The Irish standard., 1891-12-05
HOW WOMEN SHOULD TRAVEL
Leave Your Husbands and Brothers IT
Home and Go III Couples

& Home and Go in Couples.
The subject Of travelling in France or
Switzerland or other continental coun-
tries is entertainingly discussed by Mrs.
Fenwick-Miller in one Of the London
periodicals. Beginning with the asser-
ton that two women may travel alone
unattended, she says that everybody
is most kind to English ladies who are
thus journeying, and adds: II cannot
imagine that there should be any diff
Gully in the path of women of ordinary
self-possession and common sense in
travelling alone, provided they can
speak little French, and counsel any
Of my readers who have been waiting
and wishing for years that some broth
er or cousin would convoy them to
throw away fears and plunge forth
alone-that is to say, in that dual COM
pany, which, as the adag1 tells us, is
perfection. On such G journey very
little luggage is essential. Big boxes
are endless worry. A small leather
trunk or large portmanteau suffces.
1t should be big enough to hold a cotton
dress, with an extra blouse or two, say
one thin and one warmer, and dressy
bodice for table d'hote, two complete
changes Of linen (Which is enough for a
long journey, as it can always be
washed at short notice at the hotels),
handkerchiefs, collars, wriving mate
rails, toilet articles, an extra pair Of
walking shoes, slippers and dressing
gown, and few favorite medicines. A
waterproof, a warm mantle and a little
shawl can be carried in strap. Then,
If useful tweed or cloth travelling
dress, light cloak or jacket, and a
straw hat or serviceable bonnet be
worn, the traveller will find herself
amply provided.
Management is another important
point. Either the tour should be COM
pletely planned out before starting,
with the aid of a guide-book, and rigid
ly adhered to; or, what is better, one
person should be allowed to order the
days doings from day to day. Discus
sions and councils are apt to waste time
and end in dissensions. The person
who takes the management, however,
must be unselfish and anxious for her
comrades satisfaction and pleasures;
and the other must cultivate q sweet
and calm temper, paying for her free
dom from responsibility and care by
patience when any little thing goes
wrong, and by pliability of will for the
time being. Given these condition Of
nind-common sense and energy in the
Dne and graciousness in the other, with
afectionate kindness in both--I am con-
vinced that a journey of two friends of
the same sex is likely to be more COM
plete success than that of husband and
wife, or brother and sister. The phys
ical powers and the mental tastes are
more likely to be similar in the former
case Your husband is bored to speech
lessness il you take him for a days
shop-gazing in Paris OF ask him to
spend few hours in the fascinating
ataliers of Redfern or Worth. On the
other hand, you are reduced to misery
in Switzerland by what he considers an
insignificant and wholly delightful
days walking. Your woman friend is
at one with you under both circum-
stances. How often, when we have felt
perfectly happy and satisfied with our
selves and our doings, we have seen and
pitied the bored husband Or exhausted
wife! In short, so far from being inn
possible it is a super-excellent arrange
nnent for two women to take a conti-
mental trim toUether''