THE OCCUPATION OF BEING A WIFE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 73, 19 December 1907, Page 3

THE OCCUPATION OF BEING A WIFE.

In the opinion of most people a woman's chief vocation in life is still that of wife, and to bo so described is to tho.' average woman hor best title. One would suppose (writes tho "Quoeii") that, if for any purpose it was necessary to givo a married woman's occupation, no more accurate phrase than that of "the wife of so; and so" could be selected, and in all legal documents, at any' rate, it has .hitherto boon considered suilicient in describing a married • woman to uso these words. In a recent case in the King's Bench Division the, question arose whother a married woman was properly described in an affidavit as the "wifo : of, 8., a commission agent." It was objected that this was not an accurate description, inasniuch as the lady in question was carrying on in her husband's house tho occupation of Jotting lodgings as a rogular means of livelihood, and that this should have been stated in the affidavit. The Court, however,; held that where a woman who was living with her husband and keeping house for him incidentally carriod on a business it , did not-follow that a description of her as "tho wife of A. B." was necessarily an insufficient, description of hor occupation. For purpose's of identification it ■ would be amply -sufficient. It might, of. course, be different where a woman was living apart from her husband, whother divorced or only separated. Recent changes'in the legal position of a-wife;-with its added rights and responsibilities, have doubtless led many women to tnke an altered outlook upon life, but we sincerely hope that ■tho day is far distant when a woman living with her huslmnd will require or ■prefer"to' bo known by a mere business title-' rather than by her natural and lawful designation as his wife.