Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-05
A DINNER WITH S0R0SIS.
GLazgPsEs oFPROMINENT MEM
BrES OF THE CLUB.

WASHINGTON, April 2.-Ine other day
IN Washington, while consort'nE WIN
Copgressmen and Congress women pa
ding to great feast was handed me- IL
came from "Jenny June and sald
0Sorosis requests the pleasure oil your
counapv nj the eighteenth anniversary
dinner. Delmonico's, Monday, March ~
at12 o,elock.7 so on sunday put my
best gown into my haud-bag-your true
Nine. itinerant has nothing to do WIN
Trunks and bOXes-aud made my way
over to New York FOR an opportunity 10
dine with sorosis may not happen 10 one
more than once in LIE time.
Sorosis. AS of course every daughter OF
Eve who reads these lines must know, is
the oldest aud greatest woman's club IN
the world. It was started in 1868 by Jen-
ME June Croly Kate Field, Alice Cary,
Charlotte Wilbocer and few others, and
the yyay il came to be started was Jennie
June and Fanny Fern and few other
newspaper writer's got piqued because
they were not allowed to pay their SD
and take part in the great press banquet
rendered by New York newspaper men to
Charles Dickens. MIR. ID. q. Croly, the
husband of Jenny, and Mr.. "Peter Par
lew Parton, the husband of Fanny, tried
their best to get the women members OF
the press into the list OF Mr.. Dickens
hosts, but masculine prejudice against a
female woman at banquet was
not to be overcome in day, so tnat bllthe
and boany little Jenny, the most spark
ling newspaper writer, man or woman,
on the press at that time, went of home
and Matched SorOsis. A meeting was
held at her house, the women mildly "ht'
over a name for the new club, but Jenny,
delving into botanical dictionaries, got
hold of and pulled out the Greek word
Sorosis, which literally translated means,
in heap-In a pile 1t was a beautiful
sounding word, and SOrosis became the
club name, and the ladies who were
pledged to meet every Monday Tor
lunch at DelmOnico's held their first
feminine feast. Miss Kate Field wanted
the CLUB called the WOman's League. and
IN those days Kate Field was just as Kate
Fieldian as she is now, ana by little
scheming carried her point. The name
Borosis was abandoned and the club stag
gered under the weight Of "Ihe Woman's
League" a title that proved too weighty
TO carry. The club was growing handy
legged, and at the next lunch another vote
was had the old name was relnstated aud
Miss Field and her friends put their pretty
noses in the air, got mad and Just "took
their doll rags and went home"
Well. SorOsis lived ana grew in stature
and wisdom and popularity until to-day
it is one Of The greatest honors that can
befall a pu bic woman tObe entertaine as
the guest OF this club whose members are
of the brightest, highest and most intel
lectual women IN the land. On three
separate occasion has SorOsis honored
women by public reception. One of
these women was Mrs. Martha j. Lamb,
another was Emily Faithful, and the
third only a few weeks ago, was Madame
Henri Greville. On the third Monday OF
every March SOrosis gives this big an
niVersary dinner TO its members
and women friends. This last dinner
was a great event. For want Of room 400
applications for invitations had been re-
fused. The club was not only celebrat-
ing its eighteenth birthday, but was to bid
goodbye to its beloved president for the
last eleven years-Mrs. CrOly. At the
last election for officers, by some uneX-
pected hocTs pocus Mrs. Croly was not
reelected, and a Mrs. Thomas, fat, ell
Derby lady, who lives near Philadelphia,
and has an experimental scientific farm
rallied her forces and carried the day.
Mrs. Croly scorned to eectiOneer for her
self and now her friends are bemOaning
their own lack of zeal on her behalf. 1t
was Mrs. CrOly who founded SOrOsis, and
who has been the life of the club, and 1t is
believed by many that with her retire
ment the club will begin TO go down bill.
Monday at u o'clock it was dripping a
most dismal rain, but on the second floor
of DelmonIcO's-the great parlors, dress
ing rooms and halls were brilliant with
light, and thrOnged with women. The
ladies' we're in carriage dresses Of velvet
and satin, and We're a most brilliant and
fashionable looking thrOng, representing
that society we spell with a big s.,
40 less than science, art and literature.
MRS. CRoLY AND MRS. THOMAS
stood by a window in an upper end Of the
room receiving the guests. Mrs. Thomas
is fat, with gOdly face, pious bands of
black hair rolled in the Lydia Pinkham
benevolent style about her face. ana bear
Ing a strong resemblance to those two
famous widows, the "widOw Bedott' and
the widow NanCott. She wore a gown OF
black velvet, and had an 'Ostler Joe red,
red rose fastened under her several chins,
smiled and looked as if butter wouldn't
melt in her mouth. Jenny June stood by
her, wearing a soft flowing gown of olive
green silk, trimmed on the waist with
green beads aud plush. She is tall, slen-
der; a round, smiling, hOmely face;
IOund, rather prominent eyes; brown
masses on top her head
Her skin is soft and satiny as a baby's,
but as col0rless as the petal OF magnolia
Flower, and she has a certain airy, elusive
grace and graciOusness of manner, as
childish gentleness and kittenish love
Rbleness that goes straight to the heart
ana endOws her with most subtle fasc-
nation. Furthermore, Jenny has one OF
the sweetest-speaklng voices | ever lis
tened TO. After ] had paid my re-
spects / got into luNurious
velvet chair near by and
went at my delightful task OF being a
loOker-on. just by me on the sofa sat a
thin, wrnkle-laced old lazy in a black
gown with tulle iichu banded over her
breast. A lot Of little short curls, grow
Ing like that salad we call chickorel In
my Louisiana home, sprOuted from the
top Of her head and were kept in place by
little mob cap OF lace. Her great night
dark eyes gloWed like dying embers with
a light in them such as the fading
sun casts on west windows. This old lady
with the vague, uncertain manners and
the kindly SMILES was the venerable as
trOnOmer OF Nassar college, Prof. Maria
Mitchell Near her stood a tall, olive.
skinned, beautiful young woman with
bright eyes restlessly slipping like the
drops IN "a spirit-level. Her chestnut
brown hair was cOiled low on the
nape OF her neck aud her brown
serge walking dress, brown bat with
pOmpons Of seal-skin was the perfection
OF exquisite taste in dress. This was Mrs
James Brown Potter, the heroine of the
'Ostler Joe sensation, and one OF the love
lest and most esteemed young matrons