LADIES' COLUMN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13655, 25 July 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

LADIES' COLUMN.

TBAISE FROM NEW BRUNSWICK. At a deputation, which waited upon the Government of New Brunswick, to a*k that women might have a provincial vote. Recorder -Skinner said New Zealand was the only country enjoying woman jfra.nchi-e of which he knew the coudrt ions. - There the general improvement in •a.;i social affairs was marked. The women were particularly interested in social conditions, and as the prevention of poverty .was tb*? greatest question for a. country, he' felt that the influence of vfomeij in poll ic.-* would do much good» In spittf of this, it is reported that tic .premier of New Brunswick raised, the old objections to women's suffrage.

TRANSFORMATION" OF "WOMAN. Variors causes (chief among th''m tlie growth and development of our modern industrial system, which has transferred what were formerly women's home trades to the. factory and tlve shop) have combined to drive the twentieth century woman out of her home and into the paid labour market, there to compete with men for » niouey wage. This industrial competition it is which, more than anything else, is altering and modifying the ortliuary relations of tlie sexes and the attitude

•of the ordinary woman towards life. ' Economic necessity in the past taught her to cultivate only that side of her character which was attractive to man : economic newtsity in the present is teaching her that in order to hold her own in a world of competition, in order to obtain the bread by which she lives, she must encourage ether aides'of her nature to grow and expand, must train all her talents and capacities to tbe utmost—not only these outwardly pleasing attributes which may gain her a husband. In short, tlie womau of to-day is being forced by eireuinetanos quite beyond her control to become leys of a helpmeet to a man and more '. f a help to Ilers.df —less angelic, perhaps, but a deal mute human.

WOMEN AND WAR. Few women have seen bo much* of the horrors of war nt> Mrs. Ann Miiue. of Nottingham, who was with lier soldier htisbiuid in the Crinva, and who h,s just be-n laid to rest with full military honours. The same honour has awarded to other* of her sex who have earned it by by their valonr. a* she did by her devotion as wife and nurec.

Christian. Cavenagh. who was buried ■with full military honours as lons ago as 1759. fought as" » private soldi*-r. side by side with h*r husband. She wa> twice severely wounded, at the battles of Landen and Ramillies. was taken priscner Irr the French, and fought a dud before she returned to England to enjoy her pension and to turn pie-maker. Anne C'haniberlayne, who lies buried in Chelsea Church, fought gallantly against the French: Phoebe Hessel, as her cpi--iriph ot. Brighton record, served for many years as a 6oldkr, and was wounded at Foo^enoy. Mary Ann Taylor accompanied her Ifver, ao infan'ry" officer, to the wars aiid nftenvrarefe fought as a sailor— the famous "BiU*-e.''—'Westminister Gazette."

EXTRAORDINARY SKIRTS. As a mle American people are noted f>r the suitability and perfection of their a'tire. having an instinctive knowledge ..f what it suitable for the occasion. But Fv*n those who aim to live up to the r.rr latest decree "f fashion in New Zealand, would hesitate before they appeared ■in the latest skirt described m a, rot»nt American woman's paper—a skirt which is quite straight and verv tijrlit, -win no flare about the feet whatever. ""Nothing."' save the paper referred to, -miist hold this skirt out at the bottom, which - jnsf touches all round and ends wi'ha flat plait. Tin's fashion edict will brW consternation i" the majority, but as.-the great makers of costumes »=ay. 'lt uVws >r-m mid just now. but. ladis. you > will all get used to it in lc>s than a

"If this were only all—bi't. alas! we nuiH also conform to a new evening s>kirt. dubbed 'the {rouser' which is aVo to be five smart house skirt- as well. Few will 5.' ab.e to keep tVir contenanccs when thev read this, or their tempers, either. ?nd~. may burst out into ejaculations far from the usual social coin. Upon de-

mantling a detailed description, it was ;riven much iu this manner: 'N ou mav think it ». divided skirt. < r 'bloomers.' f«erhaps —but yon will be mistaken. Tt W.-a skirt with a train, and the only difference. lies in certain fastenings down from the knee to the underskirt, which ft.rm gaiters in a way. in front, and only in front. In the back the train falls out a> visual. Of course on*: liw to practise walking and sitting in 'it over and over before one is ab!<? to act naturally, graceful] v. as if sl»e had worn it all her life. Tt * said the effect when accustomed to it. is charming to a degree. Many women will have to watch the actress and study their stage attitudes and 'heir niMiage-m-nt of this Iroiwer P kirt. but smart wo men will become adepts at once, becaue? the in'ricscies of wearing novelties, they can usually master at first trial. •' It mav bo remembered how soon tliey led off in the sliding step required when skirts were co long in front' that one's feet were qui'e hidden and were to be k*pt out of right. We shall not see anything of the new departure probably until the summer season opens in August.' MARK TWAIN'S-DAUGHTER. Miss Clara Clemens, the daughter of Mark Twain, was to have made her debut as a singer in London on May 30. Overshadowed as slie is by the fame of h«r father in letters, it will be news to manv English coneert-goeTS (says the "Dailv Express") that Miss Clemens is the possessor of a sweet contralto voice, as well of being a pianist of no mean ability. She. is a former pupil of both Mme. Blanche Marcbesi and M. Leschetizky, and his sung in public in America for nearly two vears. Miss Clemens, who is slim and dark, wifh Madonna-like features, and deep brown eyes, seems to have inherited her father's sense of humour. "Whr did I not- bring him with me?" sh« said to an "Express" representative who saw her. -Well, you aee he accompanied me in America for about two varsv and I found that he was so anxious to <*et up on the platform before I had finished, and make a speech., and the people veemed so impatient to liear him, I guessed if I didn't want to ruin my career be'd better stay at home."

ROADS MADE BY WOMEN. Uganda is a land of good roads. This country has thousands of miles of native roads, each ten feet or more in width. This is different from the o'her countries in Africa, says Frank G. Carpenter in a recent article. Thtse roadwavs are one of the greatest signs of Uganda's civilisation. They go rip hilland down dale, erasing the streams and swamps on bridges and causeroad*- are kept, up by the native* u'lidir the direction of their chiefs, though ''■ikbkZ of the chiefs are. the British offa--clals,' who -work through them. Every "person in the country, male and fenuue. ' w"subject to one months work through •ijie-'rear, as. a road tax." We think it a -JieirV-burden if we have to pay for ono v-dayVwork.' on the roads,; but hero every oiW is-supposed to. work a whole month. Eact chief - is'responsible for the roads '•J in" bis? territory;,; and; he calls- upon every "householder -for the. requisite amount of "

[ The householder as a rule see 6 (hat most of the work is douc by the women. This I found to be ihe ease all the way from Entebbe to Kampala. Everywhere there were girls down on their knees pulling out weeds, or bending over and smoothing the road-bjd with a short-handled n itiw hoes. In one or two plae<s nun were at work, but as a rule live rough labour wa,> done by bare-shouldered, bare-arm d. and bare-fooled fcmlaes, clad in bark clothing.

CLEVER WIVES. .An 'American paper has been inviting answers to the question whether clever men need clever wives, and the rjiui-tkui is answered by such authorities as Katherine Thurston and Mary Wilkins Freeman, who discuss it. seriously, while Gilbert Chesterton's contribution si very characteristic.

It is, he says, op.-n to discussion whether every clever man needs a clever wife. But it is quite often certain that he gets a. clever wife—because there are no wives who are not clever. There are. perhaps, women who are not clever. You tan find a dull woman ; you can find a dull married woman ; but you cannot find a dull wife. Wives when ac ing as wives are all mentally active, and horribly clearheaded. There is no clever man who doos not find hi* wife cleverer than he. I f the question means, "Is it a good thing that a man should rely on the mental qualities of bis wife f' the answer is ''Yes; a. good thing, and an inevitable thing, anyhow." If it means, "Is it a good thing that her mental qualities should Iv "f the tame sort as his?" the answer is "No; a. very bad thing." If you say that Shakespeare though'' (and thought, rightly) that Anne Hatlierway was cleverer than lie was, then I agree. If you say that Shakespeare would - have been happier if he had married Mary Queen of

Scots, because she was cultured and wrote sonnets, then I flatly eon radict you. Aivne Hatherway whs cleverer than Shakespeare; for in the only way that the cared to be clever he was probably 6tupid. The average of intelligence among is much higher than atnonsr men; the Sbakespearts are. I think." fewer. But even the stupidest woman is stronger than the cleverest man in a certain kind cf argument—the kind of argument with which Bantippe overwhelmed Socrates. People lalk of tryan-ni<-ally oppressed women: but the only old human tradition is that of women oppressing men.