THE TURNING WHEEL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 158, 24 September 1927, Page 18 (Supplement)

THE TURNING WHEEL

WOMAN’S BID FOR POWER Civilised man is slipping: from his centuries-old throne of supreme power, and modern woman is confidently tripping into his place. Long ago, when Nature seemed uncertain about the problem of sex. woman ruled, not in the sentimental fashion of “The hand that rocks the cradle” idea, but by sheer physical and mental power—a dominating vitality that gave her the unquestioned right to choose and control her mate. There are signs in plenty to-day that not only is woman disputing man's supremacy, but she is slowly but surely winning pride of place. And nature is responding as ever to the call of the strong. Men are growing shorter, women are growing taller. The physical balance between man and woman is being rapidly readjusted. While the best men athletes can certainly defeat the best women athletes —at present—there are many phases of sport in which women concede nothing to men in average athletic ability. When man loses his muscular supremacy, the last prop of his throne will have gone, for; mentally, woman is already admitted to be at least his equ&l.

The time-worn gibe that women could never prevail because they could not invent, and therefore could not progress without man’s aid, has lost its force now that woman’s increased opportunities in science and research have challenged its truth. The later years of the war proved that in controlling and directing this mechanical and highly specialised age, Jill was as good as Jack. Man is growing more effeminate, women are becoming more masculine —that is to say, women are again becoming the more vital sex. The modern young man reveals in his fashions, his pursuits and his ambitions the sign of a changing era. With the logical development of that change, women will be stronger, not only in numbers but in power. The wheel will have turned.

"Whether or not the passing of the sceptre from man to woman will be a change for the better, none living today can say with conviction, for owing to the swift, disturbing succession of almost miraculous discoveries and inventions, social life is changing like the confusing fabric of a fantastic dream.

One thing only is certain: nature is on the side of the strong, and if and when women are strong enough to supersede men in the scheme of things, they will be strong enough to rule the new world they have largely made. For it will be a new world that our grandchildren will see; a world very different from the world of to-day. Scientifically it will resemble the Utopia of Bellamy’s “Looking Backward.” Will it be a better world? The last word, as usual, Is with the woman. MRS. PEPY’S DIARY MONDAY.—Here do write two useful hints sent to me by Mr. Pepys’s Aunt Lettice. The one a way to recurl a feather boa after damp, they being now fashionable again. That is to rub a good handful of salt into the boa, to shake it well and to hold before a bright fire or gas stove, but not too near, until it be quite dry. The other hint concerns white furs an-d the cleaning of them, and this to be accomplished , by rubbing into them plaster of paris. After doing this you must beat them well and the result to please you mightily, as I understand. TUESDAY.—My maid Jane coming to me in a great tosse how she ha.th found ants in the pantry in great number, do insist that she turn it out at once, scrubbing all woodwork, etc., with hot, soapy water; then to rub all over with a paraffin rag. Also do bid her to pour boiling water down all cracks from which they do seem to emerge; and. this to continue to do daily until the pest be abated. All this she doth promise me to do, with great earnestness, and I pray God she keeps her word. WEDNESDAY.—For our supper this night do decide upon a dish of lamb’s liver and bacon, and for making the best of it do mix together 1 tablespoonful of flour with a little salt and pepper, then to cut up the liver in thin slices and to dip it into the seasoned flour. Next to fry, with care, Jib. of thin rashers of fat bacon and to keep it hot; then to fry the liver in the fat of the bacon until it be nicely browned on both sides, when you may place the slices of liver and the bacon alternately upon a very hot dish. After this must you drain off the fat from your pan, and mix a teaspoonful of flour with 1 tablespoonful of ketchup, mushroom or tomato, as you wish, and add thereto 1 gill of stock. Pour all into the pan and stir Until boiled for two or three minutes. Strain this gravy over the liver and send to the table garnished with parsley and cut lemon.. THURSDAY.—Mr. Pepys’s Aunt Lettice to lunch with me this day, and. so do decide upon a sponge tart for a sweet at that meal, the way to make it to line and the sides of a pie-dish with a short crust, to spread a thick layer of apricot jam at the bottom of your dish, and on the top to put a layer of sponge fingers. Now to dissolve }oz. of butter in a small saucepan and. to stir into it Joz. of flour; add thereto J pint of milk and stir until it boils, and is of the thickness of cream; then let it cool a little and sweeten the flavour to your taste when you may add with care the yolks of 2 eggs. Pour this mixture upon the sponge fingers and bake your tart for 3.5 minutes in a moderate oven. Beat up the whites of your eggs very stiffly, pile on the top, and return to your oven for a few minutes only till it is of a pretty brown. FRIDAY.—For sending to my good gossip. Mistress Bassett for her use next season, do write out a very welltried family recipe for making fruit jelly, and this to be made of any mixed fruits to hand—loganberries, raspberries, currants and so forth, or if you would make it of blackberries, that were not amiss. Dissolve, then, 2Joz. of tartaric acid in 1 quart of cold water. Pour this over 51b. of fruit, mixed is best, and let it stand for 24 hours. Then strain it, but have a care that you do not bruise the fruit. To each pint of your clear liquor add ljlb. -of powdered sugar, stir well and when the sugar be quite dissolved botule in pint bottles. This I think an idea worthy to be copied by any who expect to have fruit in their gardens. SATURDAY.—Expecting of Mistress Town© and her husband to drink a dish of tea with us upon the Lord's Day, the last time before their departure upon their holidays, do make some cakes called orange crescents, lately discovered at my reading. For them to take of flour |lb. and of rice flour 1 dessertspoonful, and mix together; add a pinch of salt and sift well. Now to stir in 2oz. of castor-sugar and the grated rind of half an orange. Rub in next soz. of butter and knead into an even dough. Next roll out your dough and cut into crescents with a cutter, and bake in your oven until they are of a pretty, deep creamy colour. When your crescents be cold join them in pairs with a little of the jelly part of -orange marmalade. For icing of them rub jib. of icing sugar through a. very fine sieve and mix to a thick cream with orange juice, strained. If you will coat them with this mixture and decorate with pieces of glace orange, I will promise you having now tried them, sweet cakes of which none need be ashamed.