ICELANDIC WOMEN.

Bay of Plenty Times, 21 April 1890, Page 1

ICELANDIC WOMEN.

The position of women in Iceland is not by any- means such as would satisfy the leaders of the women's rights movement. Among the more educated people in Reykjavik, who hare travelled in Europe and America, (saysMjr Hall Oaide in the Figaro) there is a distinct and increasing ten* dency towards the manners jfi. western civilisation, bat the treatment of wires and mothers and female servants in remote places is Eastern in its severity. A wife is not in any visible degree the mistress of her own house, and she is certainly not the hostess at her own table. She does not sit with her husbaud's guests. As often as not she does not appear, and is hardly seen at all ; or, if seen, she is seen for a few moments only; and then goes back to her kitchen. The kitchen is . her home, and fihe is in it early and late. Even when she is the wife of a rich man, as ricifes at c counted in her country, she is usually her owit cook, and alwaya*ber own housekeeper. These are broad descriptions of her position, aud I know how easy it is to err in such accounts of a people but slightly known. Certainly I myself witnessed more than one instance of what looked like the humiliation of women to English eyes. I visited at the house of ant excellent and able man, who is, if I remember aright, a member of the Althing, He received me alone, and was very friendly and bos-, pitable. I asked if he had any family, and be called for bis children. They were two sweet boys of four and sis, who seemed to be much indulged bj their father. I inquired after their mother, and she was not sent foiw After some little time she came, looking as if she had just removed from her comely face the trace* of the work of the kitchen. ." This is my wife," said the husband, and that was all our introduction. He did n6t rise, and she did not sit. He eat with his youngest son on his knee and his Jong pipe in his mouth . She stood literally in the open doorway, or not half a pace inside the room. He resumed the eon* versation that had been interrupted by her entrance. She understood English . and could speak it a little, but s*id nothing beyond two or three words that I took to be words of welcome. This went, on for several minutes, when, f oif ettin^ aJU^I Jba4 heard, and every warning I haafeceived concerning the position of women in an Iceland bouafc, I rose and offered the lady a chair. I shall not soon forget the result of my indiscretion. The wife looked confusion, coloured, stammered, and shook her head. Her husband said "No, no. no," quickly, very emphatically, and with a gesture of annoyance and extreme impatience. At the next moment I had resumed my seat, hot and cold by turns, the wife had gone back to her kitchen, and the husband, who had regained his natural amiability, was Bmilling as if saying within himself, "I had' forgotten that you w^re an Englishman." Well's Hub BAL&ut.—lf gray, rwtomto original colour. An elegant dreaong, aofteiis and beautifies. .No oil nor grease. A Topic Restorative. Stops hair earning tut) ■ fea tt"f fl ¥ffff t cteawM, heals tealp.