moments in crushing every troublesome symptom of individuality, nor in flat-ironing the surface creases that may from time to time appear. She will be slow to blame and quick to praise. A saving sense of humour, if the gods have smiled at her birth, will help her greatly, for we do not for a moment pretend that this will be the happiest or most careless period of the mother's reign. But if she has made a friend of her girl in childhood—and it is vain to think this can be done later on-nothing will really come between them. Yet, after all, in any collision between them, her suffering is a hundred times acuter than that of her daughter, for, unfortunately, women are addicted to feeling more and not less as they grow older, and if, as has been well said, in every contest only one of the combatants is booted and spurred, it must be admitted that more often than not these advantages remain with the daughter.

Once, a mother, Celtic and nervous edged, suffering from friction with her elder daughter, Saxon and stolid, addressed herself in her tribulation to the sage of the household, who happened in this instance to be its youngest member, aged fourteen. Mother,' said the child, after listening sympathetically to the plaint, do you think you love Mary quite enough? She needs loving.' Thus out of the mouth of the babe and suckling dropped the word of truth which furnishes a key to part, though by no means to the whole, of the situation.

So much for the lighter aspects; when we come to the other and graver side, it is, we fear, a serious indictment that many mothers have to meet. We would ask them what have been the methods they have chosen by which to rear and train their difficult young? How much personal time, personal influence, and personal effort have they expended on the task during the critical years which lie between ten and seventeen—the only moulding time in a girl's life? Would thirty hours a week cover it? Would twenty? Would ten? Have they not rather-we write of the majority-selected from the very moment of birth the very best outside help they could obtain, beginning with the certificated wet-nurse and ending with the diplomaed lady who, for a hundred a year, undertakes the herculean task of administering tongues and social wisdom in equal doses to her charges, the mothers themselves falling the while into the sin that most easily besets them-namely, that of overlooking the work instead of bearing a hand in it?

When, if ever, did real friendship between them and their daughters begin? What are the guiding principles of conduct they have been careful to instil—no, to get instilled-into them during the few years when alone the process is easy of accomplishment? And, lastly, in every conflict of opinion that may have arisen since, what has been the true motive at the back which underlies their disapprobation and commands both the quantity and the quality of their frowns?

The moment has come for the secrets of the maternal heart to be

disclosed. Is it not true that the marriage 'ring' is the governing authority which the mothers acknowledge and obey, although not for a moment will they admit it? The things that make or mar We believe that a girl's chances there are the mother's realities. the mother we describe would prefer her daughter to steal spoons (she would carefully return them next morning) to her committing any social misdemeanour, of no moment whatever, which should militate against these chances. To take an example. A girl wants exceedingly to hear Chevalier sing. This innocent desire can only, we will suppose, be gratified by a visit to a music-hall in charge of a brother. Now music-halls are not 'nice' places-a nice girl, i.e. a promising candidate in the marriage market, must on no account be seen in one. The domestic fiat is pronounced; the girl rages inwardly over the shams that govern her life. There is her sister, only a year or two older, who married but a few months ago—she is free to visit a music-hall with her husband and friends. 'Where is truth?' cries the girl.

When it comes to actual marriage—we feel we are here on very delicate ground, but forward we must go-the mother we describe makes but one inquiry, after ways and means are satisfactorily established. Is the man free now from entanglements of any kind, and can he be depended upon to remain so? Of the girl's passionate ideals, of her hot burning heart, of the purity she brings as a flame to the altar-for, in spite of the sound of laughter in the air, we maintain that to many a girl marriage is still a sacrament-the mother recks not at all. Her knowledge of the world' enables her to assure her daughter that Mr. Jones will make a good and "dependable" husband.' Is it too much to say that many mothers would be exceedingly shocked if their daughter came to them saying she would like to be assured that the man she was about to marry had no past' to bury? And yet here the girl's instinct is surely a right one, for if the 'burying of the past' means the putting aside a woman who has faithfully filled the place of wife and mother for many years, that girl is not far wrong who feels that, under these conditions, she is after all but the lawful mistress, the other remaining the unlawful wife. Not so very long ago a mother anxious to secure the best parti of many seasons achieved at last this signal triumph, and bore him triumphantly away for her daughter from a horde of angry rivals. At the close of the interview which took place between her gratified self and the half-indifferent son-in-law-to-be he remarked carelessly, 'Well, you had better take's,' mentioning the name of a legal expert, opinion as to whether I am free or not,' which the lady did, her daughter lending no unwilling hand. Together they sought the gentleman of the long robe, and being satisfied that the thing was sufficiently' safe,' the wedding came off. (Admission to the church was by ticket only, lest unwelcome and

uninvited guests should present themselves.) It is almost a satisfaction to remember that the last stage of that marriage was even worse than the first. Repulsive as this story is, it is true.

Not a little curious is it that the mothers who so carefully shield their daughters from the faintest breath of adverse criticism before marriage appear to be absolutely indifferent to what is said openly of these same daughters when marriage has set them free. Is this a reality, or is it a monstrous unreality, leading to every kind of social hypocrisy? On all sides we are told that society, both at the top and at the bottom, is rotten to its core. These are the factors that go to produce such rottenness. It has been suggested that nothing but a clean sweep of it can purify the stable, and that a boat should be started, say, every Wednesday morning from Tilbury Dock, bearing one week its load of West-End loungers, and the next a like load of East-End loafers, the cargo to be discharged in mid-ocean. So would the 'impossible' elements of our civilisation be happily disposed of, 'scum' and' dregs' alike, and the way at last left clear for the onward march of the resolute and the purposeful of all classes. Over-population being the problem of the hour, this experiment might be worth the trying.

own.

Salvation comes from within always and everywhere. Since the capitalists have failed them, the operatives must work out their Then perhaps shall we have the woman of to-morrow, pure of heart and fearless of speech, who demands of herself and of every one else, not a flimsy and superficial correctness,' but that inward sincerity which enables her both to say and to hear, 'I have erred," with equanimity. Of this woman it will truly be said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for God-like possibilities will be plain to her clear vision, not only in the suffering pavement-dweller, but, far harder still, in the lady of high place, set with every outward circumstance of prosperity, who decorates herself with lovers as lightly as with the diamonds in her hair.

We are told that, in view of the threatened Union of Daughters,' 'mothers' meetings' will shortly be organised not only in Mayfair and Belgravia, but throughout the provinces. We should like to suggest the following as test questions to be set at each meeting. On their right answering would, to our mind, depend the placing of each individual mother on the alternative 'wise' or 'foolish' list.

(1) Give an example of a possible difference of opinion between mother and daughter, and state the line of least resistance you would be prepared to adopt.

(2) If your daughter, turned twenty years of age, should desire to pursue an acquaintance which you, from instinctive or sentimental reasons (reasons which might be absolutely just), did not consider a valuable one for her, would you, or would you not, make it difficult for her to try its value for herself?

But all these well-meant efforts may fail, and, as in other strikes, a Board of Conciliation may be the only way of meeting the difficulty. Delegates from both camps will doubtless be eager to attend. But where is the President to come from who will be acceptable to both camps? Would Mr. Gladstone crown the glories of his long life by accomplishing this Union of Hearts as his final public act? Or, failing him, would the Archbishop of Canterbury (in his robes), and carrying Dodo of Lambeth as text-book, undertake the task?

One word more. As during the late coal strike entire districts in the midlands remained wholly unaffected by it, work going forward continuously the while, and the harmonious understanding between masters and men remaining unbroken, so in what we have fancifully called the New Strike, we are thankfully aware that there are whole strata of society in which no difficulty has arisen nor, in all probability, ever will arise. Such a state of things is only to be reached by the mothers recognising betimes that loyal friendship is the only lasting basis for this as for all other human relationships. There lies the root of the matter. Not of the happy households where this truth obtains are these pages written.

B. A. CRACKANTHORPE.

SANITARY INSURANCE: A SCHEME

THOUSANDS of deaths annually result from diseases which are in the most absolute sense preventible.'

It frequently happens that the first intimation of a sanitary defect in a house is an outbreak of 'preventible' disease, or one of those infectious maladies classed under the generic term 'zymotic,' such as diphtheria or typhoid fever. It is an acknowledged fact that people are living at the present day in habitations whose condition of healthiness is only tested by the sudden advent of an infectious. disease, and it is equally true that a house is usually considered healthy until found unhealthy. The last statement may be open to criticism or contradiction by a class of the community. This class, however, is not representative, and is composed for the most part of the wealthy, who may carefully select their dwellings. We may safely assert that the time has not arrived in this country, or any other, when sanitary surroundings are a sine quâ non with the masses; and the majority are only induced to inquire into such matters after serious illness has occurred, or the doctor has pointed out some insanitary condition.

Recognising the reality of this, and with some knowledge of the havoc and destruction daily being caused by preventible disease, it has occurred to me to lay before the public a suggestion for a protective sanitary scheme.

It is as well for us to inquire what existing protection and assurance have the public at the present time against insanitary dwellings and surroundings? It will at once be said, Is not the · Health Department' a prominent feature with all our municipalities? Are not our Local Boards doing most excellent work, supported by County Councils? Have we not at the head of all our Local Government Board, always ready to enforce the law, advise on serious questions, and settle all difficulties? We have all these, and in addition, for the sanitary sake of our people, we have springing up in our midst sanitary associations, supplying inspectors at a moment's notice; many Universities with departments for the study of hygiene and laboratories for bacteriological research; nearly every town with its courses of lectures on the subject, and every district with