WOMEN URGED TO BE WOMEN AGAIN

Shannon News, 4 December 1928, Page 4

WOMEN URGED TO BE WOMEN AGAIN

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE ROMANCE

The outstanding note of the great fashion exhibition at Olympia was its feminity. Gowns for all occasions showed a return to womanly garb, me “boyish” figure, it is predicted will soon be out-moded. > lu. this article in the ‘Sunday Chron- ’ Madame Galli-Curci says it is now time that woman herself should cease to emulate man:— / I think the modern woman is mak-

ing a mistake in her clamour for sex equality, -partly because her sex Inequality ih the past has ‘erred so greatly in favour of woman, There is such a thing as paying too highly for anything. The loss of woman’s feminity and the loss of man's chivalry—- . these things are of great price. What does she gain? Woman has been able to get what she really wanted in life, pot by demanding it as a right, but by using her power of charm and cajolery. She has won her victories in that way, and they were • none ■ the less real because the man enjoyed being defeated. She left the conquered man her friend. Making an Enemy. If she continues to storm and de- ' mand she will also get what she wants but it will be yielded to her for tho soke of peace and in impatience. She will leave behind her not a friend, but an enemy. Net content iwith her power in her own sphere woman has given way to a ciaza for invading man’s world. I think it is due to that old superstition that man’ has had the best of the bargain in life. , , Aa a matter of faet God was far more generous to woman than to man, but you cannot expect her to believe that without'finding out. This experiment of modernistn—the boyish woman . whom France has christened la garconne—was inevitable, for nothing can be gained except through experience. I am only afraid that woman will not see what she is losing until too late. Copying Men. I know my ideas sound old-fashioned , H these times. Yet the pendulum is already swinging back. The modern woman, though she has

many' admirable qualities, is doirij / i something that is net womanish, and in doing so she is sacrificing bit by bit 1 all her feminity. To become a bad imitation of a man is neither'original nor clover. To do the things, men do just for the sake of showing we can dq them, is; so foolish when we have a job of our own that no one but woman can possibly do, either well or badly. N Even if woman’s mission in life were only to supply its decorative side,-its romance and savour—its sense of humour, too (for it takes a lot of humour ,to put up with a man) —would that be such a little, such a negligible part in the scheme of things? And thjrt i* only one side of her mission. Yet she runs after other things; she cries that she wants to do some “real work” in the world. Her Big Job. , Woman’s sphere is the home. If she does not occupy herself with it, who is capable of taking her place? Once she begins to neglect the home she is doing something that is antisocial and itaught with peril for mankind. No one but a woman can make a home, aul the home is the backbone of the nation. Men need it, children need it, woman herself needs it. Tho whole world today needs it, and „is beginning to suffer from the lack "of it.

-Boct-ies, home offers a woman far more power than she could acquire any* where else. There is no end to that , power.

The modern girl talks- about being independent, but really there is no such , thing as There is only partial independence-on the material side. I think it an excellent thing , th*t a woman should be able to support herself. I also think it Bplcndid that when necessary she should help 'support her fanvlv. biv. real independence does not exist. I think it would be a terrible thing if it did. Dependence is beautiful and the greatest moral, force in the world. If w r e were all much more aware of our independence, spiritually, mentally, and i morally on .others there would be less crime and certainly less work for the divorce court. i / Perhaps .if -we .could cultivate a world-wide consciousness of international dependence there would be no more war. .No individual, least of all a woman, on whom so many people depend, can. be utterly independent.

Discarding Myateny.

The modern girl discards the veil ' that has made woman, mysterious and stimulating through the ages.. She has j como down to meet man on his own ~ level. In business she is a rival, in V ( pleasure a paly and all the timrf an open book to him. It is an attitude that destroys chivalry in man. The loss of the chivalrous instinct is something I cannot bear to contbmr ‘ plate., I would rather be helped down from myr motor car and have •nien spring up to offer me a chair than be modern. When woman is such an open book : to man romance dies. Perhaps the . ,' modern woman , has no use for romance. ’ . 'She prefers* "palship,” which is prob- • -ably mpre comfortable. Most very fa practical things are comfortable—and not beautiful. But beauty is much Ufa V.- better. Are we to make love on a ;,fa cold business basis? That is what ( will happen unless woman steps up to ■ her pedestal again and drops' her manaishness. ' Killed Romance, fa '’ - This mannishness jtiUs romance. It

kills other things as well-~*art, poetry, and magic, far where: there is no roh. wance there is m inspiration. Art isr

a plant that needs love- —by that I mean romance. Without it art will not bloom.

The modern girl sometimes makes me think of a bottle of exotic perfume that is open. The scent sproads, a little here, a little there, and —Evaporates. Soon there is none left. Why not keep that store of sweetness wider close seal until the right time and the right and fine and womanly job comes on which tfi pour it out?

To dress well I believe to be a woman's duty. And by that I do not mean to dress expensively. There Is a “well'* for all purses. I do not like the modern styles that reflect so faithfully the tendency of the modern girl with their straight mannish lines. Why can’t we be feminine and be satisfied to be it? There is notWng else that we can do so well.