Descriptive.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 373, 2 July 1903, Page 7

Descriptive.

WOMAN'S STANDING. a||§N a lecture which I have now |la delivered for many years, I *«** illustrate the difference which exists between the social position of woman toward man'in France,, in England, and in America by a little humorous scene observed in the hotel dining-room of these three great nations.

I imitate the arrival of the married couples in the dining-room anc watch them cross it to get to the tables assigned to them by the head waiter. In France, they walk abreast, often arm in arm, smiling, chatting, like two comrades, neither superior; to the other, equals; in England,JJohn Bull goes,, first, and, meek and' demure, with her hands hanging down, modestly follows his wife; in America,.-• Mrs : Jonathan triumphantly enters, sails in, and goes first toward the table like a queen toward her throne, with dear old Jonathan behind. *'•'''.'""

I know another way to decide the same question—that is to say, how women are considered by the men of their country. Study the walk of Women and you will be able to conclude how i their countrymen treat them.

In France, both men and women walk with the same assurance. When they meet, men show their respect to women, and women their deference to men, by the manner in which they return each other's salute, a manner which denotes no feeling of superiority in either toward the other." " l - 1

Yojjj conclude at once, and rightly, too, that in France men and women go through life on an equal footing, not only in all the circumstances of life, out also in the eyes of the law.

In England, look at the superb air, the of the man; it is -the lord of creation but for an airing, He may be a little stiff, too haughty, and hot always looking byerpleasant (unless he be a perfect, aristocrat, when he is absolutely charming in his 'manly gentleness), but he is a master. He is courteous to women, but even the manner in which he takes oil his hat to them shows that he does not consider, them as being .quite his ; equal. J. There is on his face a suspicion of a patronising air; Of course he' Opens the door to them, lets them pass first (if he is a gentleman, not otherwise) ; he has for thorn the feelings of consideration and / condescendence which the strong, entertain for the *wearkr*~- ; s - ■- ...... ,-„,,.....' Among the middle class and espeoI would call the lower Jahd the/like, the man is the master, lenters abloom before his mother, wife and daughter, ahd his Womankind's walk is a perpetual apology. - : When the English woman of that class reaches the age of forty or fifty, she prepares herself to behave in such meek manner, that,she will. seem to excuse herielf and ask to be par-? doned for. daring to be* still alive..

■"' In the United States the woman walks as a duchess walks in her domain. The whole place belongs to her. She stands erect, the beautiful * curves j of her body well in her head up, her eyes frank and j surveying the whole space} like the eagle, king of the air, she could stare at the sun without a wink.] Men, in America, walk with much less assurance than the women. When they fpass them and bow.' low to them, they receive in return a little <smile or nod of the, head, for which they appear truly Dear Jonathan, he seems to shake in his books at the sight of his womankind.

■| From the way they walk, I conclude that in France women are the equals qt. men, in England their inferiors, and in the United States of America their superiors.—O'Rell.