Women's Grievances.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 15, 3 August 1895, Page 4

Women's Grievances.

%-*.'■'■ : r Writine in the * Twentieth Century,' Mrs &'■■; Georeina Kiogscote thus sata out some of t-y.f • the " grievances " for which women have to '-"■ thank conventionality and prejudice rather •iJ "-''■■ than the law :— " Why should a woman lead v' 1 - .a virtuous life and then ally herself with a k'Vman who has not? Why should a woman '-';:;' be expected (unless very rich) to be a house- ■■;'.'- bold drudeo and to put up with squalling --y~~ "babies while the husband amuses himself? ' Why should a man be allowed to dine out ,'.■;' alone and the women be supposed to sit at :<*)' homo, and the man be allowed to grumble ' .- ;' if the woman dines out alone and leaves him '"■'■ - behind ? Why should the man hardly wear ■•" any mourning and the wife go into black for r-, months for his relations, whom she probably .'_.'-" dislikes ? Why Bhould no privacy, either of \ ■ ' bed or sitting room, be provided for a . *£ - -woman, while invariably the most comfort-s_^&lA'ble-jcp.ora i Jn,.the. house is set aside for the 1 man's smoking room 6'rstu.dy,?. Why should the man's word be law in his own hcuae more . . than the woman's in her's ? Why, if the wife is . * ill, can the huaband go out all day and nobody call'bim a brute, but if he is ill and his wife docs not attend upon him hand and foot ah'S is considered heartless and frivolous ? Now, all- these .things are entirely the fault of woman,' and aro the result of their own want of esprit de?eorps and, if I way Eayso,. of their want of moral pluck. It is extra-' ordinary that the women who wish to hatg | seats in Parliament, and who have pluck to appear in men's clothes on bicycles, smoke r cigarettes, and discuss the most extra- j ordinary things with men, havß not the >luck to diaouss these matters with their soca nor their daughters. And now we coma to the strange fact thit these energetio ' women, who wish to add to all the physical fatigues of womanhood the mental weariness and strain of man's sphere, hive by them the Tory channel by which all these forms are obtainable,"