Let us, at the outset of our adversity, meet our altered circumstances
with the strength of mind and wisdom befitting English people. Although
wealth may be taken from us, we have our education and energy left,
which, if properly used, will not allow us to sink into a lower
condition than we have hitherto enjoyed; and while we hold our ground
we shall strengthen our health, develop our ability, and increase our
happiness.
Let us, the women of England, encourage and support the men in an
endeavour to return to simplicity of life, to a more manly condition;
call it Spartan, Roman, republican, what you will, it is, in fact, the
training of soul and body. We have had a long holiday; let us return to
school with renewed vigour. We women have been much to blame for the
degeneracy which has been felt of late. If men trifle away their time
and health upon tobacco, women are foolishly helpless, and they permit
their dependents to be wantonly wasteful. Both men and women pass the
best hours of daylight in their beds, and make their meals the
important event of their days.
Englishmen abroad do not mind work--indeed, they may be said to love
it--and never since the days of Drake have they felt it to be a
degradation. He said "he would like to see the gentleman that would not
set his hand to a rope and hale and draw with the mariners;" and herein
the English differ from continental nations. But in England they let
their love of bodily exertion have its scope almost exclusively in
their games. Nor do Englishwomen in the Colonies shrink from work, and
they are never in the least ashamed of it. You hear them talk quite
freely of how Colonel So-and-so called in the morning while they were
"stuffing the veal," to ask for the two first dances at the ball at
Government House in the evening.
It seems to be only in England that we dread to be seen doing anything
useful. And unless we soon cast off this fear we shall be condemned to
the deadly-liveliness of Hotel Companies (Limited), with their
uninteresting routine; for the supply of servants not being forthcoming
at our price, we must of necessity be reduced to this levelling
American system, which will flatten all individuality out of us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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