Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-06-26
ABOUT JOINING.
a Little Logical Reasoning Upon
Homo Life.
Drawing Lesson from the Plants and
Trees-Why tho Only Clubs John
ana Have joined Are Early
Morning Clubs.

John" said I, ''are you and to join
ahe new club?"
"Do you know" said John, "that in
some things vegetables have decided
advantage over us? They join nothing.
Each tree has spot that it belongs in,
and 1t stays there, leaves out there,
blossoms there and bears fruit there.
1t is never gadding about. II it moves,
somebody must movo it. If maple
tree stands in grove it belongs to that
grove, and has no notion of pulling up
stakes and joining half dozen more.
There is nothing in the world that l
envy more than this ability of the trees
to stand still and keep to themselves.
Wo think it must be horrible to be
rooted down to one spot. We wish to
have one root here, and another there,
and another somewhere else. The fact
is, l am tired out and tagged out with
Joining somebody, or something No,
indeed, VIC are not going into this new
club. You can go, of course, II you
will; but intend to have my evenings
to myself; and as for the days, they are
~iSuuN iully OCCuplSu.
THAT is very queer, john" | said,
$'very queer, indeed You do not mean
you would rather be an apple tree than
man?'
"Oh, no, my dear, but I would much
rather be crab-apple tree than club
man. Society has organized itself to
destroy sociality. The aim of this club
to which you refer is to study sociology.
The object is well enough, and do not
doubt it will benefit some; but it will
be compulsory way Of spending two
evenings in month, and that you
know, am unwilling to be bound to
do. Then there are the Rural Art Club,
and the Browning Club, and the
Historical Club, and the Farmers
Club, and none of these include our
average human obligations as neighbors
and friends"
John is very emphatic about some
things, and one is that he shall have
control of his own time, at least to a
large degree He is willing to fill his
place as neighbor and citizen, but
will not place himself under for
midable array OF obligations to
give up his nights to social affairs.
He seems to have a growing aversion to
the word club. and declares the very
word an abomination, as its original
meaning is mass. I'VE are individ-
uals nowadays" he says, with indi-
vidual tastes and individuality to build
up We left tho mass in the middle
ages" This is not an easy matter to
SEQ through sometimes, especially for
us women. Social demands are among
the most righteous, and our duty to help
on cooperative affairs is clear enough.
But of course there is rational limit
I do not sec that any one is the better
or wiser for tagging out in round OF
social improvement associations any
moro than in q race of butterfly parties
.Our first duty is at home," John be-
Gan again. "No one can be worth much
to society who is not first OF all, good
home-maker and home-keeper. Men,
especially, feel too little the home-mak-
ing obligation. They leave 1t to the
women. But in my estimation the
man should have full interest In
all the minutie of home life. But there
l. another consideration. Homo obliga-
tions arc increasing. A home nova
days can and ought to be an epitome OF
the whole world. 1t takes in more, and
neod not 60 out so much. One may
live inside his house walls, and live
more widely than man who one hum
ared years ago travelled continually.
Look at these magazines and books and
papers! What need of running about,
or if one do CAD about how can he di-
rest all the material that goes to max
ing a modern homer No, my dear,
whatever other people do, let us stay at
home more, and make home larger and
moro inclusive"
..To be sure, John" said, Il ap-
nroye of your ideas concerning men,
they should not be such foreigners
They visit their homes, butdo otmake
them. I believe they 60 so far as TO
hniId houses, and sleep in them; but
thew do not in general enter into u ],
f.r,ilv cares and the culture OF the ch-
dren. Yes. clubs for men are npS'
ance II we have clubs, let them oe
bo.h husband and wife"
John shrurgsa his shoulders eut