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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 9 (December 1, 1936)

A Plea for Mothers

A Plea for Mothers.

Occasionally, especially at Christmas time, I am overcome with amazement at the emancipation of women. How did they do it? Politically they are free. More and more the law courts are recognising the rights of woman in marriage and imperceptibly increasing the liabilites of man. Economically, in theory at least, women have equal rights in the wage field, the right to compete for the same jobs and the same wages. How did they do it?

* * *

As I said, it is particularly at Christmas time that I wonder. All down our street, and probably down your street, every two houses out of three are full of the activities of women who do not care a fig for the great onward march of their sex, the vote, the political vagaries of the country, or the basic wage, except in so far as it may effect the summer holiday for the children or the summer weight suit for the wage-earner. The making of the Christmas puddings early, the stitching of little print frocks for Mary and new pants and shirts for Bill, baking for the holiday season, all added to the usual daily tasks of cleaning and food-preparing, occupy her time, her energy and her thoughts.

* * *

How did they do it? As so often in history, a minority movement rose and fell and rose again, and with the added impetus given to it by the need for women workers in a European war, swept back, appreciably the barriers of custom. After the necessary adjustment of post-war years most women settled down, with a little extra elbow-room, to their activities, the admirable activities of home-making and child-rearing. So well they do it, too, as may be judged by the cheerful husbands, and clean, sturdy children.

* * *

Women are wonderful. They submerge themselves, the careers they might have had, the books they might have written, the causes they might have led, in a round of little tasks and long planning. They live in others, in what their husbands care to share of their lives, and more, in the wonderful futures of their children. And who shall say they are wrong? Even the most ardent feminist, the most advanced writer on human relationships, haloes the word “mother” at least in his or her own case.

At Christmas time, when the “mother” spirit works overtime, I would put in a plea, that every one, especially husbands and children who are, or are almost, grown-up, should endeavour to obtain for the mother that which she will not grasp for herself, that little leisure which is essential to the individual self which must not be allowed to be swamped by the “mother” self.