LADIES' COLUMN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8333, 3 June 1905, Page 3

LADIES' COLUMN.

WHO HAS THE BETTER TIME ?

Men or "Womsn.

Mrs Graigie's view that woman has a better time than man is not endorsed by the many correspondents of the " Grand Magazine " who have taken up i the subject. Mrs Henry Dudeney, the well-known novelist, says :— The irre--1 futa'ble fact that, of the two sexes, men have the best time may be proved, first of all, by the " little things." In the first rank of "little things" one may ' put garments. In this matter man has, since the time of Adam, reaped the advantage—to lay on woman the larger burden was the serpent's last thrust. Man may live to the very full his mental life without the perpetual irritant of "what to wear." Then there is age. Men do not care. With wonien the passing of each decade is anguish. Men never care; the "too old at forty" phrase was evolved for the benefit of the daily papers. With all women the very occasional appearance of the census-man induces domestic violence. . Then Love— a "little thing "to some —Love is at once everything— and npthing: it depends on' temperament. A man can love in instalments. He has his keen moments ; he meets and parts ; he woos, weds, buries, or is jilted with unswerving placidity. Ho can do his work, smoke his pipe, and eat a most excellent dinner between whiles. To man has been given the gift of perfect Friendship. Women merely ! keep up a spurious emotion by frequent [ tasteless kisses. Men can live together I in. -perfect amity. Men can "club"; women only pretend that they do. Club life for them is a pose — all of a piece with dress, feminine friendships, and tobacco. In a woman's friendship there is the unvarying element of jealousy. Knowing this, the truly wise woman treats her closest confidante with something of caution; she dilutes tho dear creature's most excellent advice and sympathy. A woman is jealous ; always jealous of the other one's looks, of her ! garments, her servants, her children, of her reputation— or her complete lack of it!. Then (continues Mrs Henry Dudeney) take Religion. This is unhappily becoming a lost sense with man. Women are religious because they cannot help it: That there are truly devout women latter-day saints one never denies. But in the average case of feminine religion there is, as in tobacco, the subtle and extraneous background. We have been bred up to fashionable Morning Prayer. It has been said that all Englishwomen have, an unquenchable drop of "handsome curate " in the blood. It is impossible for them to be impersonal in their religious observances, even when they go over to Romje. Patriotism! Perhaps that is a great thing— or is it merely an unquenchable and cowardly selfishness? With women it is a hollow linking together of letters —one pet name from the right lip is worth the fate of all the nations. . . The essence is this : man has by far the best time— and adroitly says nothing. He has all the little things and most of the great. He has retained a virile, healthy appetite^ for all the sensations. He misses nothing. He can stoop to everything. A mechanical toy which they are selling- in the streets for a penny gives him the greatest delight. He sees a big principle in it. Man lias none of the annoyances; no servants, no complexion, h6 " things." He loves with ease and eats with appetite. He is happy-go-lucky in all that he does; his virtues come without effort and his sins bear the same stamp. He has the ! best time; women like to think that they have.