FRETFUL FEMININITY,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17220, 11 December 1923, Page 9

FRETFUL FEMININITY,

Feminine nerves are f-equently worn to rags by silly fretting about things that do not matter. We women are far too prone to analy.-is of ourselves and our associates. We are constantly misinterpreting the most harmless remarks; the most innocent and guileless actions. We seem to start off with the supposition that envy, hatred and malice are our daily food! And with that idea constantly in the forefront of the mind, it is small wonder that the very first remark that could possibly be misinterpreted confirms our suspicions ! It is so much more helpful to believe the opposite! Believe that your friend will be genuinely glad to see Jjow nice you look in your new dress; believe

that she appreciates your good qualities ; believe that she means well, even if she is occasionally tactless. And if any particular action on her part rouses your special ire, apply the acid test. Put yourself in her place, and ask; “ What should I have done?” If you are quite convinced, after this sincere heart-searching, that she did not desire to hurt you, there is time enough to fret. Half our feminine injuries are purely imaginary. We fret about inanimate objects as we fret about our animate associates. “ What can’t be cured must be endured,” says the musty old adage. But it is more to the point to remember that it needn’t necessarily be endured ; it can be avoided! And the things that can't be avoided don’t matter; for they are never, by any chance, the things that really fret us!