The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-25
PETTICOATS IN THE CLUBS.
"eAB" GIVES FORTH HER EXPERIENCE
What She Thought She Would Find and
What She FOund-A Warning-Hints of
Spring Styles The Latest aCoIors-
Lenten Recommendations.

She sees no reason why she should not
sass back" and grow personal any time
she wants, and she has no hesitation what
ever in telling of her committee work, of
whispering around of who has and who
has not been blackballed, and of showing
that she herself is very leaky vessel.
was talking with woman the other
day and she said this: "A year ago was
tempted and feIl-fell into being men,
Der Of the Woman's press club. had
been duly warned by the men of my fami-
ly thatI would bitterly regret this, but be-
heved that men knew nothing / thought,
Here, at last, is the ideal club. 1t
will be composed of women writers, and
wherever there is one who needs lift,
the helping hand, in the way of giving her
the name of an editor who wants work,
or the kindly voice in the way OF offer
ing her a suggestion, will be found. They
will be bright women, they will be bust
ness-like women. ] shall find meeting
them once a month a pleasure, while, as
for the business meetings, OF course.
women who earn their own living will
y.
The original officers were elected by
reclamation. Then, for several months,
the club worked along without consti-
tuition in a very aimless manner, but still
/ hoped against hope that it would even
tually prove OF some value. Last autumn
circulars were sent out announcing that
there would be an election for vice-presi-
dents, treasurer, secretary and some other
~
made about the election of president and
yet when we got there we found there
was to be one, and we hadn't sense enough
to know that the whole thing was illegal,
because no notice had been given of it.
zone woman, who was energetic in her
desire to see some good officers Pot in,
was asked to be tel er of votes-I think
that's what you call it-and she took the
position, though she said she didn't want
to. and never realized until the next day
when her husband told her, that the
thing was done to pet her off the floor. so
she couldn't work for her candidate, and
that she ought to have refused to do it.
He laughed at her good bit, and tainted
her with it because she was the daughter
of pohtician Another time, a letter
came from some woman in the West ask
ing for the address OF some syndicates-a
club. The president read it out in a de-
risive manner and seemed TO think it a
great joke, and while the blood in my
veins was boiling at this, a southern
woman said she would take il and send
the woman the addresses desired.
Women In the cub were supposed to
be writers OF something. Now, have
nothing 10 say against people who write
advertisements it Is a mOneY-making
business, and one that undoubtedly calls
for a vivid Imagination, but still do not
think II is journalism. L have nothing to
say against dear little soul who wrote
her first article after she Joined the club
still, don't see wherein came her claim
for admission; but l do not think it funny
that women who have only written
checks, or who are anxious to get in with
a literary set-save the mark are eligible
for membership. l tried to do nv best
in that station in which had been placed
by vote. / wanted neither ducats nor
kudos for such club, but got an i'm
mense knowledge from various types of
women.
For the first time in my life / met the
woman who was determined to hold on to
her position like leech, who doesn't in
tend TO do any work, and who can't add
anything to a club by her name, hut who
cllngs and cllngs, and even death won't
put her Out-death doesn't want her; she
Is the woman who Is ruled by the last idle
gossip she has heard, and who is wildly
anxious, by making new acquaintances, to
take the sponge OF forgetfulness and wine
off the marks on the slaIe OF her life l
met the woman who is a cat clothed in
cashmere. She looks at you inquiringly,
wonders what she ought to do, then goes
home and writes you letter, and tells
you what you ought to do. She is willing
to give everybody advice about their work,
and she does her own very poorly. Then
| met the other type.
''The woman who fatters, and flatters.
and tiatters, who writes you a letter and
tells you that your genius is so great you
ought not to be wasting it on the work
that you are doing; later on you discover
she has made an application for that very
work. I'd discovered, too, how women,
following the fashion of OConnelI, will
drive four-in-hand through a constitu-
ton without q wink. Alter all this Won
will do as / did-come home and sit down
by your consolatiOn-the man who advised
you not TO do it-tell him of the envy,
hatred, malice and all the uncharitable-
ness that exists IN a woman's club and
mud be Is too much of man and his man
ners are too gentle for him to saw: Il
told you So But you will have a small
weep and announce TO him that you have
done with it. Any. advantages? Yes,
there were three. got acquainted with
dear little doctor who was as loyal as
giant, and wasn't afraid to speak the
truth; with a western woman whose
heart is true. whose words are honest and
who is as big OF brain as she is of heart.
With another woman whose great dark
eyes saw all the meannesses and who telt
as did that touching pitch she had been
defled."
said woman told me this. So it was.
It was that familiar friend who looks at
me from the mirror, and az / shake my
head sadly her lips moved as did mine,
repeating with me, stick to your tradi-
tions-abhOr wOmen's clubs as you do
cigarettes, bad manners and petty
spites." This is the time for repentance
and l do much repent my ever having
had a yearning TO belong to a club, and
the story is told that no other woman l
know may fall by the wayside with the
same innocence and fervor that did no
good Samaritan came to pick me mp. but
a violent reaction OF common sense set in,
and in that way and that alone was 1
saved
Petticoats are much more interesting
than clubs. at least they ought to be, and
the VERY raouoaf If all MIGHT ha oaouroaI