THE DUTY OF WOMAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9303, 1 August 1908, Page 3

THE DUTY OF WOMAN.

What President Roosevelt TMnks.

President Roosevelt, on May 16. delivered an address to the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Churoh, in the course of which he said: — "Most. of all we n<»ed the essential qualities that in their sum make up the good man and the good woman ; most of all we need that fine and healthy family life, the laok of which makes any seeming material prosperity but a glittering sham. If the average man is brave and hardworking and clean-living;, if th« average woman has qualities which make a good wife and a good mother", if each has selfrespect, and if each realises that the orreatesj; thin* in life ts the chance to do service — why, then, the future of th<* nation is secure. We admire a good man, but we admire a good woman more. Wo believe in her more. All honour is due to the man who does his duty in peace, who, a 6 a 6oldier. does; his full duty in war, but even more honour is duo *o the mother ; for the birth-pangs make all men debtors of all women. No human being ba.s a greater title 1 to respect than the mcrther who does her full <*nty. who bears and rears olenty of healthy children, so that there shall be a national growth, not a national decadence, so that in quality and quantity our pwole shall increase. The measure of our belief in. and re*?peot for, the good man and the good woman mast be the measure of our condemnation of the man and woman who, whether from vicioueness ot selfishness or from vapid folly, fails to (io each his or her duty in his or her special sphere. Courage, unselfishness, commonsense, devotion to high ideals, a proper care for the things of the SDirit, and yet also for the things of the body —these .are what we most need to see in our people; these are the qualities that make up the right type of family life."