FEMININE REFLECTIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 88, 5 July 1927, Page 5

FEMININE REFLECTIONS

| YOUR CLUB AND M!NE AN OPEN PAGE

Each Tuesday afternoon a corner will be reserved for original contributions of general interest to womenfolk. The subject matter is for you to choose —whatever topic interests you may also be of interest or amusement to others, whether it be about your hobbies, experiences, or merely amusing musings about the ordinary round of the day.

A book prize is offered weekly for the best effort, which should be brief, plainly written, and sent to “Your Club and Mine,” THE SUN, Auckland.

The prize this week has been awarded to Miss O. E. Burton, 11 Walters Road, Mount Eden, for her interesting article on life in a New Zealand country hospital.

‘JILL OF ALL TRADES AND MISTRESS OF MANY”

It is hard to imagine any more varied or strenuous position than that of matron in a New Zealand country hospital. She must indeed be ‘‘all things to all

In addition to general training in nursing, midwifery and Plunket (infant welfare) certificates are a strong recommendation; in fact, most hospitals now insist upon the former. A matron must possess good administrative powers and be a strict disciplinarian, uniting absolute impartiality with a high sense of justice; only thus can she rule her kingdom wisely and well.

Tact is indispensable when dealing with the varied factors that comprise life in a hospital—doctors, members of the board, patients, patients’ visitors, nursing and domestic staffs, the latter often ineluding both sexes.

In some hospitals the matron acts as dispenser, entailing an accurate knowledge of drugs, and exceeding care in the preparation of all medicines. A knowledge of simple book-keeping is necessary; also a clear head for figures, every account having to be checked by her before being handed to the board for payment. She must also be capable of gauging the requirements of the establishment so that there will always be sufficient without any waste. The matron gives out all stores and orders every requisite, keeping a sharp lookout for any declension in quality in the goods supplied by contract. If the matron possesses some practical experience in cooking, it may be requisitioned if she is unexpectedly left minus a cook; in any case she probably undertakes the jam, pickle and sauce making, no small item in a hospital!

It is quite on the cards that while thus engaged a call may come to assist the doctor at an emergency operation or to give the anaesthetic; she must be prepared for anything. A hospital is a place of surprises, yet no one must be surprised. A kindly and sympathetic matron regards her staff with almost a mother’s feelings, caring for their health, happiness and conduct with full understanding of their need of relaxation and pleasure. It may well be asked, is there anything else in which this Jill-of-all-Trades is expected to be proficient? Yes, she must have some skill in teaching so as to impart to her nurses the knowledge she possesses, preparing them by lectures regularly delivered for their hospital and State examinations.

Christmas is an exceedingly onerous time for the matron; she is consulted on every possible point in connection with the great day. Happy is she who can so depend upon her cook that no hitch will occur in the arrangements for the Christmas dinner, eagerly anticipated and keenly enjoyed by every patient who can be put upon full diet for the occasion.

The preparation and choice of gifts for patients and staffs is no small matter. There must be nothing haphazard about it, each one’s needs and tastes being duly considered. Everyone, inspired by the interest and energy of the matron, works busily and happily, assisting in kitchen, pantry or sewingroom ; it is only once a year and the enjoyment of the patients amply repays the trouble entailed. A matron’s responsibilities can hardly be over-estimated, but if she loves 'her calling and is imbued'' with a lofty sense of duty toward those over whom she rules, the compensations will fully outweigh the anxieties. A Lady with a Lamp shall stand In the great history of the land, A noble type of good Heroic womanhood. —O. E. BURTON.

MUNDANE MUSINGS

ROMANCE—AND HUSBANDS It isn’t often that I get really impatient with my sex. Only a woman knows just how much other women are up against, and how hard it is to fight the good fight under all sorts of disabilities. But that is just exactly why one gets a little angry when one sees them deliberately making trouble for themselves, and putting clouds into what ought to be quite a nice blue sky. These women, for instance, who have a grouch against their perfectly good husbands because they are lacking in the outward and visible manifestations of Romance. Women who go to the theatre or the “movies,” revel in an orgy of professional love-making, and come home to dinner with rebellion in their foolish hearts and discontent in their shortsighted eyes. It is really extraordinary to hear how many women suffer from the delusion that they are far too good for their mates. One wonders if they have ever taken a, deliberately unprejudiced look at themselves! If they have ever stopped to realise how lucky they are

to have won a man’s life—long loyalty and love! Obviously they haven’t, or they wouldn’t work themselves up into such hysterical states over the men they fondly imagine they could have married if luck had come their way. Their own ordinariness, so patent to the beholder, is wholly unapparent to themselves. What would they think and feel if some candid spirit informed them that the men they have married, bless their decent hearts, have absolutely no illusions about their lifepartners, and love them and cherish them despite their lack of charm? What a good thing for these foolish womenfolk that men are not troubled by the S£j,me turbulent emotions! You don’t find men imagining that some wonderful Princess Charming of the screen would have claimed plain John Smith as her soul-mate if he had met her in time! But you will never convince Mrs. John, if she belongs to the incurably romantic brigade, that Prince Charming would have passed her by without even being aware of her existence.

There are so many real worries to rob us of our appetites and our sleep that we really cannot afford to indulge in unnecessary emotional turmoil. Rather should we go down on our knees and thank the fates for the one loyal love, however homespun its texture, that expresses itself in deeds that transcend the most loverlike words. —M.C.

A FAIRY STORY RELATED ANEW!

An event of considerable local interest took place at the Brown’s Bay Cabaret recently, when the pupils of Long Bay School, under the able direction of Mrs. Kindred, assisted by Miss Evans, presented to a large and appreciative audience the pantomime, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

The seating accommodation was taxed to the utmost, large numbers having travelled from Albany, Campbell’s Bay and other distant localities to witness the little play.

An impromptu stage, which had been erected for the occasion by Mr. Gerlach and Mr. Dixon, and most tastefully decorated with greenery, added a special charm to the interior of the hall and formed as it were a fitting entrance into the realm of “Fairyland.”

Preliminary items were efficiently rendered by the Misses Evans and Miss Gardhen.

The interest grew intense when the curtain was raised displaying to the waiting spectators a host of “human” buterflies in their glittering robes, followed shortly by the more sober-col-oured little Brownies, who added their full share to the array.

The performers acquitted themselves throughout most creditably. The part of Goldilocks was very ably taken by Phyllis Keightley, whose expressive speaking and clear articiVtion pleased all hearers. The Butterfly Quen, too (Winifred Kindred), made quite an appeal with her graceful movements and the way in which she performed her part.

No less popular was the Brownie King, Renold McKenzie, who also did full justice to the part he played. Sambo, Ken Stemson, created quite a lot of mirth as a comic character. The double part of Teddy Bear and Prince was effectively taken by Russell Millar, while Painted Lady (Mary Gilbertson), Jack Tar (Claude Millar), Azure Blue (Joyce Myberg), Moonshine (Charles Ellenberger), Dolly Daisy Dimple (Muriel Sole), and Wilhelmina (Bernice Ellenberger) all called forth acclamation, as did also Mammy Bear (Winnie Gibson), Twinkle Toes (Tillis Sole), and Daddy Bear (Horace Keightley).

Another pleasing feature of the evening was the ready response of the little performers both in song and rhythmic action, to the very expressive music so ably rendered by Mrs. A. RowanThomson.

The juvenile part of the performance closed with the singing of the National Anthem, after which the youthful actors and actresses joyously retired from the stage laden with the many gifts bestowed upon them by their appreciative audience.