330 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



new man," the product of twentieth century democratism. There 

 is nothing to bridge over differences, to assuage soreness, temper 

 strangeness, like woman's influence, if she will only set her hand to 

 and throw her soul into it. There is, since the days of Eve, no 

 tongue so persuasive as woman's. I do not think that we could 

 have worked those useful " collecting societies " by men, which 

 teach improvident poor people to save by snatching up — purely by 

 persuasion — those pence and shillings which come in weekly, on 

 the very day when they are paid, by a personal call, to carry them 

 eventually to the savings bank, and by such means make the un- 

 thrifty a confirmed saver. In the Philippine Islands, where, thanks 

 to Mr. Fiske Warren's warm advocacy, they think more of thrift and 

 credit banks than (outside the House of Lords) do our politicians in 

 this country, but where there are also distinct difficulties to contend 

 with in introducing co-operative credit institutions, however much 

 such may be thought of, they are now turning women's services to 

 account for the benefit of these gradually multiplying institutions, 

 of which, in contrast with our barrenness, 527 have grown up within 

 only four years. Here, in our co-operative stronghold, it was 

 women's determined insistence that, in the midst of rising affluence 

 of the co-operative " well-paid artisan " members — who, thinking 

 overmuch of " divi," recked not of thought for the poor — that the 

 old Rochdale principle was secured respect in action, and collective 

 effort was employed — at Sunderland and elsewhere — to relieve the 

 necessities of that class, for the relief of which co-operation was really 

 first invented. It was our English way of applying M. Dolfus' 

 " A\dez-a-jairer 



If we want improved, more highly civilised, more brotherly and 

 sisterly country life, bringing about happiness and contentment in 

 our villages, repeopling our half deserted countryside, we shall have 

 above all things to think of " home " and " country life." And to 

 make sure of those things, we shall first of all have to make sure of 

 the aid of woman. She can do much in the fields, in the poultry 

 yard, in the farmyard. An Alsatian proverb has it that " a farmer's 

 wife can carry into the farm in her apron more than the farmer 

 himself can carry out (to market) on a four-horse waggon." And a 

 Belgian proverb, dating from very ancient time, says that a woman's 

 capacity for work is the very best marriage portion that she can 

 bring to her husband. However, in the matter of rural reconstruction 

 one would ten times rather think of woman as what the Americans 

 aptly call her, that is, a " home-maker " than as a useful toiler. 

 Woman indeed does not stand altogether alone as a peculiarly 



