the angel and the author-第15节

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modification；　the　law　of　the　slum。　　But　in　upper　and　middle…class　
circles　the　man　is　now　the　woman's　servant。

I　remember　being　present　while　a　mother　of　my　acquaintance　was　
instilling　into　the　mind　of　her　little　son　the　advantages　of　being　
born　a　man。　　A　little　girl　cousin　was　about　to　spend　a　week　with　him。　　
It　was　impressed　upon　him　that　if　she　showed　a　liking　for　any　of　his　
toys；　he　was　at　once　to　give　them　up　to　her。

〃But　why；　mamma？〃　he　demanded；　evidently　surprised。

〃Because；　my　dear；　you　are　a　little　man。〃

Should　she　break　them；　he　was　not　to　smack　her　head　or　kick　heras　
his　instinct　might　prompt　him　to　do。　　He　was　just　to　say：

〃Oh；　it　is　of　no　consequence　at　all；〃　and　to　look　as　if　he　meant　it。

＇Doctor　says　she　is　not　to　be　bothered。＇

She　was　always　to　choose　the　gameto　have　the　biggest　apple。　　There　
was　much　more　of　a　similar　nature。　　It　was　all　because　he　was　a　
little　man　and　she　was　a　little　woman。　　At　the　end　he　looked　up；　
puzzled：

〃But　don't　she　do　anything；　'cos　she's　a　little　girl？〃

It　was　explained　to　him　that　she　didn't。　　By　right　of　being　born　a　
little　girl　she　was　exempt　from　all　duty。

Woman　nowadays　is　not　taking　any　duty。　　She　objects　to　housekeeping；　
she　calls　it　domestic　slavery；　and　feels　she　was　intended　for　higher　
things。　　What　higher　things　she　does　not　condescend　to　explain。　　One　
or　two　wives　of　my　acquaintance　have　persuaded　their　husbands　that　
these　higher　things　are　all…important。　　The　home　has　been　given　up。　　
In　company　with　other　strivers　after　higher　things；　they　live　now　in　
dismal　barracks　differing　but　little　from　a　glorified　Bloomsbury　
lodging…house。　　But　they　call　them　〃Mansions〃　or　〃Courts；〃　and　seem　
proud　of　the　address。　　They　are　not　bothered　with　servantswith　
housekeeping。　　The　idea　of　the　modern　woman　is　that　she　is　not　to　be　
bothered　with　anything。　　I　remember　the　words　with　which　one　of　these　
ladies　announced　her　departure　from　her　bothering　home。

〃Oh；　well；　I'm　tired　of　trouble；〃　she　confided　to　another　lady；　〃so　
I've　made　up　my　mind　not　to　have　any　more　of　it。〃

Artemus　Ward　tells　us　of　a　man　who　had　been　in　prison　for　twenty　
years。　　Suddenly　a　bright　idea　occurred　to　him；　he　opened　the　window　
and　got　out。　　Here　have　we　poor；　foolish　mortals　been　imprisoned　in　
this　troublesome　world　for　Lord　knows　how　many　millions　of　years。　　We　
have　got　so　used　to　trouble　we　thought　there　was　no　help　for　it。　　We　
have　told　ourselves　that　〃Man　is　born　to　trouble　as　the　sparks　fly　
upwards。〃　　We　imagined　the　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　bear　it　
philosophically。　　Why　did　not　this　bright　young　creature　come　along　
beforeshow　us　the　way　out。　　All　we　had　to　do　was　to　give　up　the　
bothering　home　and　the　bothering　servants；　and　go　into　a　〃Mansion〃　or　
a　〃Court。〃

It　seems　that　you　leave　trouble　outsidein　charge　of　the　hall…
porter；　one　supposes。　　He　ties　it　up　for　you　as　the　Commissionaire　of　
the　Army　and　Navy　Stores　ties　up　your　dog。　　If　you　want　it　again；　you　
ask　for　it　as　you　come　out。　　Small　wonder　that　the　〃Court〃　and　
〃Mansion〃　are　growing　in　popularity　every　day。

＇That　〃Higher　Life。〃＇

They　have　nothing　to　do　now　all　day　long；　these　soaring　wives　of　whom　
I　am　speaking。　　They　would　scorn　to　sew　on　a　shirt…button　even。　　Are　
there　not　other　womenof　an　inferior　breedspecially　fashioned　by　
Providence　for　the　doing　of　such　slavish　tasks？　　They　have　no　more　
bothers　of　any　kind。　　They　are　free　to　lead　the　higher　life。　　What　I　
am　waiting　for　is　a　glimpse　of　the　higher　life。　　One　of　them；　it　is　
true；　has　taken　up　the　violin。　　Another　of　them　is　devoting　her　
emancipation　to　poker　work。　　A　third　is　learning　skirt…dancing。　　Are　
these　the　〃higher　things〃　for　which　women　are　claiming　freedom　from　
all　duty？　　And；　if　so；　is　there　not　danger　that　the　closing　of　our　
homes　may　lead　to　the　crowding　up　of　the　world　with　too　much　higher　
things？

May　there　not；　by　the　time　all　bothers　have　been　removed　from　woman's　
path；　be　too　many　amateur　violinists　in　the　world；　too　many　skirt…
dancers；　too　much　poker　work？　　If　not；　what　are　they？　these　〃higher　
things；〃　for　which　so　many　women　are　demanding　twenty…four　hours　a　
day　leisure。　　I　want　to　know。

One　lady　of　my　acquaintance　is　a　Poor　Law　Guardian　and　secretary　to　a　
labour　bureau。　　But　then　she　runs　a　house　with　two　servants；　four　
children；　and　a　husband；　and　appears　to　be　so　used　to　bothers　that　
she　would　feel　herself　lost　without　them。　　You　can　do　this　kind　of　
work　apparently　even　when　you　are　bothered　with　a　home。　　It　is　the　
skirt…dancing　and　the　poker　work　that　cannot　brook　rivalry。　　The　
modern　woman　has　begun　to　find　children　a　nuisance；　they　interfere　
with　her　development。　　The　mere　man；　who　has　written　his　poems；　
painted　his　pictures；　composed　his　melodies；　fashioned　his　
philosophies；　in　the　midst　of　life's　troubles　and　bothers；　grows　
nervous　thinking　what　this　new　woman　must　be　whose　mind　is　so　
tremendous　that　the　whole　world　must　be　shut　up；　so　to　speak；　sent　to　
do　its　business　out　of　her　sight　and　hearing；　lest　her　attention　
should　be　distracted。

An　optimistic　friend　of　mine　tells　me　not　to　worry　myself；　tells　me　
that　it　is　going　to　come　out　all　right　in　the　end。　　Woman　just　now；　
he　contends；　is　passing　through　her　college　period。　　The　school　life　
of　strict　surveillance　is　for　ever　done　with。　　She　is　now　the　young　
Freshwoman。　　The　bothering　lessons　are　over；　the　bothering　
schoolmaster　she　has　said　good…bye　to。　　She　has　her　latchkey　and　is　
〃on　her　own。〃　　There　are　still　some　bothering　rules　about　being　in　at　
twelve　o'clock；　and　so　many　attendances　each　term　at　chapel。　　She　is　
indignant。　　This　interferes　with　her　idea　that　life　is　to　be　one　long　
orgie　of　self…indulgence；　of　pleasure。　　The　college　period　will　pass…
…is　passing。　　Woman　will　go　out　into　the　world；　take　her　place　there；　
discover　that　bothers　were　not　left　behind　in　the　old　schoolhouse；　
will　learn　that　life　has　duties；　responsibilities；　will　take　up　her　
burden　side　by　side　with　man；　will　accomplish　her　destiny。

＇Is　there　anything　left　for　her　to　learn？＇

Meanwhile；　however；　she　is　having　a　good　timesome　people　think　too　
good　a　time。　　She　wants　the　best　of　both。　　She　demands　the　joys　of　
independence　together　with　freedom　from　all　workslavery　she　calls　
it。　　The　servants　are　not　to　be　allowed　to　bother　her；　the　children　
are　not　to　be　allowed　to　bother　her；　her　husband　is　not　to　be　allowed　
to　bother　her。　　She　is　to　be　free　to　lead　the　higher　life。　　My　dear　
lady；　we　all　want　to　lead　the　higher　life。　　I　don't　want　to　write　
these　articles。　　I　want　somebody　else　to　bother　about　my　rates　and　
taxes；　my　children's　boots；　while　I　sit　in　an　easy…chair　and　dream　
about　the　wonderful　books　I　am　going　to　write；　if　only　a　stupid　
public　would　let　me。　　Tommy　Smith　of　Brixton　feels　that　he　was　
intended　for　higher　things。　　He　does　not　want　to　be　wasting　his　time　
in　an　office　from　nine　to　six　adding　up　figures。　　His　proper　place　in　
life　is　that　of　Prime　Minister　or　Field　Marshal：　　he　feels　it。　　Do　
you　think　the　man　has　no　yearning　for　higher　things？　　Do　you　think　we　
like　the　office；　the　shop；　the　factory？　　We　ought　to　be　writing　
poetry；　painting　pictures；　the　whole　world　admiring　us。　　You　seem　to　
imagine　your　man　goes　off　every　morning　to　a　sort　of　City　picnic；　has　
eight　hours'　funwhich　he　calls　workand　then　comes　home　to　annoy　
you　with　chatter　about　dinner。

It　is　the　old　fable　reversed；　man　said　woman　had　nothing　to　do　all　
day　but　to　enjoy　herself。　　Making　a　potato　pie！　　What　sort　of　work　
was　that？　　Making　a　potato　pie　was　a　lark；　anybody　could　make　a　
potato　pie。

So　the　woman　said；　〃Try　it；〃　and　took　the　man's　spade　and　went　out　
into　the　field；　and　left　him　at　home　to　make　that　pie。

The　man　discovered　that　potato　pies　took　a　bit　more　making　than　he　
had　reckonedfound　that　running　the　house　and　looking　after　the　
children　was　not　quite　the　merry　pastime　he　had　argued。　　Man　was　a　
fool。

Now　it　is　the　woman　who　talks　without　thinking。　　How　did　she　like　
hoeing　the　potato　patch？　　Hard　work；　was　it　not；　my　dear　lady？　　Made　
your　back　ache？　　It　came　on　to　rain　and　you　got　wet。

I　don't　see　that　it　very　much　matters　which　of　you　hoes　the　potato　
patch；　which　of　you　makes　the　potato　pie。　　Maybe　the　hoeing　of　the　
patch　demands　more　muscleis　more　suited　to　the　man。　　Maybe　the　
making　of　the　pie　may　be　more　in　your　department。　　But；　as　I　have　
said；　I　cannot　see　that　this　matter　is　of　importance。　　The　patch　has　
to　be　hoed；　the　pie　to　be　cooked；　the　one　cannot　do　the　both。　　Settle　
it　between　you；　and；　having　settled　it；　agree　to　do　each　your　own　
work　free　from　this　everlasting　nagging。

I　know；　personally；　three　ladies　who　have　exchanged　the　woman's　work　
for　the　man's。　　One　was　deserted　by　her　husband；　and　left　with　two　
young　children。　　She　hired　a　capable　woman　to　look　after　the　house；　
and　joined　a　ladies'　orchestra　as　pianist　at　two　pounds　a　week。　　She　
now　earns　four；　and　works　twelve　hours　a　day。　　The　husband　of　the　
second　fell　ill。　　She　set　him　to　write　letters　and　run　errands；　which　
was　light　work　that　he　could　do；　and　started　a　dressmaker's　business。　　
The　thi