A Woman’s Profession 
v n i m n *f1 
have swarmed and left a wealth of honey for whom¬ 
soever has the skill and courage to take it. 
Facing this side of the house runs a tiny burn on 
the other side of which the Byth woods stretch away 
into the distance. The walks through them are 
beautiful in summer when the trees and grass show 
the fresh, cool green which never knows the jaun¬ 
diced look induced by the fervour of a Southern 
sun. 
Here patches of gorgeous purple burst suddenly 
upon the explorer’s sight, as at a bend in tbe gradu¬ 
ally rising path, he comes suddenly from dense wood 
upon some clearing where the heather has had room 
to take root and spread. In autumn too the woods 
are glorious in colouring and when the purple of the 
heather wanes another royal colour is there to 
replace it, for the trees that grow in the clearing are 
mostly rowans covered with uncounted wealth of 
crimson berries. Returning to the back of the house 
and walking around the base of the farther stairway, 
we find ourselves before the windows of what in 
olden days must have been the kitchen, but is now 
degraded to the rank of scullery; and a few yards 
farther on a great stack of peat faces us, cut from the 
moss upon the moor. A somewhat rough path 
takes us to a grass-plot levelled originally for a 
croquet lawn, but now given up to hutches for the 
rearing of young pheasants. Thence we move on 
till we face the front door once more, and looking 
through the dining-room windows see the light from 
the peat fire, glowing on the hearth, shine fitfully on 
the white panelled walls and old brass locks set 
high upon the doors. 
1 he table is laid for dinner; it surely must be time 
to go. We feel for our watch, only to find it has been 
left at home. Turning round vexedly, we find our¬ 
selves confronted with an ancient sun-dial. The old- 
world air has entered into us: we are bitten with 
old-world ways, and crossing the grass-plot ask 
council of the old grey dial, which bears the date of 
1775 and is dedicated to “ James Urquhart Esq. of 
Byth by his most humble servt., John Mains.” 
I he shadows warn us that it is indeed time to 
leave this old-world place, and hie us back to the 
haunts of men, so we climb into our motor and are 
whirled rapidly away bearing with us memories of 
olden days, as fragrant in their subtlety as lavender 
and potpourri. 
A Woman’s Profession 
By ROBERT ANDERSON POPE 
T HE Social and economic conditions found in 
our country to-day are so continually tending 
to increase and diversify the scope of woman’s 
activity, that it has ceased to be an unusual occur¬ 
rence for women to achieve distinction in the arts, in 
science and in business. 
Such a tendency points to the eventual com¬ 
plete removal of the prejudice against the practice 
by women of most of the means of self-support open 
to men, and to a greater tolerance of the pursuit by 
women of whatever occupation they may feel them¬ 
selves best fitted for or inclined to undertake. 
A specific result of these conditions is that another 
profession seems now to await the advent of the 
woman whose inherent ability and proper training 
fit her for pr. cticing the art of interior decoration. 
One of the many important reasons in favor of 
women entering this field of work is to be found 
in the earlier recognition of their aptitude and 
ability in art; in evidence of which may be cited 
the recognition accorded such famous artists as 
Madame Le Brun and Rosa Bonheur. 
1 his earlier recognition, together with the result¬ 
ing achievement, seems then to show that women 
have a greater talent for art than for other branches 
of human activity, and on account of this larger pre¬ 
disposition in favor of the sex in professional art, 
the conditions to-day lend a still more encouraging 
atmosphere for further achievement. 
Another evidence or proof of woman’s fitness for 
the profession of interior decoration may be found 
in her very evident love, and propensity for the art 
of home-making. 
An examination of the present status of the pro¬ 
fession shows that nearly every interior decorator in 
this country to-day is also a dealer. This state of 
affairs prevents, in most cases, the attaining of the 
best results, either from the artistic or the financial 
standpoint. It is to be expected that in executing 
a commission a decorator, who is also a dealer, will 
be prejudiced in favor of those materials which he 
may have in the stock of his own establishment. Of 
course, this at once limits, usually in a serious way, 
the choice of materials, since the dealer will obvi¬ 
ously not compete with himself, in order to furnish 
the materials at the minimum price. The result is 
that the client pays more and receives less than 
that to which he is entitled. This undesirable 
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