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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1904)
Woman Standi! VI rad leatTNl T THE women's republican state convention held In Springfield, 111., recently a Killing- blow wm administered to one of the most outrageous slanders that hare ever been uttered against the gentler sex. This slander, it is needless to say, is the charge that women never know when to stop talking. It is expressed in different ways. Libelers of the sex sometimes put it "That woman would not stop talking until she had talked your arm off," or "She would talk forever if you'd let her," or "She'd talk your ears off and then talk 'em on again," or "The average woman talks herself to sleep," or "I've known women, sir, to talk the buttons off a help less man, sir,' or "Women will talk and continue to talk when there isn't a thing on earth for them to talk about." Those who know the sex best need not be told that such remarks as these are wholly uncalled for, but those who know the sex only by the reputation which cross grained bachelors have given it will learn something new and, we hope, instructive and pleasing from the report of the closing eeo ne In the convention of the Illinois re publican women. The convention was conducted through out on the freedom of speech principle so dear to all American hearts, whether they be female or male hearts. Every one had a chance to talk. The affair was one of animated conversation, even while speaker. had the floor. The gavel was used only to soften the voices of those who forgot for a moment that a delegate was addressing the chair. The talk had been general and continuous for two or three hours, when at length the business for which the convention as sembled having been transacted, the presid ing officer, Mrs. Alexander, said: "Has anyone anything more to say?" All were silent. "Dr. Dickinson, don't you want to talk?" again asked Mrs. Alexander. "No, for once, I don't want to say any thing," said Dr. Dickinson. The convention had talked itself out and the only thing to do was to adjourn. There! 'Let us hope that this will put an end once and for all to the mo-t per nicious of the liliels uttered against our mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, cousins and sweethearts, that once their tongues get Btarted they never know when to quit. Chicago Inter Ocean. Dlhe that AVI 11 Not Break. IAMBS C. McNally, consul of the United States at Liege, Belgium, has reported the invention by a manufacturer there of dinner plates which servants can idly drop upon the stone floor without breaking and dishes which make excellent hummers with which to drive nails. Here Is the story in his own words: "The Company Du Val St. Lambert of Liege is manufacturing a hardened crystal dish, which in appear ance closely resembles fine translucent china of uniform shape and manufacture. The resisting power of this ware Is duo to a special hardening process and to the quality and nature of the crystal used. It not only successfully resists the usual wear and tear, but Is almost proof against breakage. "A hardened crystal dish can be substi tuted for a hammer in driving nails Into wood, while the same ware can be put Into boiling water at a high degree, then plunged Into ice water repeatedly, without the least noticeable damage to the dish or plate. The writer has seen plates of the usual form of this hardened ware hurled to the stone floor of a warehouse and go bounding along the whole length of the building without suffering the least damage. This same firm makes glass ware of the same corresponding resistance." Wossea In glestaa- Clara. HEN a woman passes her first night in a sleeping car she ex periences a timidity that is most w I" disagreeable, remarked a mem Vi it irl ier of the gentler sex who trav els considerably. . "Her first Impulse is to remain up the entire night, but as lateness approaches she becomes so fatigued and her eyes grow so heavy that she decides to retire. She goes to her berth, and, after drawing the curtains carefully, starts to remove her clothing. Fearing that some of the other passengers may be able to pens- -trate with their Inquisitive eyes both the dim illumination of the car and also the curtains, she becomes nervous with alarm. "Thoughts of train . robbers likewise flit through her mind, and she hesitates again and again about turning In. Nature at last conquers and she removes a few more of her wraps, but still refrains from un dressing and climbs beneath the blanket. Then comes the terrifying thought tlint someono might by mistake enter her shelf, and really her mind Is thrown Into a state bordering upon hysterics. At last she quiets down and gradually falls Into a troubled doze. Glnd the night Is over, she is awake at the first streak of dawn and hurriedly replaces a few garments she mustered up enough courage to remove. "Then she seeks the toilet compartment and awaits her turn at the washbowl. After fooling some time with oddly arranged faucet she asks for instructions and pro ceeds with her primping. She always finds she has lost her comb or brush and usually forgets and leaves her engagement ring Frills of Fashion Tortoise Is tho newest shade of brown. Among straw hats the chip "dlrectolre" leads Chantilly net is coming Into favor for veils. For summer use appear light colored leather purses. Kelts of black silk moire are clasped with buckles of gold. Self-trimming Is noticed on many of the newest silk costumes. Vests of emerald green chiffon are fig ured in shamrock design. For seaside wear there are hats In white and ecru embroidered linen and batiste. Had I urn is the descriptive term applied to a novelty in color oil the opalescent order. Misses' summer suits of wash material are made generally with short empire or Eton coats. Linen batiste promises to be one of the favorite summer fabrics, trimmed with Tcueriffe wheels. Millinery is a peculiar art, In which at times there seems to be little grace. One brown hat has around the crown three rows of cherries, one row of white, slightly tinged with pink, one of green and another of red, the different colors set one above the other. These are stemless cherries, set on as If they were so many beads. On one side of the hat is a bow of brown velvet. A dark blue silk shirtwaist suit is made, skirt and bodice, with inch-wide box plaits, it has these threaded with several rows of half-Inch black velvet ribbon, forming a trimming about five Inches deep around the hips. The upper part of the waist is simi larly trimmed. There is a narrow plaited vt-st of batiste to this gown, also deep tucked cuffs of the plain batiste, with a frill of the same material, embroidered at the outside seam. Tho cream batiste also forms the stock. lying upon the sink. The soap Is not the kind she Is accustomed to, and between all these dreadful things and the horrid lurching of the train she is certainly re lieved when destination is reached. After a few such experiences, however, she be comes accustomed to travel and rather likes It" Dosnetle Life la China. CHINESR woman of chnrmtnc W I personality, Dr. Tamel Kin, de- sV I Hvered a lecture one dav last week at the Washington residence of Senator Kean. Her uudtence was representative of all that Is best in Washington society. Several years ngo Dr. Tamel Kin completed her course in medi cine at an American university and re turned to her native land to practice. She is now making a tour of the United States, trying to create a wider Interest and sym pathy between the women of these distant lands. Dr. Kin, who wore the very becoming dress of her country, talked mainly of the domestic life of the higher and middle class Chinese. Many verses, ranging from tho Oriental counterpart of Mother Goose to selections from Confucius and the "Rittinl of Decorum," which Is almost as old, with clever anecdotes gathered In the practice of her profession, and told In the purest of English, made up a delightful half hour that formed the lecture proper, which was followed by twenty minutes during which Tr. Kin Invited questions from her au dience, which she answered fully and clearly to the enlightenment of nil present. To the Inquiry of what Chinese women did for amusement Dr. Kin replied that novel reading forms one of hor country women's chief pleasures, and that the favorito Chinese novel consisted of twenty four volumes. They nlso, she said, find great delight In the embroidery which has made them famous. They begin the deli cate needlework at the age of 7 years. Tn What AVomcn Arc Doing; Mrs. Mary E. Miller of Lafayette, Colo., Is the president of a bank. She also has large coal nnd real estate Interests. The town, of which she Is the founder, oariie In every deed a clause forbidding tho sale of liquor. Mrs, Virginia Donahue MoClurg of Colo rado Springs, Colo., has been appointed by the government to make an Investigation of the Mesa Verde land rights. Mrs. Me Clurg Is a regent of the Colorado Cliff Dwellings association. The first diploma ever granted a trained nurse In Turkey has been granted thli year to a young Armenian woman who, after graduating at a mission school in one of the cities of Asia Minor, took a five yeurs' training In hospltaj practice In tho same city. Mrs. Julia Duff has new honor thrust upon her, being chosen as one of the Massachusetts women to be represented by a portrait of herself at the Sr. Louis exposition, the selection of these portraits being based on the prominence achieved by women in the sphere of activity open to them. Mrs. Millie Holmes, English, has, after twelve years' residence taken out natur alization papers In order to be eligible for a position at the Philadelphia mint. Few women apply for naturalization; but It is noted that Miss Holmes showed a rare knowledge of the constitution and passed the examination with high credit "What are you going to tell the Euro peans?" asked one of the yellow-ribboned woman suffragists of Miss Susan K. An thony an she sailed yesterday, bound for the International Women's convention In Kerlln. "That they are a thousand yearn behind the United States," replied Miss An thonyas. of course, they are, for if they had not been behind us there wouldn't be uny United States. reply to the question as to what means of livelihood Is open to the women of her race Dr. Kin replied that few except the boat women of the south and the very poor of the lowest clans are obliged to support themselves, although to the later years many girls and women have been employed In the silk mills, whllo unskilled labor finds Its uses tn the making of tho familiar fire crackers, which are produced largely by children and tho very aged. A minute description of the process of foot binding, which happily, she said, Is passing out of fashion, and is said to have originated some GOO years ago, when the empress of that time had club feet, which she skillfully disguised In the most beauti ful of small shoos thst speedily became the fashion, and an Illustration of the changing fashions of head dresses and sleeves, which are about the only changes In wearing ap parel noticed In several generations, were a few of the especially Interesting features of the lecture. Woman In the Middle West. UK social picture of the middle west us a whole, however, presents the sexes occupying dif ferent Intellectual nnd moral planes. There the woman Is In disputably the mistress in nil that makes for culture culture In letters and In art; the man Is king In his own active realm. Each Is most deferential to the other In that other's sphere. The lxoks on the shelves, the pictures on the wall, sre of the woman's choice or selection. The man speaks of her literary or nrtistic tastes, uminlly of both combined, with the rever ence that is due to her superior Intel lectual and spiritual gifts and acquire ments. She is tho hostess, nnd the host stnnds appropriately behind her. She Is tho Instructed, and leads the intellectual movements of her town. The book club, tho Dante club, the entertainer of the lecturing or the traveling lions. Is the woman. Often the clergyman assists; but she, through her Influence over the sur rendered man, has selected her clergyman, nnd on hor he must count for the success of himself and of his worn. She Is, Indeed, generous and gracious, and welcomes with Joy every man who strays from business Into the company of books and pictures. Into homes which she has made. They call their litit.scs homes, oftener than the east, and these homes liespeak the finer tnats of the woman. Her education is likely tn be more virile than that of her eastern sisters, because It Is acquired at schools and colleges where coeducation of the sexes is the rule. Her domination in the home and her primacy in the higher life, as we are Inclined to call it. are seen not only In the more obvious social affairs, but in the element of seriousness which marks most' life In thlH midway of the country. As the man pays her high respect by recognizing her superiority In the king dom of taste, of feeling, of the imagina tion, of the knowledge which comes from books, she returns bis deference by vener ating him as the active ruler of the world of affairs. This attitude was well ex pressed by a young woman student In one of the great coeducation universities of the west. She was asked to write her view of Thomas Jefferson, and this was her re sponse: "Thomua Jefferson was timid and sly, but lovely In his family." She could judge him as one of the "world of men," because she was not of his family; If she had been, the last part of her description would have sufficed. Henry Loorula Nel son, LL.D., In Harper's Magazine.