" A LADY'S COMPANION."

Waikato Argus, Volume X, Issue 913, 27 March 1901, Page 2

" A LADY'S COMPANION."

TO nil! KPITOK. Silt,—A few days ago a paragraph appealed in Thb Anct'S stating that a lady teacher had received from her former pupils a present of a " Ladies' Companion" with a silver thimble, scissors, and all the et ceteraa usually accompanying such articles with a friendly letter from the children. Strange to say, the lady returned it to the children remarking "that such things were useless to her, but she would like a brooch or ring instead." J-n tus hope the teacher regrets that she returned the ladi'-s' companion. No doubt the children weie veiy much disappointed and expected and deserved a w;.rm letter of thanks for their kindness and pood feeling. I should like to say that 1 fear the public school system is greatly to blame fur the above unfortunate incident, p. clearly shows that the children .ire not taught useful occupations as they certainly ought to be, and hence it is no wonder tint some young men are very slow i" taking a wife, for what is the use of j girl learning the names of the cities of Hindost-ui or Afghanistan if she cannot I oil a potato properly. What will it profit her to work out a sum in vulgar fractions if she is ignorant of the use of a thimble. When I was a girl I remember learning some verges about ''Choosing a wife l;y cheese' 1 thus: A young man frequently visited the home of a neighbour who had three very nica daughters. The young fellow wished to marrv one of the.n, but was unable to decide which to select. One evening he was invited to supper, and following ihe custom at that time they all partook of cheese. One of the daughters ate her cheese with the rind on, the second cut oil' her rind, the third scraped hers before eating, 'the young nuin coneluded the first was dirty, the second wasteful, but the third, lie vowed was careful, and he married her.

There is another story in the old school hooks after this fashion, hut said to ha true: " CJnco upon ;i time u young colonial gentleman used to visit u neighbouring settler who had three charming daughtcis. For i Lone time he hesitated, and could not make up hi.s mind which he liked the host. It, however, chanced that one day he was riding to the house, and on his way he was caught by a branch of a tree, which tore a hole in lus coat. On his arrival he explained ond apologised to the ladies for the condition of his garment. Whereupon the first young lady expressed her deep sympathy, and offered to send for the tailor; the second expressed her willingness to try and mend the hole, and went to various parts of the house in search of a needle and thread ; the third took her ' Indies' companion ' out of her pocket, and before her sisters had returned she had neatly repaired the damaged coat. The young gentleman kissed her warmly, and made her his wife." The history and full-length portrait of such a woman is found in the Bible, the last chapter of the hook of Proverbs, beginning at the 10th verse.— I am yours, etc., (Mks) Hannah M. Adams. Waterside, Cambridge, N.Z., March 2(ith, 1901.