TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 18

TOPICS OF THE DAY

(By VU.Z.Q.")

MClear the Court of Women" ib the heading of some remarks which appear in -"Time and Tide," It would seem that in England they are not nearly so human and commonseneible (to coin a ' word), as they are in this little country in the way of Court arrangements. The cases to .be .heard at Lewes Assizes, where the above order was given, were of infanticide and criminal assault on a girl of fourteen. The women cleared out were, says the writer, mostly of responsible age, and mothers of young girls. The writer was a social worker who had special business to be present, and was not "cleared", with, the . ' 'rest, by private favour of an official. Those who were left in the Court were a number of young men, and it is asked if it would not have been far more saving to the girls' feelings of self-respect 1 and modesty to have had those of their own sex left in Court, and the curious, grinning, nudging set of youths removed.. The justice of this is self- - evident. To bring the matter home it was remarked recently by a social worker in this city that it was sad %to see so many quite young people in the Court listening ,to the sordid details of life j which were quite unnecessary for them j to hear from any practical point of view. She was one it> advocate the opening of the door of knowledge of good and evil at the right time and way, so that the younger boys and girls might be , "forewarned and armed"; but to crowd a Court, lean elbows on the.edge of a gallery, eat chocolates, and. ap- * parently enjoy the recital of the terrible tragedies of life, seems a want of good taste and kindliness, which earns condemnation from those who are out for the decencies of life. 'A woman writer remark's that '-the woman without an enthusiasm, some, special interest in life, is apt to have rather a thin time in these days. The age is a vigorous ■ -one, wherein, the drifter, the blase woman, soon finds herself a back number. . . . The woman who counte in the scheme of things is she who has adopted some special enthusiasm, and is running i? hard." The writer .develops the point that/a •woman who has interests is interesting. Even if the obse/rver is not in full sympathy with the •notions brought forward by the wonian'with a human interest, still, if she has any mind at all, she can get an insight into other ideas, and all have their, value, even if they only bring proof of futility, The writer continues :—Think of the women among your own acquaintances who are spoken of as charming. You will find their secret is the cultivation of a virile mind. Brain alert, heart afire, sympathies •wide, these women win friends wherever they go;' Like i 6 attracted to like all the vrcfffl over, so that they are certain to meet with other folk with an interest and enthusiasm equal to their own. There is ■ nothing like enthusiasm for widening the outlook, and it spells comradeship and friendship of the best kind. The only point not touched upon by the writer is that which refers to the fact that some are apt to "run" their enthusiasms in season and out of season, and perhaps do a certain amount of harm £o, quite, good causes.. But that is only a small matter in comparison with the recognition that the woman with an object in h'fe that-leads her out of mere selfishness is '-'the woman of the day.".

Comment is made by an Engljsh writer that among those who have been noted as having tried to gain a second edition of youth by the grafting of some mysterious gland, there has not been any mention of a woman; and this in spite of the fact that most women think they have more cause to' dread oKI-age than most men. It cannot be from fear 'that the women have refrained from the experiment, for it is said that they have endured face-skinning by a severe process, in order to eradicate wrinkles, and it is well known that in the., so-called •"beauty parlours- some of the processes are quite painful. '..• It would seem as if men realise the loss "of youth when a round of golf tires them unduly; and when the younger men begin to address 'them as "Sir" they begin to look in the glass for signs, of age. But with women the loss of looks, and the coming of the first grey hair, is of more importance, while the..loss of energy in .games does not distress them much. Later, when a woman attains, to the distinction of being a grandmother, she gains a pleasure from it, and a renewal of youth that does not touch a man •at all. In many 'Ways age brings compensations to women 'in which men do not share. There is a developing of talents, sometimes, such as needlework, which the busy woman has had but little time for except in the sordid direcitons- of mending and "making-over." There is time for wider reading for the more intellectual. There is an extension of interest outside the household. In all, the wise women, and there are many, in spite of the pessimist, fill up the shorter and shorter days with interests in which few men share. It is seldom that a man is found who really rejoices, at the retirement from the world oj business on account of age. It has been known, many times, that men who re: tire thus are quite at 'a loss what to do .when the business occupation fails, and the next thing is that health is impaired. Therefore, it is more likely that men would look for a real renewal of youth, while women, having passed from the stage where they regarded their appearance as of the first importance, wonld not care to. go through it all again. An amusing little comment is made. fe an English paper over the statement Snat swne of the M.P.'s of the British ji*<u-liament are starting a school in the House of Commons for their own instruction in the details of Parliamentary procedure. A committee room was to be reserved for the purpose, and an older member was to give the instruction. The writer quaintly suggests the following as suitable subjects:—-"Bonar's Law of Tranquillity," "Sympathy Without Tears," "Self-Optimism," and "How to be Happy though Harried." .Judging from recently-reported happenings in the British Parliament, the sooner the idea is carried out the better, or else the formerly dignified convention will earn the name of the "British BearGarden."