, "It is not true of Xew Zealand women, thank heaven, it is not true!" Then our newspapers Tefuted the charge as far as Xew Zealand women are concerned, and said in effect, "Send that professor over here, bring him into our institutions and our homes; motor him out to our backblocks, and he will change his opinions: Women may be drones in America, he ought to know, but here they are workers. Their energy is boundless, and their capacity for work amazing." , •

And yet, in a world of uncertainty, s fraud and we can undet stand 1 that American professor. For in our j hearts, we all know that men think even New Zealand women are drones. Of 1 course they are, and it is passing strange ( that man, with his wonderful perspica- 1 city, has not had the moral courage to : state it before. Drones from the begin- : ning to the end. Who does the work l of the world? Men, of course, a sense- • less question, for there is but one an- i swer, and that a very obvious one. Nobody in full possession, of his senses • would dream of stating that women are the workers. Go into the shops, the offices, the factories, the hospitals, and the homes; have you ever seen a woman •working , in any of these institutions? Although woman is regarded as an unreasoning and an unreasonable creature, she actually has reasons for assuming positions of responsibility outside the home. What are they? She likes to have money of her own to spend on. dress, and naturally men pay her a large salary for doing nothing; and ihe likes to bring with her beauty and her grace, a little brightness into the dingy haunts of the dingier business man. But she does not take any position with the object of providing herself with work and its reward. Think of the homes of tiie country; the men go out aU day to fight and toil for money, while the women stay at home doing nothir.g, droning, because every man knows that th*-'- is co work to be done in a home. He cannot thinlc how his wife puts in her time. It is well known that groceries, meat nnd food supplies generally, order, deliver and cook themselves, and houses do not get untidy. How can they, when the men are away all day? The childr2D get up in the morning," bath and dress themselves, get their own breakfasts, provide themselves with dainty little lunches which they place in their bags, and trudge off to school in good time. Then they do all their own mending and sewing, nurse themselves when they are ill, and, if they are boys, are things of beauty and joy's forever; but if they are girls, they -= are drones. Many a well-meaning hut ill-used man has worried himself into the Funny House, with the effort of puzzling out what his wife finds to do all day long. The married women of Xew Zenland are lazy enough, heaven knows, but the fine art° ne3 n- dronin K *0 a line art. Disliking the thought of dronSto dnV- y in 2_» X they decide to do it ln an Office or a shon sometimes in a school or » !,„ -? p ,' They ta ke up a h ?W. object, mind you, of attracrlngVrne «± and mnocent hard-working g m ° a n* P °" casting snares with a colder -- d which is downright sinful to, into proposing marriage to them. P ** With this object in view ♦„._. t. • to bear aU the low cunw' *™g Nature has endowed *-*».- g jw_l?^*

has the man? What chance has any reasonable, intelligent creature against these designing, lazy minxes? Before he rightly knows where he is, he finds himself proposing marriage to one of these jades; offering to keep her in slothful laziness for the rest of her life: eager, pitifully eager, to house and feed and clothe her, so long as she will be a real drone. Even the hardest-hearted w- man must sometimes feel a thrill of pity when she observes the awful position of the man, the worker. Striving with his puny might against a foregone conclusion, against Fate. He cannot win against these drones; they know; lie does but guess and possibly hope for better conditions. We cannot bear to dwell upon his hopeless, position. Cast into the depths of misery over the supposed enormities of my sex, I appealed to Tod. "Tod," I said," "do you agree with that American professor that ] alljjwomeii are drones?" "Yes, Fan," lie replied sadly, "they are drones and | spongers." "But not Xew Zealand I women, Tod," I pleaded. "I have never i seen one; and just think of the women

in the blackblocks, who do the work of four men without complaint; up at four in the morning, milking for a couple of hours, then chopping wood for the lire, sometimes bringing it in from the bush: lighting the fire, cooking and administerng the breakfast to thfe men and the children; dressing the latter and getting them off to school; then washing-up while she starts the copper lire; doing the family wash while she cooks the dinner; makes beds, sweeps, scrubs and dusts, ln the afternoon ironing, with irons she must heat on the open fireplace; while they are heating, out. in the fields helping with the harvest or the sheep; while she is ironing, cooking and setting the tea. Then ele-riug that away and washing up, then churning the "butter and setting the bread for tomorrow's baking. In the evening either making the children's clothes, while she nurses the baby, or preparing the fruit

and stuff for jam and pickles. That is her ordinary day week after week and year after year." Is she a drone?" "My dear Fan," he said, "she does it because she likes doing it. It is her way of droning. Yes, that American professor is right. Although we men have always known that women are drones, from" chivalry and politeness we have refrained from saving so. He has told tho truth." "Tod," I said firmly, "they are not drones; at least Xew Zealand women are not. He may have stated tho truth concerning his own countrywomen; but it is not true of ours, and even if it were, he is like the little boy who said, "Mother, if I gave baby tadpoles to cat would he croak like a frog?" "Of course not Willie," said the horrified mother, "it would kill him!" "Well," said Willie, "it hasn't!"