A WORKING WOMAN’S DAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1923, Page 4

A WORKING WOMAN’S DAY.

A STORY OF DOMESTICITY. This article is being written with a view to Irving to solve some of the constant worries and anxieties which invariably confront a working woman. Even when she has quite regular money from her husband there is always the oon-tant anxiety of making ends meet ; and ii is surely a pity to add unneces--ai v hard labour to her daily anxieties. AVI, while the workman's tools arc up-m-date and are improved almost daily. Hie working woman has in make -hiit with much the same hou-ehold tools as her great-grandmother. She a- always trying her best to keep hei link- cottage "spick and .-pan,’ :uia id make it comfortable lor her liu--bind, who perhaps insists on peace and comfort while never expecting W lord a hand, ami who, miles- i: ■ knew be bad a proper place to -it in, would more often than nut spend hi-- i veilings in a public house in dead of coming homo to -pend them with her and bis children.

The wile tries her best to keep peace al home at any price, and does not mind how much she denies or overwork- herself so long as -he can keep her man happy and contented and Lei children well looked at ter. Km- this article, take the oa-e oi an .uti-an or other -killed workman, whose work noee-.-itaU-- his going old even- day, winter and summer at -> a.m., in order to reach Ins de-tinat ion

in proper lime, an arrangement nut at all to be envied, e-peeially in the v.liter months, when it i- pitch dark and Hie snow is on the ground. Very often both the husband ami wife oversleep tliem-elves. in spit.' oi the alum clock -ct regularly for four o'ehie!.'. Then there is the hurry and scramble to got the kitchen lire light- j 0,1, tile u liter boiled for a clip oi tea. j , m ’j bacon and eggs -O' some such similar s-di-tautla I reli-h) co-iked. .e I hmc - 1-0 ot la-i' I llai;."-' d'li ing Hrmorning -d ills geiting any lireaktast. 11l many oases all l hi- preparation to.) long, and Hie hil-'iand lias to eu out with tea made with hall-boiled water and anything cold which may | U ue been left over from the previous , vetiing’s muni. This do - not tend to iin I) re. v- In- 1 i-; u r. ami i i he ( oin monel-; I lie day in a bud frame of i; ; , quite lilo-lv i !;at lie u ill ~'uiinne 1 1 i-a a r.-ca fd- • all day and nim il heme to hi- already tired and ~|" v.d i-.iic only to find laid! with \i, ... !,,. he- gone, the won: ali lias to -et about ior work for til-.- day, Ini' -mil a women inu-t be always up and doing early il -lie wants to get through everything there I.- to be done oebue ltd bo-band rotiirii- again in the evening. First lII' all 11 C children have to be washed,, divs-ed ami f-d. and sent i'll' to -eho'-t. At ter ihcy have gone the bou-ewile ha- lo liiink of the day - on; 1 - --"'bat she can provide that will not lake up j much time in cooking, lor it is oitliei | a-lo tig-day. iroiimg-day, or, 0 ii | an i 11i-cimil! I'v home, lim day bn l 1 . bread or making p.ts'.-'y : and. : oi a-ldil ion. t here i- n!wa.\ - the U -ak- | l.i -l O; he eleared. and iim dirt v j j ,]- o' cry lo be wa bed. the bods to be I ! i-.I aia I made, a- well a - tic- dll-tin - I io I-,- (b.iie in all I lie rooms, v. bile i cry I .-.ten .me room l 1 be t hoi'ouc; dy turn- j cl MMt. l\rb;:p.- v'ab- -In- lie. ■ gone eul to wo be e-,0 ien tii hail-te up ill-- (in- b-uoiv ■be wu-i’l awl i - (i: 1 1 acl relight ii . Then s.lm ha- to light S”' ami o- | nail for lhe "a l er t-> 1 - . Im' ! 'on . j -be ea n (if il bap] mil- i o he a «a-liing ! day' coin men. i her v.a-him; at ;.(!: aa-i tin- is an Uiil'cet—-ary worry 1 , -be is -o aii xiou - to have n all li nn g j out lo dry Ik bre !he ■ bil-lr-ii ■ oine I 0 ;■«.-( i !-• she t-iuntil' ”’ - i w-'in ring j kill bon h i-i- r ha- t-> -idler, yet nnur hut V. ati-1' will I f' required lor wa-hing- i up Hie dinner things a-ul for i-leeniug j the |;i!i-!i*-!l ami i-eiillery all a I'll -. j Te:l is the next thing lo lie though! ; wa -bed ati-i put lo 1, when. e-perUll■ i |vif ;; is bath uigld . I del. Iy li - lio i No -I e.a-r has - l-o liui -!n-d ibis 1 ban j U-Il II -!;a ltd ' -MOP. r |,a to iel In ii t j .i. ami u h-'-n 11 at o- n\ er. il is ..me- j •r.onng don ■ -.- a:-' to tla- next day | III",!'.' in.-:- I.w lb-- (In,! io . 1 bri rigs. ] Till -. of . ,-iir-o. ti: i >i - a ini’ her big: arc for b"gt Ing Ihe i; - C - ; in lam , wnli -'ll: the n nrk tlier.- i - i o do. a lire must be I enlist ;t lit ly kept going all day. M’hxl a lot oi bill hi r and w orry that i and - how v, a-teiul and ii in oin ion a bio in -umni-.-i- w 1 1 - oi nicah- Imvo lo be l:d;en in tic- ! .11 kin-hen. Wind a boon a ga- -eooi;ing slave , al, re- Would be lo Mich U WOlil.lU ' HoW olli.il" she eon id lied I' r- li aI er all i cook her h llshn n! '- bl'e'i !,i;" si ill the morning ! 'Tig I.- i- oiild !-.- n . ia'ed lo u :-•■ to go -• (as -he ha- io wa-to coal >, . wliile she go.--, oin to do her ordering ] or for any oilier oni ice- : t here j would ire very lit! I" delay when -lie re- j t unu-d over Un- in meiu-emeni of t in-o-.pp-.-r would, on wasiiiug days, soK'W all I- 1 e problel'l- of trig! day, -.rl-.b ! j gone-rally turn the small Imm.■ into i i iiiiniatiuv ini'i-ni.i. So i:tr as daily cuokiilg is .cn/iceinied '■ ju-t tile lit ft) ol a tap. lire s! I'ikiug of i a match, and the eonker can be I ft j lo ii-t-ii hii- i-ne inU-rvais. One, two. ; On' better still, a -i":inmr u-ing <.nly - one ga S ring) can boil at once: bred can lie baked : puddings or pr-iry .in • be done "to a turn" : and, -a ini r i- ’ more, (die stove can Im regale led at I will. 11. added to l Hi-, a small gas lire | were in-talled in the kitelien. the old I fashioned kitchen range could he entirely di-pen-eil with. A working wo man's day is never finished, it is true, but by using gits for cooking, heating, and wau-r-heatiiig', a groat many of hoi worries would disappear. There would ! be lower broken-down mother—‘‘too | old al forty” in a very sad scene —if j sueli ei uiiomioa! and sen.-ible appliances j wire introduced into every ani-an'--home, where every "liand's turn'' lias to be done by tlie "one pair oj hand-.”

2i YEARS’ FAST. LONDON, Feb No food for 2-f years! This is the record set up by Percy. a groat python at the London Zoo, who on Sunday last took hi. hr- t meal since July 1020 ; The Swazi chiefs saw him mi that day, praised him lor his .self-control, and went atvav. Having won royal recognition for his feat. Percy's iron resolution failed him. A dead chicken had been placed in his cage to show the African celebrities that there was no deception, and this Percy enveloped alter their departure. Now that he has .gone to the had, he wilt probably continue to eat. The lirst time lie refused to feed, it

was dismissed ; - an incident. Fasting later hecaiue a habit with him. and iinall.v it va, a mi'vit nearly <■<jiir: 11 in>g

that of the pari pvt lion which went foi tin’s.e .wars without load and then died. Percy is a -}i!eni!id specimen 221 1. long, lie looked well ..perhaps a trifle overt rn im il and haggard—through' nit Ids effort. Fie sum by ever moved., reserving all l:is eiiei gne- ior resisting the temptations of his keepers who. at regular interval-, invited In in to ‘'have a kite.'’

Asked why Percy should have broi on his last a keeper yesterday hazarded tin guess, than "he was fed-up with o.