THE TROUBLE WITH WOMEN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1998, 6 February 1907, Page 4

THE TROUBLE WITH WOMEN.

“Tho troublo with women” (it, is .... saying of Mrs. CJraifjio’s) “is that Lite)' waul, to force thou* opinions. on c,I li'ors. As soon as a woman (loonies it, is host, for her not to marry she wants to shut* up everyone else to keep them from marrying also. Those are rather hitter words. Among the greatest trials in the world are the people who will bully you into drinking your tea without sugar because they do not like sweots. But are they always women ? Most of us know a man or two who, having found that, let us say, a cold hath is to him grateful and comforting, objects strongly to anyone else using warm water. The this is 111 V way; all who go another arc fools” altitude is surely very Irecjium tly struck by the male. How often does one hear tho male sago laying down tho one mid only proper way to do everything from governing the country to making buttonholes, while Ids wonin nkirid say meekly, “Yes, dear,” and “No, dear,” in the proper places. They are not, of course, really listening. They aro really thinking of their dressmaker, or the ImUdier’s hill, or love’s -onng dream. But that does not affect the point. They have every appearance o' listening with eager devotion, of a niook but:- determined intention to do uhat the absolute male ordains.

Ifovortiioloss, there is a great deal in Mrs. C'raigio’s dictum. 11l tills way. Woman does not, as a rule, want to upset tlie social order or disestablish the Government. But when she does want to she wants tremendously, as someone said of Julius Caesar.' There is no politician, no fanatic. like a female fanatic. Your fair politician is iiot content with being convinced of the glory and righteousvki?>s of her own side and the infamy of the other, she insists on you joining her. She is not content with your joining her unless you arc prepared to exalt her own favored loaders to heavenly honor and put the other fellows down in another direction. And even that does not suffice. You must not only bolievo as utterly, you must work as tempestuously as she-'does. This sort of tiling is too much for most of us. Tlioso who -desire to survive avoid, so far as domestic relations will permit, the fanatic fair.

She lias, of course, lior uses. jNlost persecutors have. Slid prevents sloth and trains tile temper. There is, perhaps, a certain satisfaction in reflecting that' this generous surge of enthusiams, which objects to anybody being different from oneself, is most often found in the fair sex—woman, as the home of all noble, unreasonable emotions. Also when it happens to bo directed to desirable ends, this enthusiasm is doubtless good for the world’s progress. Unfortunately, it is about as often directed to the advancement, of fads as to anything more desirable. Now, fanaticism as a thing to live with palls. One of the gieat and sublime truths of this universe which women find it hard to believe is stamped upon the minds of men at school and the university—the immense probability that the person next door is a decent sort. He—or she—may bo an Anarchist, while you believe in absolute monarchy. She—or he—may live on beefsteak and beer, while you know that locusts and wild honey are the only really hygienic diet. Still, it is probable that she and lie are a decent sort.