THE JOY OF WORK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 3

THE JOY OF WORK.

; (By vßiizabeth-Sloan Ghesspr. ; M.B'.,.'in the , 5 ":.'f.J-.:•;;.•' ," V'''Queen; ,; )' : ! .M:' "'■-iJ'v^-'- : .It been'sa'id 'that. tfonien' 1 . are .more' more inherently ' lazy : than, men', ahd there .may beTsonie 'truth in'.the. state-.-inent.' They havo certainly, more' temptation to slack ■ than the other,' sex, ' because ' mostwpmeii haFO no.definite' work'■ which; must; bo', done' wfthiri 'a sppci.fi.ed- tinie.. cated'™rom"a'n of :tho.'prqsp6rqus-?.cle?sesv. at; leastVihaTe.'npt.'aufficicnt work to; fill up' , the; larger-part' rf.:'their\da.y,;'ahd;they, are 'apt; 'tp'gdt'intoin'dbletJt habits;' ' '' V'.; ;;',."';.'::.: ; .'Mkny''women :J suffer" in health ..and -spirits 'aind -iooks./'frbin../ slipe.r ,-lack.Vpf; pcpupatip'ni--spend.; their 'days' ift ■':&". petty; round j/of :si]l^:.tas^:;MdiUse , ; are ■'■' of ;' no.'.rea 1 benefit ■ to ' anybody ■ in"'the .w.prld:.-. ..Take, , j;)ie.modern daughter,, thp.-chilcl of •■ weil.-to-dp paren.ts' with , ' no '.serious'" occupa.tipii nirlife: Hor'school-day's;are^followfed :; 'b'y. : ■a'.'poribd. of;.^anget-pns'• idlenessip her 'day's ;w6rk.:consists.-jn -a little .dusting:and':sewing and-shopping, wi.th, a mqnotonous 'r.piind.pf•" Wftonipqii ,t'eas;.and . evening.., entertaijinieii.ts. '."'.'" '''"';'. ■'"'■■. '"';.' j : She after,: the-'fjowers;'she; may. jeveh, ;-is: sfio taste's';''spend :an occasional , , morning making cake's-'in. .iitchen.', But; -. honestly .speaking, ; sKe/ doesnbt'do'two houre' 'solid ■ifp'iir;■'.-. .Wha.t : is'the■T.esult.?..i,ir.sh'e jis'an intelligent'. girUslie. is, bored.-an.d',tirecl : and.'-sick ■ .-of. 'it.alj within'; six' rnpjvths,':ahd , if'she\d(jes' ; .nbt'.-iiilfl]' her f (le.stiny' arid;.Ratisfy ; expep;t'a'tioh's of. her family-'by getting' engage&i'in, a year:.or,tw(» she gradually into !a;.whining,. disappointed'.woman whp.is.nipre :or''less.cnnstantly'ailing. .Because work, and : ■plenty.-nf it, _is essential to'health,-'the''girl; ■otiwonian 'with'., nothing, tp, ill)', ,np .definite, •aim .in-life, is,.other,things'heing/e'qi}al)-!lf;ss. .fine .i .woman' that' the" girl' with ; plenty'; of iwork.- , ' '■ ■ . -...' ■■.'-.' . ' -'.'-'.■•■•■■; : ■ :' ■ Girls .'-who have to •■'work' 7 for.'•; a: Jiving, "or < whose parents', income .requires .them;;, rt to . spend-'/a < considerable portion of, the day sat , hbuseliqld tasks aro happier .because they have regular work which: must, bo done, aiid; they have no time for morliid- repiriings and : :self-analy'sio.' Lack.of;works's attho.rpot'of the restlessness and, discontent: of all women whose; solo occupation 'in life is sclf-amus'e-jinoht'. It' is'the oxjilariation of.'the boredom of the matron with a well-trainqd domestic staff,' ii full-purse, and-a smnll family.- : .:.■•' ' .The, people wlio.'are compolled ; to. work-in this world, , tho women, with domestic cares, ■'with'' heaps of stockings-to mend,, and .childiron to,.coßsidor, are never'bored. Tho biisi:nos3* girl mny. bo ,ov'erw6rlced.and. anxious, nut she: knows, nothing of the. awful dreariness, of. trying tn fill lonp.-ompty ; days. with petty,, trifling doings which is the.fat* of tho ifprnan >'hose' path in life is smoothed by an nbundanco of time and money. ' • Those .who- work hard are the happiest.although they may 'not , ' know it. Work is', the best; antidote to .worry, thfi surest cure for boredom and satiety. It is the graiid panacea, -the universal anodyne. It is bettpT to he .overworked than'have ,tpo. t little'to

do. •::When* hands and , brain ■ are • occupied, we'hare no time to thirilc about'imaginary grievances or to.'brood, over, real trouble; :■ : Work is.ono of; thfi blessings of , this" life, although'.we-.aro 'far;.too'apt to- regard it.;as so" much' drudgery. Sometimes wo despise ttio work wn' have.to do because iVseams.'set in a narrow groove, unworthy of. our best offorts. But there is something noble in nil honest labour, whether of the hauds.br head. Inoyery enterprise, if we do our best, if we yvork/in the proper spirit, we can' find the joy of. work. It may bo hhrd to take up each .day- a. round, of 'petty domestic duties iyheu wo feel capable of accomplishing more intellectual,work; but if we , '-put' our. hearts into our/ work it'makes' a/ wonderful differf "once.;.. With earnest application'.will conVe the, joy :ofj "work.'for work'sl'saKe.'•',■:'•,The woman whose: sphere -is .set- in, domesticity ' may.ikiiow as keen a satisfaction in evolving order from chaos,, in-the'arrangement of her hbiisehold to.the verybest. of her ability as her siStor. who-writos a book. or. manages, a commercial'enterprise. It depends'onAbe spirit with" which we do. it rather tban.on the workitself. And' every woman can .find plenty of. can,fill .her days with splendid, , helpful work if sKe-.cares'onnugh. - - ... ~ •■; ■ ,■ V.'The. poor are always with' up,';there , , is a vast ar.my.,'of. sick; and. friendless: waiting to ;bV'.helped.'.. The work of 'social'amelioration amongst women- and ; children... is' woman's winrk. .Settlements, girls'- clubs, and many o'th/or cha'ritnble/,and useful .associations; are ■crying out. for: workers, whilst hundreds of. ;pjrls -sit at .home with , , folded hands'.wonder;ing what they will do "to.'pass the; time.';' . ;If they would, only try'to work, the hours ; would pass speedily; enough, and they would find, "incidentally,. ■ happinness arid- ; self- ■ respect. ■' ,■' " . .-. .' "■- ■ , "■■lt is work that keeps n woman.young and fr'eah- and happy;. -it is the knowledge :' of work well,done which , makra one feel of some, uso.and-jonsequenco to.other people. Not-a usifless bit of femininity,' hut a .woman with a niche to fill, a sphere in life. ' :'■' '~,"■