151
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W Peattie)
Mrs Henry D Cram of Boston had arranged to furnish the Paris exposition of 1900 with seventy-five derricks, to be used in the erection of the buildings, which are to be of stone Mrs Cram will personally supervise the pincing of her derricks
Stained glass portraits are becoming one of the luxuries of the last of the century They have been made popular in the est by Miss Mary Tillinghast of New York She is a decorator of much success, one of her most marked achievements having been the decoration of the music room at the Corcoran house at Washington The decoration of two reception rooms in the Washington mansion belonging to Mr James Stokes, is her latest work
Mrs Mary Lowe Dickinson, who had just been elected president of the national council of women at the Washington convention, is a writer of marked ability, but is, perhaps more widely known in the educational field She has thousands of friends throughout the United States "who recognize the quaility and extent of what she has accomplished in this direction She was born Massachusetts, but after her marriage resided for some years abraod, and is now a resident of the city of New York An early experience in life as a teacher led her to realize the need for a more practical education for girls and women, and she has sought to teach better systems of training Her latest work of imprtance was in Devener, Colo where she held a fill professionship in English literature Such as estimate was plaved on the value of her services not only as an instructor, but as a social and moral influence, the chair was one of the first to be fully endowed, and when illhealt obliged her to resign this position the chair was named for her, ad she was made emeritys professor and hold s now it lectureship in English literature. She has been secreatry of the woman's branch of the American Bible society national superintendent of the so-called department for higher education in the Woman's Chirstian Temperance inion and president of the Woman's National Indian association She conducted fro six years a magazine devoted to the care of invalids, and held an associate editorship with Foward Everett Hale in his Magazine of Philanthropy She is now preisent of the order of Kings Daughters and editor of its magaizne. Among the Thorns" :The Amber Star' and :One Little Life," novels, and in poetry, " The Dividne Chirst' and 'Eater Poems"
When, in the name of all that is honest, will the women stop wraing artificial bunches of violets? These obnoxious little frauds-the artificial violets not the women-lie in the windows of the shops by the thousand They are stuck on capes, coats and jackets, one meets them at every turn They decelve no one, are too cheap to be recommended for their valye, and too palpably false to be desired for their beauty Some of them seek with a perfume which is supposed to delude the unsophisicated observer that they are indeed the weet things they counterfeit, but which is not more like the illusive, delicate nature perfume that the odorous confudion of barbers pomade is like a feld of early flowers The artificial violet is a vulgar thing and mars a coustume which it is meant ot decorate
152
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Ella W. Peattie)
Katrina Trask, one of the most conservative and logical writers of her sex, has the following to say in the last number of the Forum on the subject of woman's duty
Men are not wise enough, nor generous enough, nor pure enough to legislate fairly for women The laws of the most civilized nation depress and degrade women "
In the heat of the debate on the subject of woman suffrage, these words of George William Curtis were flung broadcast in the campaign documents Alas' that women do not realize that by this arraignment of men they condemn themselves Every man who legislates has been conceived of woman, has been influenced by her life, her thoughts her split, during his prenatal existence, has had her impress on his dawning soul, has been led and guided through the first unfolding of his life by her hand has had his susceptible young heart first in her keeping his awakening thought first beneath her sway And if, at last he grows up to make laws which depress and degrade her, there must be some lack of grace or wisdom, some error of nature or of life in woman, which had better be met and overcome as the first step toward he emancipation, that when it comes it may stand upon a firm foundation, upon the impregnable rock of her own fitness and character Warfare and aggression are unlovely methods, and by them women sacrifice much that they can ill afford to lose whereas if they are wise, they will wait the opening of the door As long as men are unjust to women, carelessly selfish and cruel as they too often are woman is sending forth proofs to the world of her own incapacity and failure And she has no right to ask--nay, by her revealed lack of a sense of justice, she forfeits her right to ask--to be made ruler over more things, until she has been faithful to those already committed to her charge. ------------------- Kate Sanborn, the niece of Daniel Webster, wrote a book several years ago on "Adopting on Abandoned Farm," which proved so successful that it enabled her to pay for the farm in question Later she wrote another book entitled "Abandoning an Adopted Farm" With the proceeds of this she bought a country place This seems to be case of tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum working progressively and in harmony ------------------- Nothing more delightful in a social way has come up this year than the dancing teas This is merely a tea served at the usual hours to men and women, the refreshments being light and the orchestra playing dancing music The parlors and corridors are prepared for dancing, and the occasion presents a maximum or enjoyment with a minimum of expense and trouble It is actually a fact that dances for evening have become unpopular because they entail such heavy expense, not only upon those entertaining but, to a degree upon all those participating The young men actually cannot afford to hire carriages at this point in the history of the financial depression And the flowers and other trifles make a sum that would keep a frugal young man comfortably for a week But the ten dances permit the wearing of afternoon toilets, do not entail the necessity of a carriage and have an element of informality about them which is delightful The one drawback to afternoon affairs is apt to be the absence of gentlemen There is a theory that men are too busy to attend afternoon entertainments But it will be noticed that at the few afternoon receptions given in Omaha this season where gentlemen have been invited. that they have attended in large numbers, and seemed to be enthusiastic over the agreeable break in the week a monotonous toil It is a very hard worked man who cannot leave his place of business at 4 o clock now and again, to go to a friend s house for a cup of chocolate and a bit of conversation Both the men and women in this city would be happier if the men would find a little more time for association with the women As it now is, the men are growing dull in every way excepting a business way and the women, with their clubs, their study their round of social pleasures, and their charming and gracious home life are becoming every day more cultivated and more exacting! As a measure of self-preservation the men must bestir themselves if they wish to keep pace with the women in the social and intellectual development of their lives.
153
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN (By Elia W Peattie)
There were three of them. They lived in the same house, having had the ill fortune to select the same parents. They were talking about the efficacy of prayer--only they didn't call it "efficacy,' because one of them was 5, one 8 and one 11 years old.
"Well," said Eleven, "I just know prayers are answered. My prayers are answered, anyway. When I ask for anything real hard God always gives it to me."
'Maybe he gives it to you,' said Eight, who was a girl 'but I have been praying for some things for a year and they haven't come yet. I don't think it does any good to pray."
'Mabby," remarked Five contemplatively, as he dragged three balls of dirty twine out of a minute pocket. 'Mabby you ain't onto your job."
Not long ago a little girl with a Distinguished Relative learned that he--the D R, had been elected governor of his state. She was immediately swe'led with pride and anticipation. Possibly she has derived more satisfaction from the situation than the Distinguished Relative himself. Reflecting on the family glory, a happy thought struck her.
'Oh mamma," she said, "I 'spose when Uncle Henry becomes governor that Aune Jane will be the governess, won't she?"
Apropos of all this, there was once a club of women started in a pleasant suburb of Chicago. Most of the members were young married women. They met for purposes of study, and in addition to the usual rules, they had one of a negative sort. It was that they were not to speak of their ailments their servants or their children. As they were all in good health, approximately at least, they had no trouble in refraining from mention of their health. They were too well bred to discuss their servants. But they almost exploded in their efforts to refrain from telling stories about their respective babies. Indeed the rule was so often infringed upon that at length a small recess was permitted every afternoon in order that the cleverest doings in the nursery might be recorded. It was generally agreed that the club would have gone to pieces if this latitude had not been permitted.
The word nursery, used in the previous paragraph, reminds one that it is more or less of an affectation to speak of nurseries as if they were a common institution. They certainly are not, in this town at least. Out of 100 homes where little children are to be found, there is perhaps one home with a nursery among its conveniences. The average little child grows up hanging to her mother's beloved skirts. If she is in the kitchen making bread, he is there playing with a piece of the dough. If she is at the sewing machine, he is helping her. If she is reading, he is perched on the arm of her chair, reading, too. Perhaps, after all, these are the children who really have the most delightful time.
The following communication comes from an esteemed woman, and relates to the direction which the economies in the public schools are likely to take.
Thirty years have wrought wondrous changes in our public schools, and there have been many seasons of "hard times" but never before has the writer heard the demand to begin economies by robbing the little children of any valued educational facilities.
If the city council wished to decide on some new pavement, electric light or trolley system they would send experts in each line to decide upon its merits. Have not the mothers of Omaha a right to demand that educational experts decide upon the merits of the kindergartens?
The visitor in any of our kindergartens will find fifty or more bright-faced children busily occupied with what seems to be mere play with certain forms and colors, but which is in reality the use of a new set of educational tools, not to be condemned by those who know nothing whatever of their object. The cheerful home-like atmosphere, the music, the happiness of the little children alone ough to appeal to the crustiest of bachelors of most mercenary of heavy taxpayers in the city.
In conclusion we would recommend to the youthful members of the council of city fathers(?) the perusal of "Children's Rights," by Kate Wiggin, and to the Heavy Taxpayer," a course in psychology although since psychology is the science of one's own soul he may find it difficult to discover a subject for experiment.
154
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN (By Elia W. Peattie)
A druggist in town is advertising medicines at reduced rates. He displays placards inviting one to invest in job lots of quinine, and avail themselves of salve going at a sacrifice. One lives in expectation of seeing fire sales of phenacetine announced, and bargain days for remnants of asafetida.
The woman's department of the Cotton States and International exposition has received from the Southern society of New York an offer of the loan of a valuable collection of books, containing about 2,500 copies. These are rare works, selected because they were subjects particularly interesting to people in the southern states.
In Douglas county, Oregon, living on Wolf creek, is a new sect of religionists, the members of which confine their diet to goat's milk, goose fat, ducks' eggs and mush. No doubt these people are convinced that they have a special revelation, and are praying that he unregenerate world may come to their way of thinking and eating, and be united with them in a universal brotherhood.
It is said that Belle Bilton otherwise the Countess Clancarty, is coming to America to dance. In spite of her marriage with a British peer poverty has driven her back to the stage. It is no secret that this beautiful and audacious young woman led a wild life, previous to becoming a peeress. She was even defiant of the properties to an extent after she was married, but only in the way of retaliating upon her noble old father-in-law, whom she thought, very justly, had no call to criticise her for misdemeanors. She considered herself quite good enough, morally and intellectually speaking, to enter the house of Clancarty, and the consensus of opinion appears to be that she was right. When the old peer died from alcoholism--as Belle Bilton had foretold--leaving not a cent that he diverted to his son the peeress, with her new title still sitting strangely, starred in a spectacle. She kept the larder filled in the impecunious ancestral halls and though her costume was abbreviated to a startling degree, she acted with as much decorum as the circumstances would permit. Old debts of her husbands, the enormous expense entailed in supporting the Clancarty estates, and extravagant habits of living, have forced the count into the hands of the money sharks. It is the hated beauty, of course, who must come to the rescue of the family. The estates are to be placed under an administrator for the benefit of the mortgage creditors, and the countess will support herself, husband and child by singing and dancing on the stage. She has been studying all the time during her retirement from the stage. Whether she will wear her coronet and ermines before Omaha audiences or not remains to be seen. Belle Bilton was always worth looking at or listening to, they say, and her majesty's cousin, the Countess Clancarty, and Viscountess Dunlo, Baroness Kilconnel, Baroness Trench, Marchioness of Hesden, nee Belle Bilton, will draw for other reasons. Tommy loves a lord. And the American woman--as a whole--will go to see Bilton. Besides, they say she is as beautiful as our Lillian Russell, and that's reason enough for going to see her
Wood carving has been an interesting pastime for women for several years, and now some women in England have really produced substantial evidence of their skill in a handsome organ case, which has recently been put into use in a new church in Falmouth.
The diplomacy of woman and her unclouded understanding of the peculiarities of her sex is shown by a lady who sent out invitations to a fancy dress ball, and received many requests to allow the conventional evening dress. To these she replied that all ladies over 30 might appear in their accustomed style of dress, and the ball was a great success.
155
MRS. PEATTIE WILL READ.
At the next Monday evening entertainment to be given at Unity church tomorrow, Mrs. Elia W. Peattie will read passages of original fiction. The music will be conducted by Mr. Thomas J. Kelly. To commence promptly at 8 o'clock.