THE MEDDLING WOMAN NEGLECTS HER DUTY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 681, 26 March 1903, Page 20

THE MEDDLING WOMAN NEGLECTS HER DUTY.

j Ihe records of the ” convention "of the lIV.C. 'Temperance I nion just concluded at J Dunedin have been received with mixed j feelings by the ordinary man with oldI fashioned ideas about humanity and soi ciology. and the relationship of the sexes |in general. Alternately the sentiment uppermost has been surprise, pity- ; tempt, disgust, strong disapproval, dismay, and anger. JI he milner varieties are the more comforting, but it is not easy to abstain from indulgence in the others, j and a mixture may be recommended, i Let us then be stern, but do not let us lose our sense of the ludicrods. In this frame of mind writes a correspondent ot the Dunedin "' Star," in a recent issue ot that journal, as follows : ■

•• Si r? —I read two reports in Saturday s • Star.’’ The first was an account of the loss of a valuable life from want of knowledge ' V babv's death ’ was the result of improper feeding, etc. Oh, the pity ot it ’ Will no one —can no one —come to the rescue, and teach us as a community how to rear our offspring, or must parents be left to blunder on in the future as tn the past, resulting in the loss of many valuable lives ? Is it not possible to make some practical effort to reduce the rate of infant mortality ? It may seem not e at first sight, but could not a move be made somewhat on the following lines - The authorities take the matter in hand, and have a model set of rules or directions drawn up by some properly authorised competent person or persons, setting forth in plain language how to /j/ 1 ’ clothe and nourish children, so that they may have a chance to grow up healthy men and women. Have these rules issued to every parent in the colony ; have them published from time to time in the daily papers, and printed on the backs 01 marriage certificates ; and use every other means that may be necessary to spread the desired information, so that every father and mother may know their duty and how to do it.

The second was an account ot the deliberations of the W.C.T.U., representing fortv-seven Unions. They seemed to be readv and willing to discuss and debate almost every subject under the sun. ranging from, say, pitch-and-toss to man-slaue-hter. in their frantic efiorts to cany out their pet notions. I sincerely, hope and trust that every woman of them read vour account of ‘ A Baby s DeaHi and that it may be the means of bW ingthem back to a proper sense of then duties and obligations, rights, and piit leges in the community as our mothers, sisters wives, and daughters.—l am, etc., FATHER."