Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-02-04
SOCIETY in WINTER.

First: AS to sewing clubs; the work
should be carefully restricted to such
embroidery, etc., as cannot be done by
women who earn their living by their
needle. The justice of this ought to be
apparent; but it is, as a rule, over
looked. We have known the plain sew
ing taken from the seamstress of a vii
lage, and given to the church club, for
winter; the consequence of which was
hungry women asking for parish help,
stained glass window behind the pulpit.
Secondly: In reading clubs, let the
time for each reader be limited by in
flexible rule. If it is not done, there
will be found in every club, at least one
dogmatic, self reader who will force his
author and his voice upon the club, un-
til in disgust and WEAKNESS the mem.
bers fall off and the experiment fails.
Thirdly: If we may trench upon
most delicate topic, we would suggest
that in merely social combinations for
the purpose of music, dancing or CONVEX
sation, the old cast lines of the town be
disregarded. There is no despotism
more narrow or cruel than the artistic
cracy of village. New blood and new
ideas would generally revivfiy it; out
side of the so-called good society of
such place which has been fenced in
for two or three generations, is frequent
ly found the larger proportion of intel
ligence, culture, and breadth of thought.
Fourthly: The great want experienc-
ed by cultured men and women in a
small town is of books, periodicals, etc.,
which, individually, they are not able
to buy. There are very few circulating
libraries in American towns of popu-
lation less than ten thousand. This
want can be obviated in measure, by
friendly combination between certain
families or individuals, in which each
contributes given number of books to
a common stock; these books are loaned
to the members In turn.
A more formal and much better way
is the formation of a book-club, such as
were common in England before the es-
tablishment of Nude, in which each
member, pays to the beginning GER
tain sum, with which as many books
are purchased as there are members,
each one choosing book these pass in
regular rotation from hand to hand, re-
naming fortnight with each reader
twenty books may thus be read for the
- mi LoAl-a houA No..
ed around the circle, they are sold to
the members for the benefit of the club.
| Fines for detention and abuse of books
also keep up the funds. No officer is
required in this association but treas
urer Another advantage in the plan
is that books can be bought by the quan.
tity at lower rates than singly. The
same rule applies to subscriptions fol
magazines, newspapers, etc.-'Homt
and Society Scrtmer for December.
Boys, and girls too, as for that mat
ter, take two empty oyster cans and {
stout, smooth string. Let small hole
be made in the bottom of each can
through which the string-say fifty t.
one hundred feet in lengths passed
and secured. Then let the experimen
ters set up their telegraph by choosing
their stations as far apart as the tightly
stretched sting will permit, and Will
one operator holds his ear to one of tn
cans and his companion his mouth t
can of the other end of the line, the,
will find that conversation can be car
ried on so that most tones, and even
whisper, will be distinctly perceptible
What usually most astonishes thos
who make this experiment for the frs
time is that the sound of the voice doe
not seem to come from the person speak
: ing at the other end of the string, bu
: to issue from the can itself, which
5 held to the ear of the listener. This {
t first appears to be deception, but it
really not so. The ear tells the exat
i truth. The voice that is heard reall
e comes from the can that is held to tt
Y ear of the hearer. The voice of tt
g speaker communicates sound -producin
i vibrations to the wall of the can wit
e which his voice is in immediate contac
t These vibrations are communicated
,e the string, but SO changed that they I
r longer affect the ear. A person ma
r stand by the string while the sound
n passing and yet hear nothing.
: The discovery of gold in Navada vi
: made by some Mormon immigrats
: 1850. Adventures crossed the Sierr
. and set up their sluice- boxes IN the ca
l a ! L L r. -.