THE IDEALS OF WOMANHOOD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 21

THE IDEALS OF WOMANHOOD

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —With compliments to 44 Modern Girl,” who wrote under this heading in your issue of June 12, I desire to applaud her and her friends for opening up the subject, and hope that through this means the subject under consideration may be of benefit to the mind of the reader and the eyes of the passers-by Having made reference to the traditions of the Victorian age, all of which are sadly slipping out of sight, I enclose a few lines I copied about 45 years ago and am sure they are worthy of reprint, even now, in the cause and for the ideals of womanhood.—l am, etc., Parent. Maheno. June 15.

WOMAN’S RIGHTS Some people think that woman should Compete In life’s swift race With man, and gain each privilege, Position, power, and place Which he enjoys. I can't agree With those progressive lights; I’ll tell you what appears to me To be fair woman’s rights. While passion’s young ecstatic fire First kindles In our veins, Tls woman’s right to bind our hearts In Cupid's rosy chains. She wields a queenly sceptre then. While we must needs obey. We’re building castles all the night And dreaming all the day. ’Tls woman’s right to be caressed When love Is in the spring. And when affection’s harvest comes Her right It Is to bring The garnered fruits of happiness To cheer man’s dreary way— To smoothe his rougher nature And refine his coarser clay. *Tls woman’s right to wean us from Our selfishness and greed, A councillor in trouble and A faithful friend in need. "Tls woman’s rights to lead us from The foot of Mammon’s throne, And take us to a nobler shrine Where purer joys are known. ’Tls woman’s sacred rights—and this, To her by God is given: To teach the lisping little ones The password into Heaven. No joy man knows on earth can with A mother's bliss compare, When, listening with the Angel choir. She hears her child’s first prayer. 'Tls woman’s right to lean on man. In sorrow and distress. For he was made to comfort her, And she was made to bless: Her bulwark against danger, be She daughter, sister, wife, Or mother, he should guard her well— Aye, even with his life. ’Tls woman’s right ere we prepare To battle in life’s van, To shape our future destinies And mould the mind of man. And here, where we’re erecting on Pacific’s breast, a State, The mothers of our rising race Can make It poor or great.