Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-08
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
INTERESTING PAPERS ON INTER-
ESTING SUBJECTS FOR WOMEN.
A Large Attendance and Much Interest
Manifested in the Club by the
Ladies of Wichita.

The Social Science club met yesterday
morning in the board of trade rooms at II
o'clock, with Mrs. Noble Prentiss, frs,
vice president in the chair, and severa
hundred of the members present. Later
quite a sprinkling of gentlemen arrived
who listened to the reading of the papers
with considerable interest. The business oil
the club was first disposed of, when Mrs
Toler. of Wichita, delivered the address OF
pendence, responding.
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Mrs President and Ladies of the Convention:
Hypatia is today bonored beyond mere
expression of words by being permitted to
welcome the distinguished company OF
women who represent the Social Science
club of Kansas and Missouri.
You bring to US the record and results OF
of ripened experiences and successful IN
dertakings. Hypatia offers to you her
hospitality and the hearty comradeshIp IN
those interests which four years work as a
woman's club have fitted her to appreci-
ate. And just here l am reminded that
last spring during the convention
at Leavenworth a member Of your
club asked member OF ours
"Why Hypatia?" Four years ago, when
our club was organized, most of US were
new to any sortiof club work. Indeed
am not quite sure that we knew just what
we meant to do. But we looked about for
name Acknowledgements yet which
should have no local, sectarian or specific
Specification. Hypatia best suited our
purpose as conveying no idea save beauty,
virtue and intellect And surely these at
tributes comprise all that could be eX-
pected from any woman's club.
Whatever the fiippant critic may have
to say about the unreliability of femin-
inc decision, the fact still remains that
women everywhere are awaking
a realizing sense of the re-
sponsibility, which as members of the
social body is theirs. From pen, and
pulpit, and platform, are voiced the bril-
liant, burning utterances of fiame-girt
souls, whose inspiration 10 as surely
heaven sent as that which kindled and
leaped into divine fires centuries ago.
The maiden, the wife, the mother, the
fashionable woman Of society and the
wage Garner in counting house and kitchen
are alike being aroused to passionate
pity, loving tenderness and sympathy
which our old time ignorance of humanity
made impossible.
A number of funny jokes are made
about the intellectual and executive
of women. Victor Hugo has
said "this is woman's century" Of she
ever had one before history fails to re-
cord IT'D
But it cannot be expected that woman
will be content with only one paltry CEN
fury of all the ages. All, no! Having
stepped out of the ruts of tradition and
custom, she has just learned
enough of the possibilities of life to make
her thirst for more. The highest joys of
spiritual and intellectual delights are
henceforth for her also.
To measure woman's capabilities by
what she has been, or by what she is, is
neither fair nor just, for social environ
ment and shallow education have ever
stood in the way of her best progress.
Not long ago lady arrived at Kansas
City after a sleepless night on a sleeper.
Most of you have experienced The
difficulties Of making toilet
in that confined space, with
the body doubled at at angle of forty-tive
degrees. The result is not always what a
public would demand.
Tired and cross, the situation by no means
improved by waiting at the depot for
friends who failed to come, my friend took
the Troost avenue cable for up town. At
Ninth and Main there fiuttered into the
car such group of lovable looking women
that the tired strangers heart warmed to
ook at them. Surely" unused she. this
is a band of reformers, bent on purifying
the world; a group of wise women Seek
ing guidance and counsel" She was
moved to listen to the conversation and
Lhs is what she heard:
I'm spite Of all,' said noble matron, 81
shall still adhere to the plain coat sleeve"
"I'm sure" murmured her friend.
"You will deeply regret it if you do not
have puffs."
"Ah, my dear Mrs Blank, are you grow
pg reconciled to the west? We must
seem crude after Chicago"
Eyes, Chicago is a perfectly lovely place
20 live, and everything does seem so dread
FULLY new here. Chicago has such per-
'ectly grand streets and bonlevards you
know. But it is too funny to think of
building town in place like this All
,hese hills, and then to go to the trouble of
iigging them down afterward. How much
better to have leveled them off first, and
hen built"
The spiritual part of the listener
yroaned in bitterness. ooh shallower than
thimble measured Oh feather headed
impletons. Chattering parrots Your
lin self adornment, fashion your God,
surely the world holds nothing half so use
eSs"
But yet it is so. Suppose these idle
daughters of society were aroused to
bought, to nober impulse and action. Or
uppose the Christening hand of poverty, or
ickness, OR death should change the con-
itions of their lives. Do you not know
hev would rise almost equal to the emer-
,ency and adOrn the noble ranks of think
rs, of bread winners and burden bearers,
S grandly as any daughter of toll? IN
numbered examples have proved this to be
o.
So, when women come to understand
letter the meaning of life's discipline du-
les and possibilities they will become cap
BILE of better things than they have known
,efore
The women favored of fortune and cir
umstances should hold out her warm
ands to her lowlier sister, not In almsgiv-
ng alone, but in sympathetics.unders
ng and mutual help. And women every
where shall stand together and bless the
wisdom that enriehes their lives, though il
hould weave into their garland of years
ne cypress and rue, as well as the rose and
toilet. Ladies of the Social Science con-
ention, Hypatia bids you welcome and
ives you JOY and good wishes in your best
York.
THE RESPONSE.
.rs. President and Ladies @: Hypatis;
The duty has been put upon me TO say
in response to the words of well |
ONE so fifty spoken by your president in |
ehalf of Hypatia.
Just why this task should have been i'm |
osed upon one who has so recently been |
hosen TO membership in the Social |
cience club is beyond my comprehension. !
Men speak of what they call 'twoman's !
eason," by which they mean no reason at /
II, supposiug, as they do, that we are 4
loved by impulse and resch conclusions /
y sort OF intuition. instead OF by the ex- !
rcise of mental faculties in process OF /
essoning. after the fashion of men.
Now, while l do not admit the claim /
'hich men make TO sort of superior in |
think it must have been q