[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—f venture to draw
attention to the question of personal service, overlooked by most of your correspondents. During thirty years of married life, X. occupied official positions and official houses. The success of his work no doubt depended on his own labours, but there is a personal side in all such cases, and, on that personal side, it was his wife's lot to contribute much to the establishment and maintenance of happy personal relations between X. and those with whom and for whom he worked. Colleagues, to say nothing of clients, patients, &c., not only work together, but frequent one another's company : also, colleagues are not all un- married men, and, both in this respect and in the direct personal relations of colleague to colleague, it was possible to accomplish much good by a little expenditure of time and trouble in the cultivation of personal relations. Doubtless more might have been done had not the care and upbringing of children claimed a large share of their mother's time and thought, although, on looking back, it is apparent that in the last-named factor the loss was far outweighed by gain. There must be many women whose case is not dissimilar. If, when a woman has given her best work to her husband and home, and to her children in their earlier years, she has time to spare, I venture to think she still has plenty of scope for .useful and highly interesting work. Few women, surely, are contented with such occupations as playing games or, as one Of your correspondents suggests, " doing her hair or the flowers." Many make for themselves or find work that will content and recreation at home that will rest them. It comes to this. Apart from exceptional cases, the husband is the normal breadwinner. The energy of the wife may be more fruitfully spent on the personal context of the husband's work than on supplementary breadwinning.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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