WOMEN ON THE ROAD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 500, 6 May 1909, Page 3

WOMEN ON THE ROAD.

'The role.of commercial traveller is not a very gracious ,-one.in .the ; minds of women, but, some have'taken it,up,, and find in*it a use for their accomplishments. I heard the other day (says a London writer) of a lady who was thrown on her pwn resources with no better-equipment than a knowledge of four languages, , a love and charming manners. "She .obtained a/trial astravellor to a firm dealing in certain sartorial luxuries dear to women, and in a fortnight'had introduced those goods to ten of the biggest houses in-London;'' ..' '.'.-'■ .'. '

• 'Such enterprise ■■ is worthy of reward, 'if only because it shows that l she has overcome that stumbling-block in the path.of working gentlewomen—a dislike 1 to do work which is not retired and unobtrusive. Women cannot 100k..0n tlieir,work as, impersonally as mon do—not yet; that will come. They feel themselves inextricably woven in with every interview and every request they have to mako. To bo'a successful traveller,one must overcome, the apologetic attitude' which it is natural for any woman to assume when sho presents herself,, unasked, on her own business,, before very busy people, who may. quite conceivably show that they do not want her. These'scruples seem absurd to men, but they are very real to women brought up to the cod© of manners of their class. . The women ■commercial .traveller is a recognised sudcess in America, and sheis not unknown' in .'Australia'. .■.'".■ :, . : : -"V- ■ -'. ■.'■ ;. ■■-'■■ .-.- '. '