If a
slater comes off a roof and breaks a limb, there is a hospital for him
within half an hour's drive in most towns. If one of our men here breaks
his arm, there is no hospital within less than two days' steam. We don't
want the public to think the fisher is a more deserving man than the
slater; we want both men to have a fair chance. Charitable men can see
the slater, so they help him; they can't see the fisher without running
the chance of being bruised and drenched, so they don't help him--at
present. They don't want good feeling; they want eyes, and we must act
as eyes for them. Women can only be useful on shore; you gentlemen must
do everything that is needed out here. I'm very glad I've seen the North
Sea in a fury, but I should not care to be a mere coddled amateur, nor
would any one else that I work with."
"Quite right, madam," said the professor, nodding his head with the
gravity of all Cambridge; "and I should like to see women taking part in
the management of our sea hospitals if the scheme is ever to be any more
than a dream. The talking women are like the talking men: they squabble,
they recriminate, they screech and air their vanity, and they mess up
every business they touch. But if you have committee work to do, and
want economy and expedition, then give me one or two lady members to
assist."
Then Blair called, "Come along, skipper; she's going easy. Bring up one
or two of the men and we'll have some singing.
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