River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-07-07

sIlNef at the UlStaSJeIui lie ana sur
rOundings that you have left behind
you, and regret the wasted talents that
were almost thrown away upon unap-
precitiye plebeians. / hope you will
take your first step upward by a daily
attendance at our meetings. We have
arranged the time to accommodate
those like yourself engaged in teaching,
and our first meeting will be held in
Blanks Hall, the first Monday morn
ing of your vacation, two weeks hence.
You viii have an opportunity to meet
some of the rarest minds in the state,
for the most prominent of the enamel
pated sisterhood Will be represented on
this occasion. | hope to see you
there"
With a bow and another light hand
clasped, Mrs. Nottingham Smith took
her departure.
Little Violet was strangely absent
minded when Jessie presented herself
that evening; her usual power of con-
centration, that made her so successful
with each moments duty heretofore,
seemed gone, and she felt restless and
impatient for the child to go. This
mood did not pass with a nights sleep,
either. She carried it into the school
room the next day, and the next; and
she dwelt upon Mrs. Nottingham
Smiths words and grew to feel that her
life was indeed, cramped one full OF
pretty aims,
81 am livinga dull, narrow, treadmill
existence" she said 'and there / have
4
thought myself doing my whole duty,
only proves how dull my finger feel
ings and aspirations have become /
might be filling a higher sphere, doing
more good, thinking greater thoughts,
and associating with better class of peo-
pie if | were only-well-em cipdted.
shall be glad when vacation comes. y
Vacation came, and with it the inter
state convention of emancipated wom-
en-. Violet was one of the first to enter
Blanks Hall on Monday morning. 1t
filled rapidly, and such a medley OF
striking people Violet had never seen
together before. There were elegant
women in long trained dresses, and
women with elaborate coifiures, and
women with hair "shingled" and part
ed on one side. And all seemed full OF
business, and were gathered in little
''cliques" and first and foremost, and
everywhere present was Mrs. Odessa
Nottingham Smith. She smiled well
come to Violet, and introduced her to
| Mrs. Jonas Winters, novelist, and the
Honorable Mrs Brown. Violet felt
herself inclined to laugh at the very
odd attire of the latter, which was a
curious combination of masculinity
and feminity; but uncultured though it
was, according to Mrs. O. n. s. forbade
her do to so. She was somewhat sur
prised, therefore, to hear Mrs. Odessa
Nottingham Smith remark, as the Hon.
Mrs. Brown moved away to speak to a
newcomer;
"What is the necessity of any wom-
ans making such guy of herself as
Mrs. Brown does? She is really ridi-
culOus figure, is she not, in that monde
script suit"
Violet did not answer save to ask the
name O the lady who had Just entered.
She was a very sweet-faced woman,
with so kind smile and so gracious a
manner, that Violet felt her heart go
out toward her Involuntary. Mrs.
Odessa Nottingham Smith and Mrs 10
mas Winters, novelist, both frowned
and drew back with sudden hateur as
their eyes fell on the new conner.
Really" cried Mrs. Winters, II was
not aware she was coming. | wonder
who invited herr
"Not l, /" responded Mrs. Odessa Not
tingham Smith. Il can assure you of
that. She probably came unlimited.
1t is like her holiness"
Glow lovely she isn cried impolitic
Violet; ''please tell me who she is"
Mrs. Odessa Nottingham Smith frown-
ed more forbiddingly than ever as she
turned to answer Violet's query.
THAT" she said with cold irony, sis
Mrs. Burton. 1t may be you have
heard her name in connection with a
scandal which was in every ones
mouth few years ago. 1t may be
you were too young to have heard it. |
assure you | did not ask her TO attend
this meeting, and shall treat her III
way that She will not be apt to come
again
When the meeting was called to or
der and the prehminaries gone through
with, the object of the meeting was dis
cussed, and those who had papers to
read were called upon to send THEN
names and the titles of their papers.
1t so happened that Violet was seat
ed next to Mrs. Burton, and that lady
CHANGED to address her and they fell
into pleasant converse. Violet was
charmed with her sweet voice and hel
gentle manners.
[ cannot associate her with anything
evil, she said mentally, "anA | believe
she is a good true woman. | don't see
why those ladies felt it necessary to
tell me she had been a subject to scan
dal. There are precious few promi-
nent people in the world who have not
been more or less scandalized in some
way"
Violet was invited by Miss Jonas
Winters, novelist, to dine with her party
at the hotel Mrs. Odessa Noting.
ham Smith has gone to the residence
of q personal friend in the city, and
was not one of the party; as a cOnse-
quence she came under discussion.
"How like a general she takes the
lead" some one present observed.
Eyes, and who would ever have sup
posed she would develop as she has? y
responded Mrs. Jonas Winters, novelist
| "You know before her marriage she
was not considered anybody. Her peO-
/ pie were poor, and | am told quite lit
crate. Her marriage was fortunate
/ thing for her. 1t enabled her to step
/ into a position she could never have at
tanned alone.
The tone was kind, the words full OF
appreciation of Mrs. Smiths having
made such excellent use of her oppor-
| tunities. Yet all the same Violet knew
the motive that promoted tn remark
was an unworthy one. 1t was envy Of
/ Mrs. Smiths foremost place in the as
/ sociation, and her power of general
ship; and every woman present made
mental note of the fact that Mrs
Odessa Nottingham Smith sprang from
a very low family.
The next day Violet CHANGED to be
near a knot of ladies who were nearly
all strangers to her They were dis
] cussing a paper which was to be read
/ the following morning by Mrs. Gordon
| Il woman of marked beauty and bril-
| liancy, who had occupied considerable
time the previous day, and won much
attention from the reporters who had
/ been present by an eloquent and i'm
promptu speech.
1T seems scarcely desirable that one
person should monopolize so much
time" remarked a lady in Boomers