Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/763

 MAHRIAQI! (^?^^r^ No. 5. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE WIFE OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Privileges and Responsibilities of the Member's Wife— How She May Help Her Husband— Her Social Position— Private Opinions Must be Subordinate to the Cause important a person as the man himself. His •yHE life of an M.P.'s wife is an arduous ^ one. Much of her husband's success depends upon her efforts, and everything she does has to be controlled by the thought, " Will this help or hinder him ? " Yet in spite of this she is a happy and, very often, a proud woman. She has the pleasure of being able to go to the House and listen — even behind the detested grille — to the speech her husband may be making on some important measure. She can watch the effect his thoughts have on the other members, and she glows with, delight when he is applauded. She feels she is sharing in his success or failure. Her Work in the Constituency When in their own constituency — for, though there is no actual need, most members like to pass part of the year among those they represent in Parliament — she takes her share in influencing the electors to her hus- band's — of course, the right — way of thinking. Gladly she promises to do everything to turn the doubting ones into his party. She will associate herself with some church or philan- thropic work, thus mixing with all classes of society. She will always be ready to open bazaars and meetings, and to assist in every other kind of social gathering. When an election comes, she makes friends with everyone, and accepts each as her equal, for all are equal in working for the same end — the triumph of her husband at the poll. She entertains largely, and is always ready to help anyone who belongs to her husband's party. She attends her husband at all meetings, whenever possible, and often makes a short speech supporting him. While he conducts public meetings, holds out-of-door dinner-hour gathering's, and drives round the town and district in a motor-car gaily be- ribboned with the colours, she has to lay the foundations of his success by visiting the wivvis of the voters, having ready an answer to all their questions and arguments. To-day, the wife of a member is almost as work is considerably assisted by her social efforts, which bring him many voters whom otherwise he might never have reached. When the member and his wife are not living in the constituency, she must not lose touch with its people. She must always be ready to invite the leading voters to her house when they come to town, and entertain them in some way or other. Social Duties All this entertaining and social work is often unjustly termed " vote-catching." In almost every case this is untrue. A wife's efforts are nearly always instigated by the sincere desire to do some good to that part of the nation which her husband represents. The social duties of a member's wife are very many and often onerous. She must always be tactful and discreet, and never introduce a subject into conversation which may cause controversy. When she first becomes the wife of a member, she has th3 privilege of visiting all the members' wives of her own party — this includes Cabinet Ministers' wives. Naturally, she takes an early opportunity of calling at the houses of representatives of the various divisions adjoining or near her husband's. If a close acquaintance is kept up in this way, party feeling over a whole county may be strength- ened and preserved. But each member and his wife must keep strictly to the limit of their own division, unless specially invited to give assistance at any time. A member's wife has her name put on the party list for all official receptions, and she is sent invitations for them. She will also receive invitations to semi-official receptions, such as those given by members' wives at the opening of a new session and on some special occasion. Olficially, she is confined to her own party, whether it be Conservative, Liberal, or Labour, but privately she can make what friends she likes. At official receptions she will bs introduced