Welsh Journals

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THE WELSHWOMAN'S PAGE Where the women have no vision the people perish." AN INEVITABLE Awakening. OLIVE SCHREINER, somewhere in Dreams gives a magnificent picture of the slow development of woman from serfdom to that equality which man to-day readily grants her. Reading this fine descrip- tion some years ago, while staying at a North Wales farmhouse, I was tempted to identify with the principal figure in it-a slow, patient creature, whose burden of toil crushed all revolt from l;er spirit — anotherf^gure whose presence in the house almost, spoilt my pleasure in the hospitable household. She was Ellen Mary, y forwyn fach." Ellen Mary got up at six every winter morning, half-an-hour earlier in the summer. She worked steadily till dinner-time, preparing meals, feeding calves and pigs, running errands. The clatter of her clogs never ceased. I ascertained that she sat down only once during the whole morning-when peeling potatoes Even at dinner-time Ellen Mary had no rest, for her dinner coincided with the men's, and she devoted more attention to their needs than to her own. Washing-up followed, and the briws had then to be tidied a hasty wash, and then the family tea had to be prepared. It was then time to don the becon and start milking. Almost before that was over, the men trooped into the briws for the evening meal. Even after that had been cleared, there were several engrossing duties to see to-mangling, ironing, cleaning the chil- dren's boots, etc. It must have been a weary mor- wyn fach that tumbled into the flock-bed about ten o'clock every night. This programme never varied except on Monday night, when there was a prayer-meeting at the chapel, or on Wednesday night when the seiat was held. Ellen Mary was considered to have a night off if she attended these. She was also allowed off on Saturday from 6-9, but as the week's groceries had then to be fetched by her from the village, two miles away, and there were various other calls to be paid-for example, to fetch the butter- money from the market-woman-I couldn't quite see how much off-time" there, really was in the three hours after they had been carefully examined. Twice a year, Ellen Mary had a week-end at her home. She was not unhappy. At least, her mistress assured me that she was not. I wondered. That was three years ago. Tempora mutantur. I had not been five minutes in the farmhouse parlour, when I visited the village this Easter, before Ellen Mary's mis- tress began pouring her woes into my ears. Have you ever heard of such monstrous proposals ? "It will be impossible for decent people to live if this goes on." I cannot imagine what Christian Wales is coming to, really. I wondered what could occasion the outburst. Finally, the source of the trouble was divulged, and I could hardly control impolite laughter when I discovered that it was my friend Ellen Mary. She had joined the Servant Girls' Trade Union "Just think of it! Eight hours a day-that is all they will do. 8-12, then an hour off for dinner, then 1-5. Scandalous Who is to get the men's breakfast ready ? Who is to milk the cows ? Who is to make supper ? My hands are full enough already." That was one side of the question, so I sought Ellen Mary in the briws. She is now a strapping girl of nine- By M. M. teen, and (like all Welsh girls who have been trained in the Sunday School), decidedly intelligent, yet she was not very communicative. I am not quite sure that she under- stood the situation. Jane y Plas was the instigator in the village, and I gathered that she was a person to be unquestioningly obeyed. There had been rumours of a conclave in the Plas kitchen, but Ellen Mary denied this. The Sunday School class seems to have been more fre- quently chosen for discussion of the proposed Union. Ellen Mary had only one argument, but it was un- answerable. The men won't work more than eight hours, so why should we put in sixteen ? THE SPIRIT OF REVOLT AGAINST RELIGION. It seems a far cry from Ellen Mary to an article in the current number of Y Beimiad by Professor Miall Ed- wards, to which A University Graduater' draws my attention, but I think that she will admit that she*and Ellen Mary are more akin when viewed in the light of his remarks than would otherwise appear. My corres- pondent quotes- "It is a very fashionable thing now-a-days even in Wales, to attack the church. Some of the children of the Renaissance, graduates, teachers, men of letters, turn their backs on the church and manifest evident indifference." and she protests that it is wrong to conclude from this undeniable fact that Welshwomen to-day care less for religion than did their mothers. She writes I wish to defend those graduates I know from this charge. It is unfair to accuse us of indifference towards religion simply because we prefer unconventional to con- ventional worship. I am a Nonconformist by up- bringing, but education has made me simply-a Christian. We are sick of these church distinctions. We find, too, that in the churches we must conform to a certain, established, Mid-Victorian conception of what a Christian woman ought to be. That conception should develop with the age. I am called indifferent because I do not go to the seiat. Well, frankly I have no desire to bare my deepest religious aspirations before a number of people, though I venerate some of them, but cannot even respect others. The religion which finds expression in art is condemned. Religion to me means joy — it does not seem to be the accepted interpretation." I should like to quote more fully, because these re- marks would probably be echoed by a great number of young graduates like my correspondent, but just now I must content myself with pointing out that she has obviously misunderstood Prof. Edwards. I quote from his article-- I venture to say that one of the characteristics of our age is the revolt of the young against the old. And I venture still further and say that this is one of the best signs of our times." VILLAGE CLUBS. I am fated to revert to Ellen Mary The correspon- dent who kindly sends me an account of the Village Clubs Association suggests how the undeniably dangerous tendencies in such movements as these proposed Trade Unions may be combated. Sane organisations, like the Village Clubs, can do more than any amount of what A University Graduate calls conventional religion can, to establish a deep bond of sympathy between all Welshwomen of whatever grade of society. It must be admitted that we have been unfair to our Ellen Marys.