THE SCHEME OF THINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 18

THE SCHEME OF THINGS

(By M.H.C.)

'p ,'An interesting cable message states [that over eleven hundred delegates: to '|he Women's National Liberal Federation, by on "overwhelming majority," passed a resolution in favour of scientific birth control, as providing'a imeans of increasing the efficiency of :the nation. Some very bitter and [seemingly unnecessary things were said, while the main issue, the health :^nd well-being of the mothers, was not alluded to in any way so far as was reported. But it seems unlikely that this aspect was not discussed for .quite a number of doctors in London and other large cities have been of opiniontbat neither mothers nor infants, had. anything like -a fair chance when! thefcirths in a family were recurring yearly for a long period of time. Storier ,of - huge families in miserable sur--loundipgs and circumstances ate made 'public 'from time to time with com inents on the. uridesirability o"£ such 7 a., state of things. It is a fact that it is jiibt only iii;.vthe large /cities nor ■in the older parts of the world that such things happen. Many a sad story of health and delicate children comes '■torf-'light ;here, and ■! even 'those; who shrank L-ifrditiitthe cold:;idea: of ; f'control''are forced to come to the conclusion that there is much' that needs either in the law^or in' jhe knowledge and outlook of people. Child allowance was suggested as a panacea -in Loadon, but was rejected as not-.meeting- the whole subject. JThe health of a mother of a family, ;%hether well-off or. otherwise,, is _Df great importance, not only to herself Imt to ..those■■around her^ and many a family -hafe' ~hatT its temper "sorely ■ijried, or., perhaps ruined, by a peevish, 'unhealthy .roo^hery. :; who ■-.; was uo.t to blame, except" for want of' self-control ■when out of health. It Is quite an ieaey matter to be cheery and philoso-. 'jihical when well, but quite a different • proposition with a yearly baby and .little money..'to kqep hungry mouths < "supplied. Wh«|. considering: "modern ideas and the. prolongation of life, by artificial means, such as monkey glands, one cannot help but think that it is a great mistake to meddle with .ijrataare in'such matters. - Owing *o ■health centres and newer methods, it is a; foolish idea to try to stretch the .Scriptural "three score years and ten" A matter for .consideration, lahjo^ is whether. the would reBpond to ,thei-vglaijdular '-treatment as fyreOl as the rest of the body. If not, jiiomje very ■■'sad things, might-'.happen. • ■.The- cautious old proverb, "Let well Valonie," is still useful. ■■:■ '-:,- . : :-; • -;■" :-»:- ■ .•■;■■ :■-• .' '■. .': . :

ifCSome Words .pf ; .wisdom appeared in i; i recent address and . lead: to a train. /-of thought ou bores in general. The CepeSker said, "Think twice before :yo'u ■ adopt the foolish pose .of perpetual bore■- ■ 4omv.»iider. u the fond illusion that it is /clever.' There is nothing truer'in this '.world, than that you get out of life what you put^into it—that and no more. Hencey-what" a give-away it is if you proclaim that life means nothing to :': you.": \ Another Very ■■■: important point ;i'» thai the" "always Ybored" is the ','al■wayß boring." Probably every perpetu--ally bored .person Buffers much from the avoidance of »thei-people, for.'nothing; ;i« more deadly than, to be obliged to companion, a person who is peeved with Snot: fiiiaiiigSttny; pleasure, excellence,, or interest in auy- : th'Jiigr" vlt is" "a'matter of wonder" that JWcfc-pebplet<earei to go on living at all. JEveryone is familiar win 'the person who is languidly surprised at the vivid-'Be»s,(-interest,;'and of those who t«ke part in games,. social 'service, or aTtistjcj jpUrsuits.;!; These see no beauty in scenery^pictures, or plays; they lounge through life, and have no con■,vers*.tion .worth Jistening to, no ideaSj bo enthusiaain, • and yet areV cerisoribus.ibout'MoW' who" really live every nioment of their lives. Therefore they are consummate bores of the worst- description, and are avoided itt ' consequence;' The punishment ''fits the crime" as'was •aid in the "IJikado," and.the nil-ad-mirari person has'a'fthin" time. '. ' ■

■>. "The Woman" has been the subject; \.tit. ieen "discussion on account pi a: number- of articles in the Englishwoman's paper, "Time ana Tide." .These_have been attributed to Viscoun?tesg Bhondda; who, though unmarried I-Bpejit a useful-life as the helper and ■fnwid of her busy father.; She fourtfl that the really, leisured woman wiU. a ;«ra.g on the rest of humanity, and gave' ?f?^ reasons- for her contention; Tho fatfjst development in the controversy ;M contributed, by one of, the leisured, ; %h9 says, t)iat;,Bhe has plenty pf; tim£ to :dress herself and to do fancy work, to drive a caiyto travel, and, to -.fill; he* itouse with^ new possessions from. time to'time. She indulges in new papers :»&■• furniture covers, ornaments': etc., *n<j M sure: that, altogether, she is the cause of employment to others, and yan . extremely useful totaW £ fti her a quaint Attitude to take up, but there is something to be J" d f« ?*• She had other sel/praise* too, whxch was not quite so convincing in that she gave herself cerdit for bexng aMeisure fo.listen to other peopleto. entertain' them; to make hertelf beautiful;,tohave time to cultivate'ler humour, and -so on. ■ But, uni fortunately,;^,..;, her contention, the amusing people jire. usually the welloceup^e^ones, who, have wide interests: and notimeioridl^gossip. The wholP »££*_ is ftuite; inte^tinl and w^e «üboect,of a public;debate, of which news is not; yet available. There & so ■3»^ be.saidon either sideband P er°

-manrand woman. While every other jphase of everyday, life has come S 4fl,S °^vo^ tion-^a modernising ■anfluences,,the church service and sermon are largely, ori 'the gime lines as it-T Be-m- d"PJ. 0 our grandparents and congregations-half a contury W'• 1 am.sure^.that.. the . time - has -arrived ; : yheii jpmejno'iy frepar^e in'eitherthV oaehver^ M .^(a of sermons i B nece^ : ?ar^,. f? r"tliere.is no doubt that the sermon-which stirred our parents ana .:fJ a°fP a?eat? Veaves ■ the young.people ,of to-day stone, cold." Perha/s the jitoot of ;the matter has not quite been [..got at-by this writer. In the old'days : congregations .were bored, piteously so itime after time,.by the most well-mean-hing and. kindly of clergymen. But .they still k^pt an interest in the church and :its:-mundane affairs. But'- the • younger people wiU not consent to be: ooredj-andmauy of the older ones are feeling -, that they have not the patienco 'oi their forbears, and shrink from ■bore^pin.in sympathy ;vvith the young ;«nev ;: 7 The whole'''ijue's'tioii of sermons ..wants Jcour^gedus; attention .from the ;: churches,iahd the 'sooner this is recogr ;,aised;^he, better- for all concerned; and .it is^fceitain^tiikt;.--the church which f first^iJiges;;ihe.^rouble ,'to engflre that ;''ihe'gf^^An^^Qnderftti^sgd'it''.ad'tiput forth and iriacle .part y ot -eveoryday life, will be the leading world.. ;' ' ... .