The Woman on the Canadian Farm.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 29

The Woman on the Canadian Farm.

TO THE EDITOR.

Scr, — I consider myself the better fitted to write on a subject which concerns women's work beeatise I am not a woman. I am a man, and, therefore, my point of view regarding household affairs may be taken as strictly impartial, whether it agrees absolutely with the theories of the schools and conventions or not. Has it not fime and again been proven that the best person to describe a place is not one whose whole life has been spent in it, but one who looks at it by way of comparison with other places. j.iie former know too much about it, and not enough, about the things outside. And so, perhaps, the one bsst fitted to write about woman on the -farm is not herself, for she knows more about it than she can tell, just because she knows so little about the other kind of women. If you will let me carry this argument just a little further, I submit that no woman can tell about some phases of women's work as well as 'one who is not a woman, because she doesn't know the point of view from which she can contrast herself. Women do so many things that a man sees are quite unnecessary or not necessary enough that I have often, wondered why — well, why a man s opinion on such matters is not more highly respected! when he expresses it. N"ow, the woman on the farm is an important and interesting personage. 1 know her personally, for I have lived on the farm, aiid I know her better still because, having since lived in the city, I have acquaintance also with the contrasting city woman. The first thing I want to say is this: that the woman in the country and the woman in the city seldom understand each, othsr. They are prone to either pity or envy the other's lot ; whereas I believe "that neither wants the other's cornmieeration, or "merits her special admiration. The city woman -is apt to think that country life is a prolonged! monotony, or else when she considers the fresh milk and the garden full of vegetables -she thinks it a condition quite ideal ; and on th. other hand, the country woman looks upon the city as a -place of unending -elights. or else she shudders at the noise, ar.d is froghtened at the prices of things. — I am, etc., W. J. G. Hughes. Denniston, December 5.