THE MODERN WOMAN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 772, 22 March 1910, Page 3

THE MODERN WOMAN.

There has been much correspondence recently abojit the Girl Scouts, Writes Miss Pearl Humphrey in the "Ladies' Pictorial.,"- but the disappearance of tins band ,only shows up more distinctly Miss Baden-Powell's scheme for "Girl' Guides." -Miss Baden-Powell is shortly issuing, a handbook of tho training, comparable to her brother's ijuide for the Boy, Scouts. In-tho meantime, two: admirably lucid .pamphlets'set forth the scheme and its objects very clearly. They are threefold; to render girls of value in case of'invasion, teaching them first aid/ to nurse; , to cook,' to tend tho wounded after a battle, etc.; to fit them for a colonial life, in case /they should go to tlie colonies, as' it is advisable that many should; and to ■ make themselves generally" "more useful to others, and to themselves," by learninguseful occupations and handiwork, and yet retaining their womanliness. It is obvious that much of the training for theso three- branches overlaps, for a competent all-round woman has much thesamo qualifications at Home or abroad, in peace or emergency.

There-are two classes of Girl Guides, and various badges.for efficiency in different items of training. ■ The qualificatoiis for,the first classnrc interesting: "To have Is. in the Savings Bank; cook a simplo dish; know first aid bandaging, and simple hospital nursing ; know the history of tho place, and' be able to act as guide, knowing whereabouts of ambulance, police, fire, telephono stations, etc." A girl who knows this is considerably bettor equipped for ordinary life and citizenship than most of her sisters; so the movement need not receive tho' scorn of those who consider it as entirely directed' towards a possible invasion. The two pamphlets aro remarkably interesting. Over 8000 girls have- applied from all classes, from mines and factories to titled ladies, and the services of ladies willing to form "local bureaux are asked for. They will not have much work to do, and what there.is will bo most interesting. Fullest information can. bo obtained from Miss Baden-Powell, 116 Vctoria Street, ,S.W. ... : \

The Hindu ladies of India are forming a society to further 'educational advancement and other matters pertaining to the well-being of women iii India. There will bo one central body', with branches all over India. Tho ladies who aro combining with this object are rnurh westernised, and observe very little purdah, or seclusion, so no Mohammedan women can join bunds in tho movement; but it was launched recently at Lahore with quite an impressive display of public speak? ing by the ladies most interested. A distinguished Englishwoman was present. The object of the society is to influence the mothers ( iii the causo of enlightenment. One speaker drew a pathetic picture of a reformer, eloquent and warm on the platform against child-marriage, returning to his home I to his .wife, "who greets him with, a vehement torrent for allowing his ten-year-old daughter to remain unmarried. . . . Women browbeat tlie social reformer at overy turn of tho reform." It is to remove this unthinking stringency that tho new society is being formed. ' . I "Natural and Unnatural History" is the-title of a lecture to be delivered Ire

Mr. G. K. Chesterton on March 18 to the Liverpool Ladies' Sanitary Association. One would like to know who arranges tlio titles of their lectures, for Mrs. Keridal. will shortly address the same body' on "Moanderings between roses and thorns." Both these titles have the qualities of exciting the imagination and telling, nothing; one is also left to guess their connection with sanitation or Liverpool. Perhaps their charm is that they have none. Tho joys of an occasional irrelevanco are dear' to tho worker.

Women a,s a rule fail in finding good titles. They have not the gift for headlines. Miss Elizabeth Robins is, a notable exception with "Como and Find Me." Usually women are too easily content with the name of a character or. part of a ..proverb as a title, although recently they have improved in this respect. Of tho importance of a title-everyone will be convinced who compares her own eagerness to read a newspaper paragraph headed: "'Why It Was in the Tea-Pot," with her complete indifference concerning "Strange Receptacle for Property." The Liverpool ladies are to bo congratulated on recognising this fact.