The Portland daily press., 1868-08-24
Miscellany.


Mrs. Jennie June Croly writes to New
York journal to correct some very erroneous
impressions with regard to the character and
objects of the Woman's Club in that city.
She says the society has been sneered at be-
cause it only eats its lunches, and does not
Immediately declare war against "the soclal
eviP' and all sorts of abuses, to which she re-
plies:
At first desire to say that it has been no
part of our plan to talk through the news
papers or othor journals; The m0st OF US do
that for our bread and butter, ana ma our re-
lations in our new organization too personal
and too precious to be lightly talked about.
Many of us have been writing and working
in various ways against various kinds of So
cial evils, for the past ten or fifteen wears.
and have arrived at that page in experience
where individual effort at self-improyement
seems more likely to help the cause of hui
man progress than any amount OF talk and
denunciatlon of other peoples errors.
oorosls was originally projected, not as
cup, put as an order, TO which the club
sh0uid serve as an entrance or vestibule. This
oruer IS progressive one, and its degrees are
typihed by the different plants, which come
under the botanical head Of "Sorosis"-SO-
r0Sls being not a degree of itself, but the
elimination of them all.
The club idea seized upon the pub
lie mind, and fastened itself there, as we
were very well content that it should, and, as
far as it goes, it is good, and something that
is needed. do not know for my part, why
women should not meet and chat and enjoy
Delmonicos delicious lunches. lust as well. as
their husbands do their more costly dinners
do not know, either, why they should be
expected to spend their time in trlking about
evils which all their efforts will be poweress
TO counterfeit, SO long as men are engaged IN
asslduously cultivating them. or course they
will come to it, ii they have not already Il am
not going to tell all we do), for women are
natural reformers, and cannot see wrong
without wishing in some way to remove it.
But there are other evils and other wrongs
besides those hard and obvious ones, which,
Tor the past ten or twenty years, have receiv-
ed their full share of public attention, with
very little result, and one of them in the slav-
lsh condition which must exist where men
dare say to their wives, you shall not join
society of women. L don't approve of wo-
mems societies." or. on the other hand, where
lazy paragraphsiSts, in language VIII ch shows
the utmost content for the Queens English,
order women, so far above them that they
couldnot see them through telescope, to
stop attending clubs and stay at home and
mend stockings,
wonder if the thought ever entered their
heads oil how many stockings women do
mend, and how many other thankless offices
they perform for just such brainless objects
as themselves.
Having freed her mind in this spirited
manner, Mrs. Croly proceeds to say that the
New York Sorosis is in splendid working Or
der. Meetings have not beenso frequent during
the warm season, but so great was the inter-
est felt, that an adjournment even for sum-
mer recess was instantly voted down, while
letters from ladies all over the country evince
the general interest felt in the movement.
She adds:
As have before intimated, lady can be a
full and regular member OF the Club without
entering the Order, and many will undoubt-
eddy desire to do so. But at present we have
found, drawn together, manly women of
kindred tastes; who discover in the order the
kind of discipline and selt-culture, which
they need. And it is the ambition of the
New York Sorosis to extend this beneficent
influence to women everywhere who need
1T and desire ito promote among them
simplicity, truth, charity, usefulness, and
first fall, love and fidelity towards each 9TH
er. Such work as this is best effected quietly.
People only make a great noise when they |
attack other peoples falings; they are ex-
cusable fol being silent in trying to remedy |
their own.
The following is a copy of the published
circular:
The object Of this Association is to promote agree
able and useful relations among women OF literary
and artistic tastes.
1t is entirely Independent OF sectionalsm or par
tianship.
1t recognizes OF thought TASTE intelligence,
culture and humanity everywhere, especially when
these qualities have found expression in outward lie
and work.
1t aims to establish order among women that
shall render them helpful to each other and remove
in some degree barriers which custom and etiquette
Place in the way of friendly intercourse and united
1t affords women opportunity for the discussion
Of such facts and principles promise to exert an
important influence on the welfare OF women and OF
society.
representative women in literature, art, and phi
,""thropy everywhere are invited to become mem