The Mineral argus., 1883-12-27
THAT wOMAN's CONGRESS

tell you all about the Woman's Congress
in which you nare so interested. and
which we went to Chicago on purpose f.
attend-thot is l did, but sSally wanted
to match some feathers and have no,
hair banged. She is a dear girl but does
not seem to haye the remotestidea abon,
the higher life, her duty to womanhood
and all that sort of thing, you know.
IT rained the first day. It was inc,
horrible. Chicago weather c%ertainIs
Droves that habit IL stronger ethan prin.
chile. for the mercury slid up and down
in the Thermometer, the wind bleT
from all points of the compass, and All
this after we had been promised hr
weather.
We went to drive after breakfast viii
lack. and he would take US out to I'M
mark. although we told him wa were On.
der a mortal obligation to go to the meet.
ing. He said he guessed there wouldbe
enough earnest women to carry The
thing through without us. l don't like
10 hear Jack adopt that tone. If there
is Il thing women ought to do it is to
encourage each other IN the cause, by
their presence at least.
When we got back the meeting had
adjourned, but it did not make much
difference, for it was a business meeting
minutes, and reports, and things.
don't believe you would care much for
them.
In the afternoon we heard n paper
you would have liked 50 much. | forget
the title: but it was all about children
and drunkenness and poverty aud
crime. 1t was read by an eastern lady.
TI.nvv ft,ct lnVyn ctrnit fn.FaDu &itn vsrornn
black dress, and looked so sweet and
noble up there on the stage. When she
said the state ought to interfere, and
women ought TO make it their business
to see 70 It, l felt thrilled to the heart,
and was willing to do anything to help
the good work. Then there was a dis
Gu sion of the paper that | did not hear,
because ! was trying ID remember what
| had done with Sally's sample of velvet.
That night there was q grand banquet
at the Palmer House. l did want 10
hear Miss Barton speak on 1.-The work
of the Red Cross" but it was imp Jssible.
We had made up our minds to 90 to the
banquet, and knew that we should be all
tired out and fit for nothing if we tried
for both.
1t was a lovely party, and | have sent
you the Society Journal, in which there
is a full account.
l was glad we had taken eu2ling
dresses with us. 1t was sdch a satTs.~c.
ton to show the world that a woman can
take a serious, earnest, view of life and
still pay some attegtion to her appear
The next day it, rained so hard that it
really seemed foolish to go out. We had
accepted an initiation to lunch, so we
spent the morning getting ready.
We really ougbt to have declined, but 1t
seemed a little rude TO do that. especial
lY as she said we should go down togeth-
CT to the-0foefnoon meeting. Luncheon
was delayed by calls, and there was g
baby-a dear little thing-but she just
would not 60 to sleep, and we could not
leave her crying. l felt really guilty
when we reached the hall aud found the
session nearly over. 1t was not very en-
joyable, one can not be interested in the
discussion of a paper one has notheard.
1t is trying, too. to feel that you are not
living up to the level ofyour friends ex-
pectations. Some of the ladies seemed to
think we might have been early if we
had cared to. and made themselves real
ly d~isagreeable, even after / had ex-
planned how it was. l think really the
great problem is now women shall pro-
EOA blACiI IltlC Justly dGu LbHlI
conventional and their higher social du-
ties. Next wear I'll present a paper on
that subject if you will help me.
| do think Jack is lovely. We met
him in q barber shop where Sally went
to have her hair banged. He said she
looked like the wreck of an i'll spent life,
but If she would wear her hat very far
down over her nose he would take US
place for supper and see that we
were in time for evening services. |
think mel lave a better idea of time
than women, don't you? l was real
glad he went. for one of the ladies' talk
ed SO seriously and earnestly about SOW
ing wild oats. There we're many gentle.
men present and all looked impressed
when she referred to DAWN, or Hux-
ley or Spencer, for you know it takes a
strong mind to read those books.
On Friday morning was the election
OF officers. More than half the ladies
forgot their membership tickets, land a
good deal OF time was taken up making
out new ones. 1t was after eleven be-
fore the ballots were distributed. A list
OF vice presidents and other officers is
made out by q nominating committee,
but each member can scratch any name
and substitute another. There were two
three | would like to have changed,
but did not have a pencil. AS Sally was
in a hurry to go for her feathers l Just
voted the ticket as it was and left.
There were some papers to be read
that afternoon, and a charming tea atthe
rooms of the Fortnightly, that I was
awiully sorry to miss, but we decided
hastily to come home with the Kinseys
you know father does not like to have
us travel alone.
j.! feel more and more how important
is for a woman to cultivate her mind,
and have come home with a fixed and
unwavering purpose to elevate nv sex,
and to cling to the path of duty, no mat