THE IDEAL MAN

Southland Times, Issue 17427, 20 August 1913, Page 6

THE IDEAL MAN

A WOMAN’S DEFINITION. ESSENTIAL QUALITIES NAMED. Man at a certain stage in existence is prepared to give much in return for a knowledge of what is the standard of perfection set by the members of the gentler sex, and although vital interest may pass with, the passage of time, lie nevertheless retains a good deal of interest in what is said of his kind. For that reason the essay by Miss M. A. Ward, of Five Rivers, on the subject of “The Ideal Man,” which was adjudged to be the best in general merit by Mr T. D. Pearce, who judged this section of the Competitions Society’s literary tests, is of especial interest. The complete text of the essay is as follows : My ideal man must come as near to universal perfection as is humanly possible. He must make a good first impression, and lie must improve on acquaintance. To begin with he must be a gentleman in the highest and best meaning of the term; he must come of a good sound, honourable stock, and he must be well versed in all those little social usages that distinguish a person of refinement and culture from the common ruck. His manners must be easy, simple and natural, but neither free nor ostentatious. He must bo well educated, but not pedantic.. Above all things he must be genuinely sincere and straightforward. strictly honourable and free from sham. In appearance he must be well-grown, well-proportioned and handsome, not in a flashy, showy way, but of a handsomeness that speaks of perfect health and good-living. His height may be anything from oft. lOin. to 6ft., his figure lithe and strong, his deportment that of a soldier off duty. The cast of his head must be noble and intellectual. The contour of his face even and clear-cut, straight at the temples and cheek-bones, and rounding at the jaws to a square, slightly prominent chin. His expression must convey a suggestion of unconscious reserve, and at the same time be open and pleasant. His eyes must be dark grey or brown, large and set well apart, with thick dark lashes and lightly marked straight brows. His nose must be straight or very slightly aquiline, not heavy but not thin, his mouth of medium size, with shapely red lips.. He must be firm, but not stubborn. His teeth must be even and white and not false. His hair .must be dark, naturally wavy, thick and fine, his complexion dark and clear. So much for his looks. Now for his tastes. He must be essentially an out-door man, fond, of all kinds of manly sports, athletic, though not necessarily an athlete; able to box well, but only to have resort to it in self defence. The fact that he can box often makes a man a bully. All kinds of outdoor work must come ready to his hand. He must be a landowner. with a thorough knowledge of sheep farming, cattle raising, and agriculture; and in a lesser degree he must be a veterinary surgeon, a blacksmith and a carpenter. Landscape gardening must have a special fascination for him. A love and appreciation of the beautiful does not make any man less manly. He must take pleasure in all the beauties of nature —the harmonious blending of colour, the dewy freshness of morning, the starry tranquility of night, the music of singing birds and running water, the majesty of a storm. There must be enough philosophy in his reasoning to enable him to accept a change in the weather without reviling the climate. He must be a good all-round sport, able to walk, swim, ride, run and shoot well: to plav football, cricket and polo; l,ut his snoris must be his recreation, not his occupation. His sense of humour must be a saving quality to take the sting from many a stab. He must have an even, well-controlled temper. In the house my ideal man must be more seen than heard. He must keep his place, and mind his own business. Ht* may smoko in su(*h rooms arc are assigned to him, but not everywhere. The borne is essenl ially the woman’s sphere, ind the man should interfere no more in it than the, woman does outside. He should be able to mend his clothes and look a meal in a case of necessity. His habits must be tidy and methodical. Ho must not wear working clothes in the bouse: nor bis outdoor boots in the evening. He must be a good conversationalist. able to speak intelligently and logically about all current topics, and tactful enough to avoid personalities. He must be musical not necessarily a performer, but fond of music, and able to discriminaU* ’between good and indifferent music. Also fond of reading good literature, history, poetry, the classics, and Dickens. As a husband he must be as much a companion to his wife as he would be to a highly - esteemed man-friend. He must give and take in all things, and make of marriage a perfect partnership. If he makes a mistake he must have the moral courage to take the blame for U. It is not a sign of greater weakness to make a false move on one’s own judgment, than to do so at the instigation of another. Drinking and swearing must find no place under the category of his habits. He must treat, his wife with as much re:-pect as he would the man-friend who probably possesses the advantage of , being able to knock him down if,he were subjected to the treatment that many wives endure.

As a father be must be just and kind, fend of lbe children, interested in them, and readv to take bis share in the training of them. They must be able to took upon him n~ a model and pattern; to find him wi’ling to guide and counsel. In all things lie must uphold the teaching of the mother. No punishment that -he inflicts must, bo countermanded by him. He must enforce as much respect towards the mother as lie exacts for himself. Religion must, of course, he the foundation of all his teaching, the spur of his own endeavours. His life must he based on Christian principles, sincere and unobtrusive —not the kind that attract’,attention hv an outward allow of sanctimonious piety. Christian charity must surround him, Christian fortitude uphold him. In short, his life must be such that Urn words of tbs Master Poet over the body of Mark Antony might not come far amiss apnlied to him —with a change of tense: -'‘His life is gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, ‘This is a man!' ” VIRGINIA.