The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-03 00:00:00

FINE ART&

SOCIETY OF FEMALE ARTISTS.

This Society of Artists have now confirmed their
right to a place amongst the exhibitions of the metropolis, by
their eighth annual exhibition, which was opened on Monday
alibi gallery of the society, in Pall-hall. It need not tax the
gallantry of any amateur of painting and the arts to admit
that thisexhibitioe, if it shows no very considerable improve-
ment upon the laid, shows no falling off. It may not cer-
tainly be said to smart the claim of women to the high reek
of mastery in the art, either in conception or execution, yet
it does point to some of the chmacterintic exewilemose of
their work. There are pictures which exemplify the dar-
ing, not to say rash attempts of the female artistic
bend, in subjeets which few men would comae
to mature ; sad in some instanced, let us admit with
pleasure, the boldness is crowned with sitcoms.
There sae others in which we can perceive a refinement and
peculiar tenderness of thought and intention which it very
rarely eaters into a man's head or heart to paint. There are
again examples of a nice perception of colour—the sentiment
of colour—particularly in flowers and fruit, which, now that
Hunt is gone, perhaps no man ma surpass. What we seem
to miss in these pictures is the thoroughly well-balanced
work—the picture not only well conceived, bet painted with
the nervous grasp of complete knowledge, and the rich-
toned palette of harmonious colouring.

MUSIC.

NATIONAL CHORAL SOCIETY.

The performance of Elijah at Exeter-hall last
'Melling, under the direction of Mr. G. W. Mortis, did
great honour to the National Choral Society, end to its able
and energetic founder and director. Mr. Martin has
gradually, by his persevering labours, brought his chorus
and orchestra to a degree of discipline and strength, and has
been so careful to employ the most eminent solo vocalists,
that his performances Dow rival in excellence those
of the older society, which has the merit of having
brought the oratorio is this country to its present high
and palmy state, not equalled in any other country—not
even in /Germany itself. The muster of solo singers
was very strong last night ; it iocluded Mr. Sims
Reeves, Mr. &inlay, Madame Rudendorff, Miss E.
Heywood, and other competent name■, sad the
magnificent choruses were sung with great precisioo,
and careful snootier, to the n.erent of expression and
effect. The part of the Prophet was sustained by Mr.
fisatky with a dramatic power which no previous represen-
tative of the character has ever surpassed. Mr. Suns Reeves
wee in full pcsseesioe of his incomparable vocal powers.
Madame Rudendorff mug, as she always does, like a highly
accomplished artist ; and Mims Heywood, in the contralto
part, so full of beauties, was eminently suooesdnl.
This young and rising performer gave the beautiful air,
'• 0, rest in the Lord," with so fine a quality of voice, and
so much simplicity and expression, that it was loudly and
unanimously encored. It is unnecessary to enter into
further details respecting the performance of an oratorio
which is now as familiar to English ears as The Nowak
itself ; it is sufScient to say that from beginning to end
it was listened to with evident admiration and delight by
the vast assemblage who crowded every part of the ball

WOBSWOMECTS CLUBS.

(nor •

Workmen's clubs for social meeting and amuse-
ment of the better kind are usefully rising up all around us,
but there is soother club as much Deeded, of which we
have not yet heard, though it can hardly fail to follow—
• workwomen's club. Not • club this for amusement, but
for work—for work carried on in society in mutual &reels,
floc and help, giving women to some slight degree those
advantages of which men are gradually acquiring more and
more. Workwomeo, needlewomen, work either in this
houses of their employers or in their own homes, and the
home of • needlewoman, we know. is mostly • garret, often
that of her employer the sweater. There in the cold sod
the dark, often in solitude, they work, and after their work
is over it is still in the cold and the dark—for them there
is out even the public-house to learn how others live,
to hear of employment, to compare wages, to see the
faces and hoar the voices of fallow working wombs.
And they thus Rink, below almost the power of charity to
raise ; and while all around them in their courts and alleys
are swarming men, women, and children in utter rap, the
needle looks only to the shoior the Duress for employ, the
slopahop:that "grinds" their faces, the limos that with toil
and moil gets off the garments they have made at the cost
of the materials, paying their work with charity doles.
Bat suppose a workwomen's club • frequent institution in
poor neighbourhoods, where for Id. or 24. • day three poor

•
imam could have the me for all the daylight hours of a
light airy room, with convenient tables and chairs and •
good fire in winter, with the aid and protection of a matron
to cut out for and to oonosel them' If in addition to this
room there were a kitchen where they could wash themselves
and their work, and where for lot. each they could
have breakfast, dinner, and tea, it would be all
the better. Of come the profits of the work the
women brought would be their own, and this work might
cosily include much patching sod mending for the poor
neighbours oCerhom they would bear through each other;
and soon would follow the preparing of ready-made cloths ;
the matron would got the materials as cheaply as the slop.
Mope, and the sale would be easy while over the windows
was written " Work worma's Club and Cheap Clothes Co.
operative Store," and within were found the poor working
women themselves, with their matron to buy of—not a ladies'
committee agency, or any charity in question. At first, of
course, such an enterprise, like every other for the benefit of
very poor persona, would need some small subecriptious. If
• penny a day footing were all that the workwomsa mold
give, the numben most be considerable ere the not, the
fire, the matron's pay could cos* out of it, but from the
time them numbers reached two dozen the matter would be
wife. 'Similarly as meanie coat of materials for garments for
sale at first they would need aid, but sOOO the work women
from their gains would furnish funds. The mine room in
_ . .

the evening lighted might give accommodation to a club
foe women, snore analogous to those for men, with the ad-
vantage that, while beano; the reading or the talk, the
women might still, if they pleased, pursue soma easy work.
Poe thin, of coarse, the subscription would be extra. Soon a
profit would appear on the whole concern. Probably it will
be Nand that not only single women and girls, but widows
and even wives can find aseiStance from such a club. Chil-
dren at working women, between the boars of nine and five,
are for the most part best at school the husband is for
the most part sway ; the baby might be admitted os pay-
meet of a similar ld. footing to its mother, sad be the
better for the clewing Dof but water and fora smoother
floor to roll on ; and the ideas of neatness and comfort the
wife could carry away might prove just as metal to her
hone as we are told are those mss obtain at their claim.

A NEW SPECTRAL ILLUSION.