The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-24

the Sunday school. who fairly adore her.
How ever she finds time for all this. besides
attending to her legitimate work, which in
cludes the writing of from five to eight col
umns a week for the newspapers, l cannot
imsgine. But she does, and appears to be
none the worse for it. Women ale past
finding out.
As to Sorosis, let me say that it is in no
sense an organization of the ''shrieking sis
terhood" or woman suffragists. Its aims
are purely social. The membership is
limited-less than two hundred is the num-
Der, I belieye-and confined to women of
standing in society, literary or artistic cir
cles. It entertains distinguished women
upon occasions. as actresses, authoresses or
musicians, and at each one of its meetings
some member previously designated for the
purpose reads an essay upon some living
issue, to occupy not more than twenty min
utes in the reading, which may be discussed
by not more than five other members, also
designated beforehand. This latter limita-
ton, it will strike the masculin, readef, is
wisely imposed. Imagine, if you. an, a
debate in which fifty to a hundred ladies
desired to be heard.
A newspaper writer. the other day, had
something to sa about fashionable people
men and women-of this city, who are
dropping into literature just as Golden
Dustman Bofin's friend, Silas Wegg, used
Gc 0AAR NLise RII"
derLilt, Mrs. George Gould, George
Vanderbilt, Mrs. Burton Harrison, the Mar
quise di LAMA and Mrs. S. Van Rensselaer,
Cruger. Few of US have had the oppor-
tunlty to judge of the literary capacity of
some of the people named because they
have not exhibited the children of their
brain to the unsympathetic public, but the
three last named have been more bold.
Mrs. Harrison has dono some creditabl Q
work in the domain of fiction; it would be
pleasant to say the same of Mrs. Cruger and
the Marquise de LAMA, but love of truth
fitness impels the criticism thai in writing
without a motive they have both done that
which woul have been better left undone.
Mrs. Cruger's latest romance, "Mademoi-
selle Reseda," is one of those ventures into
the realm of eroticism that leaves the reade.
with a very poor impression of the society
the writer has sought to depict. There is
do reason why a society woman should not
be able to write q good novel, provided she
goes about it with a high and we'll defined
purpose. Without that, it we're better, If
she must write, that she should limit hel
readers to her own immediate circle of &C
quaintances.
Speaking about literary women, a news
paper mention of one of the most brilliant
of that class in the east has set me to won
dering why it is that Americans will sc
humble themselves to British opinion. Mrs.
John Sherwood. who has written entertain
lAiy iAe oCSlCtN III - ullu AL
erica, and who has been holding converse
tions i'll this city INT Philadelphia after
the fashion of Paris gallons, is said by o
newspaper in Philadelphia, where our
school boys and girls are taught the cradle
of American Independence was first rocked,
to have lin Europe made herself Dustin,
tinRuished as an enlightened American
woman" Now, as a matter of fact, what
ever recognition Mrs. Sherwood has had
land this she would say herself) has been
frem her fellow countrymen and
to claim that she is the better for having
rubbed elbows with John Bulls or JOHNNY
Crapaud's sons and daughters, except as If
doing 1T she was enjoying opportunities fol
observation by travel. 1t is a lamentable
fact,that there is r deal of iunkeyism amonl
people in the east. and that newspaper
writers are not free from the offending.
Kate Fields lecture before the WORKING
Women's society last week calls attention
to an organization more practical in it,
aims h Sorosis, though III justice to tn,
latter it should be said that it has at time
done good ser vice for the sex of which it
Women's society comprises among it
members physicians, artists, teachers
newspaper writer's and wage earne.s i,
other branches of industry. 1t
infence is considerable, becaus
it's members, from SO man
walks of life, are earnest in their efforts L
secure the correction of abuses affectin
women who are obliged to work for thei
living. The society successfully agitate
for a half holiday for shop girls, and ha
obtained the mitigation of many hardship
previously imposed by employers upon
helpless ottss. This society has no black