WAITING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 255, 27 October 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

WAITING.

A WOMAN'S OCCUPATION.

(By G. EDITH BURTON.)

When the average woman looks back into early years she is inclined to be appalled at the hours she has spent in simply "waiting." Her earliest impression probably is the fevered waiting for the hours to pass till some little childish festival is due; or she is waiting till mother or nurse has completed some apparently endless task ere "going out" time arrives. School days pass and she is still eagerly waiting to grow up—to "come out" —to be an eligible young woman who may have a beau. Her first real ball—the agony of waiting for that night—yet in a few years she is marvelling why she wanted it to hurry. Then she is 'aiting for the right man, and how he tarries in many cases while other men are being a nuisance. At length he arrives; but in the meantime she has started what she calls her "lifework," and now she is waiting for exam, results, answers to her advertisements, or, already launched, she i 8 waiting for increased honours, and, incidentally, a higher salary. Or it may be that she is just a home sister and .father or mother has to die before she can marry— and, ah! that is waiting in earnest. Or perhaps Ferdinand has exams to pass, or his salary is too small to do for two, and the situation is so hopeless that marriage seems very indefinite, and that waiting is also painful. Her glory box overflows and at length girl friends cease to mention it.

Then she marries, and is often waiting for more lurniture, a husband's rise and in smaller ways she waits meals, when there is a rush at the office. She waits, already dressed, for some function till every bit of expectation lias fled. "Late, detained a< office, beastly tired, jsay we don't go—." Then she is waitling for baby tp come, pleasure, weariness, dread, all mixed in that waiting. With baby's advent, waiting begins in real earnest—thrush, teething, crawling, walking, talking, waiting for baby to sleep, to waken to feed, tn be good— endless waiting. Still waiting for more money to meet the greater expense. Children at school—so late —waiting for them to get home. Tired husband working late—tired wife waiting late. Boys yachting—waiting safe arrival home. Girls out dancing—so late— awake till they come—waiting. TPppfm— waiting crises, waiting to waylay doctor, waiting to quieten children, waiting to pacify servants. Nest empty— waiting arrival Jean's baby—waiting for news of Tom's wife —waiting for news of Ted's tottering business—waiting for the postman, waiting for the telegraph messengers—waiting; waiting, waiting.