The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, November 09, 1901, Page 4, Image 4
THE COURIEE At tlie regular meeting of the Auburn Woman's club last Thursday the sub ject discussed was "House Pants and Their Culture." A valuable paper 0:1 "Hulbs for Winter Blooming" was read by Mrs. W. H. Gardner: Mrs. M. S Mclnlch read an excellent paper on "The Arrangement of the Lawn," and suggestions were given regarding tne care of geraniums, begonias and ferns. A discussion of the leading topics of the day was led by Miss Alberta Camp bell; a short talk on Gorky, the Russian novelist, a review of the kidnaping of Miss Stone and a report of the state federation at Wayne were other feat ures of the meeting. Music was fur nished by Miss Lena Frerichs. The Musical Culture club of Hastings met in the public library on Monday afternoon when the following program was rendered: Piano duet, Militaiy March, Miss Grace Noyes and Mrs. Lo gan; vocal solo, "Faith in Spring," Miss Lillian Brown, piano solo. Scherzo, Miss Jessica Pease, vocal duet, Schu bert's Sernade, Misses Brown and Miles; piano solo, Mrs. Hayes; Miss Duer accompanist. Mrs. F. M. Hall of Lincoln will lec ture on the subject of art before the Fairbury Woman's club on November twelfth. The Madison Woman's club met at the home of Mrs. Reynolds on Novem ber seventh. The subject "The North lands" was discussed under the follow ing divisions: Who were the Norse men? Mrs. Dawson. Early tribal or ganizations and means of Livelihood. Mrs. Koechig. Religions Mrs. Park inson. The Vikings. Mrs. Mossman. Parliamentary Law, discussion Club members. Home Topics, Municipal San itationClub discussion. 5 .a -2 ?r Ts- 'Sr The philanthropic committee of the Omaha "Woman's club presented the following recommendations at the club meeting last Monday afternoon: "The committee recommends that the phil anthropic work of the club be located in the Chapel of the Carpenter, at Sec ond and William streets. "That Mrs. E. S. Shinrock be ap pointed as supervisor of the entire work and as Instructor in cooking. "That a special meeting of the club members who are interested in this work be held in the church parlors next Wednesday at 4 p. m." After considering the recommenda tions separately, the first and third were adopted, and decisive action in regard to the second was deferred for further consideration. Two suggestions were made by Miss O'Brien of the city library: "First, In view of the fact that the state library commission and traveling libraries bill was passed, owing to the active work of the women of the state, that the executive committee of this club communicate with his excellency, the governor of this state, asking that a woman be appointed to fill the first vacancy on the commission, and that the president of the state federation name the woman and I hope it will be Mrs. Belle Stoutenborough. "Second, when the next legislature convenes, that the club women of this state present an amendment to house roll No. 20, asking that the personnel of the commission be changed so as to include two or more members of the Woman's club the president and executive committee of the federated clubs to present the names." Mrs. Stoutenborough was made an honorary member of the Omaha Woman's club without the customary notice of two weeks. The program was in charge of the English history de partment, and was a most excellent one: Trio Clarinet, violin and piano. ."Weber Mr. Karbach, Mrs. Baetens, Dr. Baet ens. Outline of the work of the history de partment Mrs. R. E. McKelvy "Valse Caprice" Rubensteln Mrs. Porter G&xretL Paper "History of Early English Lit erature Mrs. Edward Johnson Song "Tour Voice." with violin and 'cello obligato Denza Mrs. A. L. Sheetz. Working girls' clubs have become established members of the club family and like other similar organizations they have their degrees of efficiency. The working girl of this country varies with different localities. In a town where most of the girls employed in factories, stores and offices live at home, the type is radically different from that in a community where such girls are herded together in cheap boarding houses. Both need club work as a factor in their development, though such club work may differ in form as much as the type of club members. Boarding speaking, factory girls may be divided into three classes; two of these classes small, the other very large. There is the little clique of girls who have certain advantages of home training and of education, and who, being out of sympathy with slang and rough ways, keep to themselves. Such girls appreciate the class work in clubs; they desire to improve them selves in every possible way, and are willing to practice self-denial to ac complish this object. Another class happily small comprises the tough girls; those who are really bad. whose manners and language are objection able and whose character is equally so. The clubs fight shy of them, and justly. Clubs are not reformatories, and good and respectable girls do not wish to be associated with the class just men tioned. Between these two small classes is a great body of girls who may be described as simply "flighty." They are not bad, and have no desire to be. Yet they are often rough in their ways, slangy and coarse in their speech and devoid of good taste in dress. They have a limited educa tion, often through their own perverse refusal to attend school and their de sire to earn money for dress and pleas ure. Often their parents, though wil ling to keep them In school, realize as little the value of an education as the girls themselves; and so long as their daughters are of respectable character, trouble themselves little about the refinements of life. It is this class of girls who are most in need of refining influences, and for whom club work is the most of a puzzle, says The Club Woman. They need, as one woman has expressed it. "mothering." They cannot be lectured on proper conduct, for they know themselves to be good girls, and feel insulted by an insinuation that they are not. They do not care for solid reading or for study. They do like a good time, and their idea of a good time is dancing, singing or chatting with other young people. They do not see why certain colors, fabrics and styles arp unsuitable for the girl whose wardrobe is limited in extent, and are apt to resent advice on this subject if directly given. They see no harm in slang, and even expressions which are so close to profanity or vulgarity as to offend the sensitive ear, do not trouble them. But they are jolly, good-natured kind-hearted, always ready to help a friend in trouble, free-hearted and gen erous to a fault. They can be reached and refined If handled rightly. Occasionally a woman is born with one of those rare souls which enables her to do this kind of work success fully. Strong, refined, pure-hearted, she is, nevertheless, able to put herself In the place of the girl. She can shut her eyes and ears when it is necessary, and reserve her comments on the things of which she disapproves until the sub ject can be discussed in an impersonal general way. She can be correct in her speech, neat and tasteful in her dress and refined in her manner, and at the yame time can enter heartily into the amusements and occupations of the girls, so that without undue familiarity she can Invite their confidence and win their affection as well as their respect. The woman in charge of a working girls' cluo should also be a practical working woman. She must know what it means to earn small wages and de pend upon them for her living. She mast know from practical experience that a new pair of shoes means self denial in other ways, and that all of the needed articles of dress cannot be purchased at one time. She must know how and what to buy, and be able to impart her knowledge. She must know the rules of practical hy giene; she should be a Christian wo man, broad enough to see the good in all creeds and wise enough to empha size the points on which all Christen dom agrees without touching on dis puted matters. Above all, she should be a good Judge of character. Such a woman will gain the love of the girls. She will assign the parts which they are to take in club life without creating unnecessary friction. Her influence will be felt through all the club work. This is, of course, an Ideal matron or superintendent. Yet women possessing all these qualities, to a certain extent, are not impossible to find. Let the rich women do all they will for the clubs, but let them beware of trying to do work which they do not understand. The woman to whom a dollar is a mere bagatelle cannot understand the point of view of the girl to whom a dollar represents hours of toil. The woman who has tried it is the woman to man age a club for girls who earn small wages and depend upon those wages for daily living. She can draw the line between the essential and the non-essential between the "must be" and the "may be," and that is what is needed to insure the success of club work among the working girls. The Los Angeles "Women's club is re ceiving valuable assistance from two new members; Mrs. Florence Collins Porter, recent president of the Maine federation, and Mrs. Strickland Clark, originally of Detroit, distinguished as a lecturer on parliamentary law. Mrs. Robert J. Burdette, state president of California, is accompanying Mr. Bur dette on a lecture tour through the southern, eastern and middle states. The Minnesota state federation re cently held its third annual meeting in connection with the state fair. The use of a beautiful building was granted by the managers of the fair, and was utilized as a resting place for women and children; a model sick room also was fitted up and the services of phy sicians and nurses were provided. Ev ery morning a practical lecture and demonstration in cooking was given; other programs were also presented, ith an informal musicale in the after noon. Exhibits of the results of manu al training in the public schools and of the work of vacation schools at tracted much attention. From four to six o'clock tea is served free of charge to all visitors. The work in domestic science has been made prominent during the last year by the Portland Woman's club. The Oregon federation meeting will be held in April, closing in time to go to Los Angeles, thus combining the state and general federations in one trip. The Vermont federation, which re cently met in Morrisville, now consists of twenty-five clubs, an increase of three during the last year. Twenty two clubs were represented at the meeting, and green was adopted as the state color, with the state seal in gold. In Vermont, as in Nebraska, the fed eration has turned over its library to the state library commission. The regular meeting of the Lincoln Woman's club will be held next Mon day, November 11, in Walsh hall. The program will be in charge of the home department. This department, under the leadership of Mrs. Sawyer, is rival ing in popularity the departments de voted to the sciences and arts. Ene mies of club organization who contend that membership in a club unfits a wo man for the duties of home and lessens her interest in the welfare of her fam ily should have been present at the meeting on Wednesday morning, and at every meeting of the home depart ment Problems confronting home keepers are brought up for intelligent discussion, and not only the homes of the present, but those of the future, are given consideration. At the meeting on Wednesday a most interesting and helpful paper was read by Miss Kyle, secretary of the Young Women's Christian association. With remarkable natural insight ,rt0 t, needs of human nature. to- i',r n J unusually favorable opportune i the study of young women. Mis, Kyl was peculiarly fitted to spi.,k on th subject, "The Young Wonun of TJ day, and Her Relation to th Home of the Future." Said Miss K.vl, ln part "The question before us 1, .,,. a)wm which much theory has been , puunj ed. It is a fact that an m.,. ,s,ngI large number of young women ,,re u'. ing advantage of the superior ejuca. tion facilities in America. Without considering industrial advantages or disadvantages, we know th.it these economic changes are producing alarm. ing social changes. In the last census 3,000,000 women were found to be work ing outside the home. This must mean, however slow we are to confess it, a working away from the home and its ideals. Of these 3,000,000 women some are working for their daily bread, oth ers to add to their wardrobes, others, especially among the educated women, have the desire to be independent, to have careers of their own. This las named class or division is the growing one, and home must present more do mestic charm and less of drudgery if these richly-endowed young w omen are to be won to it as offering the ideal happiness. Let loose into sudden free dom the pendulum has swung a little too far, and now wise women must ad just a happy balance. "Is it true that college unfits a girl for domestic life? Is it true that mar riage is becoming less and les at tractive to a college-bred girl? A col lege education would be a questionable gift if it worked only discontent with later home life. Cannot a woman s home life be enriched by college cul ture? Is laborious housework a neces sary evil? It is useless to deny a cer tain amount of drudgery; but disci pline and practice of self-control ought to make a young woman more capable of taking up the routine of a ho-.ie with intelligence and grace. It i' not so much the routine of house work that breaks a woman down as the Inability to bring within her reach something in structive and refreshing. If a collegc girl is unfit for domestic life it is be"? cause she cannot adapt herself from one environment to another. The col lege course may train the mind, but it can scarcely create a love for domestic ity. It may teach domestic science, but it cannot teach students that tliej must not go about with holes in theii stockings or leave their beds unmade from the time they rise until tlu-v tt into them again. "In the majority of cases the seii't of lack of adaptation may be traced t" home training. Many girls may be found in the colleges with pri"U training which it will be hard to over come, even by the intellectual discipline of college. "There is a peculiar lack of pui-e among young women. A hurry a-rush-over-tension Intellectually, too much going, too little of a quiet time in one's home getting acquainted with the family. There is a certain care lessness arising perhaps from a sense of new freedom a carelessness whua manifests itself not only in one's roi-m and dress, but in action; it is a lack of poise which prompts the svvmg-ng. loose-jointed stride so often seen. J lack of poise which prevents young women from respectful conduct to per sons older than themselves, or ven from civil greetings one with aii"ti"-r "With the German girl, home in - ' preparation for marriage. The i" panionship of mother and daug'it r. the training in household duties iQ; dowry-box all develop moie 1 ation toward home life. In edm i'"'1 the system does not tend to lead Jli v from the home. Home is the unit of German society. There was .1 "'" America when home duties and a "!' love developed an inclination tow -d the home. Each daughter then had iei stint of sewing to do each day. hti ti tles in the household. "The conviction of Amoru.m that it is dignified to work in a - ' but undignified to be a cook in "" other family would never have ie 1 V Hjatj MWfc-Tj