TOPICS OF THE HOUR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 24 January 1911, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE HOUR.

THE BEST CURE AND ITS LIMITATIONS. "When a lady told me the other day that she wanted a rest cure, I told her to do her own washing and. she would not iieed it." It is .Father Bernard Vaughan who records this brilliant repartee. Unfortunately the I'eport omits to mention what the" lady'then said to Father Vaughan. We will courteously assume, that in the (particular case the repartee was deserved. But as a general truth, or a guide to conduct, it seems something less than convincing. If wo take it with a stern literalism, of coursej it may be true enough. For if the people who need rest cures were to start- -upon their own washing or any Other violent" labour they would, in a little while, need neither rest nor any other of the joys of humanity. But probably that is not how Father Vaughan wished' to be understood. He jests at "scars who never foifc a wound. People who have never suffered from nervous weakness, or brain or any of the other complaints of the kind invented fc~ modern civilisation, •jeer at those who demand'rest cures. And very often they are right. Of ■mental and nervous complaints many 'are caused by a greedy nunt for excitement, and many more by sheer idleness. But do not be deceived into supiposingt that too much comfort is the cause of all such troubles. We all know the old jibe at the lady who was "prostrate with grief." If she had been JMrs. Snooks, the washerwoman, said the cynic, with twelve children to keep, she would l have had no time to be prostrate, which, sounds very fine and trenchant. But observe what it implies. If we take our washerwoman, with no time to indulge in grief, compelled to drive her cares a\Tay by the stress of hard, physical labour, as. the ideal of human.' ty, we haive none of ns any business to aVjpire to a station in which the rough work of this life,is done for us. If we really believe in the "do your own washins"* gospel, we ought to do it regularly, ana not merely sneer at the poor sou] who wanted her rest cure. Perhaips it might be best for all of us to spend some part of our time doing hard ho?7se. work. At least, we should be likel\ to have mere sympathy with those for whom homework is practically the whole of life. But no amount of labour with wash-tub or scrubbing brush will restore health to a mind tha.t has been worn to fatigue by other anxieties. There is always a teonjptation v/hen we hear the long tales of woe of women who have never done any useful work in their lives to bid them change places with their housemaids. Justice seems to require it. For their housemaid's are so often pleasanter people. But silly x>m plaints and gn empty head are 110' confined to women of leisure, nor are such troubles always to be cured by hard work. Very often the root of the trouble is a lack of interest in anything

i lie wretched creature who is always sor ry for herself would be no less sorry for herself, no less a trial to everyone else, If you condemned her to lead the simple life. If -vou think her worth curing, you had better teach her to be interest ed in something. It does not much matter what. But, of course, that is a much harder business than telling her to do her own washing. And you may say if you choose that the game if not worth the candle.