In the last month I have been reading a recently published book about the American presidency, 'To the Best of My Ability', edited by James M. McPherson. I definitely recommend it to any readers who might be interested in the presidency, and one of the best features is a section about each of the presidents' wives. President Taft (1909-1913) was lucky enough to have a wife, Nellie, who had 'intelligence and pluck, and one might even say that she came to dominate him'. Sadly she sufferred a stroke after a few months of Taft's presidency, and spent a couple of years recovering. However, the writer notes, 'By 1911, however, she was apparently "quite disposed to sit as a pope and direct me as of yore", a relieved Taft wrote'.

That at least some of these powerful men should be happy to remain submissive in the domestic environment should surely provide an adequate answer to those 'macho' ignoramuses who say that a male who is submissive towards females is 'weak' or 'unmanly'. A few of the latter might point out that William Taft was a rather easy going, bumbling figure, with no military background. In which case, let us look at Dwight Eisenhower.

When Eisenhower met his beloved Mamie in 1916, she was the daughter of a very wealthy family, and had always had a personal maid to attend her. She had no household skills whatsoever, and apprently did not intend obtaining any. Especially in those days this might have bothered a lesser man than Ike, but instead he was quite happy to perform all these tasks himself, because he loved his wife as a good husband should, and he did all the housework and cooking (and became an excellent cook), and, as the author of this chapter happily points out, ' When Mamie became pregnant, Ike let out her dresses'.

One would hope that the senior Allied commander in the war against the Nazis, and the president of the United States at the height of the Cold War, would not have the accusations that I have mentioned above made against him. Anyway, it is an enthralling book; or at least I am finding it so.

I am already getting some very interesting contributions to the planned special issues on kilts, and on schoolgirl discipline (gym slips, fleecy navy blue knickers, liberty bodices, tights etc). Please, please, do contribute if you have any letters, memories of your own, articles, or pictures relating to these areas of petticoat discipline.

The e-mail addresses, and the post office box, for correspondence are given on the Contents page. And since readers are no doubt anxious to begin their study of the current issue, I had better leave it at that, and let you all get on with it. I'm going to have a hot cup of tea, and some shortbread, and continue reading my book.
Susan MacDonald