The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-04
From the New York World !


The Women's Social Education Society
held its regular meeting yesterday after
noon at Plimpton Hall, Mrs. Caroline A.
Soule, the president, in the chair. The
discussion of q psper read at q previous
meeting by Mrs. DR.. Baker was the first
business in order. Its subject was the
necessity of truthfulness in women in So
eial Iifes- The president said that the pro-
positions in the paper were 90 self evident
that there was not room for much discus
sion. She thought tbat ladies ought al
ways to tell the truth under all circuu,.
stances. 1t was very cad thing that they
were so much given to what were general
ly considered white lies. These generally
degenerated into very black lies 1t was
very wrong, for instance, for women to
instruct their servants to say they were
not at home when they were at home.
Mrs. Kent Thought that ladies ought to
be educated into courage enough to tel!
and could not see any one. A fear that
they might offend their friends by such o
message was the reason for this common
social untrnth, but if it could be commonly
accepted in society that this lie was an
enormity che did not think that any one
would take offence if the truth was told
and an audience denied.
Mrs. Miller agreed with the first speaker,
| and thought that q reform in this respect
could be effected without any great social
| revulsion.
| A lady present said mothers must be
educated to the fact that the welfare oi
! their children demands that at all times
| they should be truthful. Only in this way
1 could they expect their children to be
| truthful and respectful. f
Mrs. Bronson admitted the evil com.
planned Of that women were SAD set Of
| story -tellers, but she would like to heal
from the ladies present the best way Of
| curing this evil.
Mrs. Wolfe thought that the best way
was to educate the conscience.
The Chair remarked that it should bs
said Of women, as it was OF men sometimes
that their word was as good as their bond
Mrs. Bronson thought the subject wal
taking q low range. There we're othel
falsehoods besides the one on which Isc
much stress had been laid, of q lady saying
che was out when abe was in. They were
all living in the atmosphere of falsehood
and she would like to know if there wal
not some way of reaching this evil and cor.
recting it so that the average woman would
cease to lie.
Another lady said another common false
hood practiced by women was in inviting
to their homes people whom they did MOI
want and whom they would much rather
would not accept the invitation.
| Several ladies present disclaimed this
and said that they were never guilty o.
this sin.
| Mrs. Wolfe thought that there were
other falsehoods besides those of the tongue
Many women lived falsely by attempting
| to dress beyond their means, The woman
1 whose husband had an income of thous
! and dollars year strained every nerve tc
dress ae we'll as the woman whose husband
had ten times that income; and, said che
: "they do it some way, bat it is by terrible
straininR." The debate was hero closed
A paper by Mrs. Slocum upon the cub.
iect Of ssan institution for the education OF
domestics and upon the household general
| ly," was then read, and after como discus'
sion Its further consideration Was post
poned until January 2.