The sun., 1904-12-02
An English woman, Point Of View.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-sfr: You have
given an American woman's view OF the English
husband at home. Let me give my experience OF
the English husband as have known him.
! hardly think the English wife OF Member or
Parliament is quite such q slave as the one she met
] have never heard OF q woman who carried her
chamols cloth 70 wipe her husband Q boots nor have
| known a woman In public TO brush her husbands
trousers, whatever she may do in private. One
might often help ones husband on with his coat
and that sort Of thing. as one does not mind what
one does for the person one loves without neces-
sarily lessening ones dignity. ] should hardly
think tina, the wife OF a Member Of Parliament
would have found 1t necessary TO carry her hus-
bands coat from the train 10 the boat, providing
she could not afford TO keep maid The railway
pouers usually carry ones luggage.
Surely this lady cannot have met many English
gentlemen, especially some OF the husbands OF
American wives. ! remember being al the theatre
one night In London. sitting next 10 the Duchess
OF Marlborough. who was with her husband and
Mr. Winston Churchill. When the performance
was finished could not help admlrlng the manner
In which the Duke OF Marlborough arranged and
fastened his wife's cloak: and the smile she gave him
In return beled the American womans assertions
OF servl,y the part Of the British matron to her
husband have seen many Instances OF the cour-
tesy OF an English husband toward his wife. OF
course, we have some black sheep; but u Is hardly
fair TO class a nation by the faults OF few
This American woman tells OF an army man who
takes his wife fishing and leaves her in the wet and
cold without the slightest consideration. Now
trout fishing In England and Scotland Is from May
until August; and Our climate Is so erratic and the
rain In summer soft that we English women do
not mind fishing In the rain, especially as the sh
bite better when Il rains, and We rarely talk TO each
other II Is not wise 10 stand too near together II
there Is hotel near we have lunch sent out TO u.s.
but II not we take sandwiches with US and procure
a cup OF tea from farmhouse or cottage. have
hshed most rivers In England and many In Scotland
and ireland, but have never gone out as late ss
40 O'Clock. We always leave very carly In the
morning 10 nsh.
OF the English boys. she says THAI they are diff.
ferently educated from girls and taught 10 be very
selfish and self seeking. The reason Of the differ
ence OF education In England Is that II Is only within
the last ten or fifteen years that English women
have become self'supportug. with the exception OF
the domestic servants and factory girls; conse.
qucntly women did not need the same education as
men. But. with so many intermarriages Of late
years we are learning fast TO make ourselves moro
assertlve on the same plan as our American
cousins, who as matter OF fact are spoiled.
Has your correspondent been 70 any OF our public
schools on Sports Day or Cricket Day and noticed
how deferentially boy behaves toward his mother
and sisters and how proud Of showing them OF
TO his school fellows he ist Should one enter into
conversation with boy. how respectfully he VIII
speak OF his parents can hardly believe 1t pos
sble that the majority Of boys treat their parents
40 rudely as the boy OF whom your correspondent
writes OF that they are selhsh. II there such
boys ! am glad have not met them.
She goes on TO tell OF having met the family Of
General OF which the wife had been left widow with
one son and three daughters. The daughter she
says were poorly and shabblly dressed, and their
undercio,hcs were coarse. This must be an Isolated
case for In England pretty underwear u so cheap
nowadays that even poorly supplied purse could
Afford 70 buy It, Moreover most girls are taught
needlework In their curriculum so would naturally
be able 70 make their clothes presentAble.
hs English arstOCfacy Ia Kent bY the estate