Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-10-30

by brushing against each others disposi-
tions We shall learn to spend money and
to save it. and TO do many kinds of work
that every woman ought to know how 10
do, but which we have never learned Al
home. We need to know women. and orr
duties as women to other women
This brings us naturally to the fact that
we are responsible for the comfort and en-
joyment of others in these rooms. We
must bring cheer and pleasantness. so that
the sad ones may 90 away comforted the
cross ones 90 away happy, and the tired
ones 20 away refreshed. Do any of YOU
know this little poem?
Il met a little smile upon the street
We spoke "a word or two
its breath was sweet
Viii n way art going, friend, how fars' said
ltlld not * eak, but poiuted
To the sky.
Tint day my dreams were hung with curtains
Aud every thought that came
Was dressed in " hite
And all because--becalSe 1 CHANGED Ia meet
That day little smile
Whose breath was sweet
Il met a frown next morn as forth went
Upon the self -saine street
And errand Ocnt
We bowed and pass ii, and thouth no word
Came from the curling trs
That night heard
"a steathy footstep somewhere near my head
Although no thief its DOR
could force apart.
lay awake be, aIse-because Glanced to meet
4 little frown that day
Upon the street"
So let us rule out the frowns. and make
these rooms centre of cheer comfort and
courage, for those are things that people
go begging for. ] once read of a little
woman who, having adopted many labors
and anXietieS outside her family. was some
times weary with the mighty WEAKNESS
that nobody knows anything about except
the people who are trying to make this bad
little world go right. As she was living
down one day friend came in and was
greeted with, Il do hope you haven't come
begging The friend was quite mystifed
until the little woman explained that every
one that had been to the house that day.
had been seeking help or sympathy, and
she felt that virtue had gone out of her I'M
til there was nothing left. The world is
full of people whose need is comfort and
happiness. Let us have it here to give.
Then we are responsible for our library.
that 1t may be good one, with only the
books in it that we want TO read twice. and
that turn into old friends. We hear the
expression reading public" We shall
soon have reading public in our club
whose taste will have something to do with
the character of our books. Let us have
such books that we may be proud to say
we have read. A young girl lately said to
me, Il have no likes about books that |
ought to have, don't like to read ANYTHING
but stories and | can't read history" As
she had begun TO see that this was not as il
ought to be there was hope that she would
have 1t better, and in our library let us
have the best books wear out fastest as a
way of showing that we know a good thing
when we see it.
An important responsibility for us is the
business meeting. / have seen business
meetings conducted by women where it
seemed impossible to get a motion made or
seconded unless there was ministers wife
present to do it. 1t will not do for us to
drop into that lazy way, for we have no
minister's wife to second the motions. But
again have seen womens business meet
ings where everything was done so method
ically that it was an education to be pres
ent. Since some women can do that am
sure we can.
We must not forget that We the first
members of this club, are responsible for
its lasting success. We have been depend
ing wholly upon Mrs. Eaton, and perhaps
if she were to be here this winter we might
think that if we wanted anything done
Mrs. Eaton would but say ''Presto,
change" Now the responsibility will be
ours, and we must have this club good
enough to last. You know some things
die out because they are not worth lasting.
We want this club to take its place among
established institutions of the town, as little
IN danger OF diving out as the-Well as the
l. o. o. ESQ that its future members
can say, "My mother belonged to this club"
OF course we know it wont live without
money. They tell us nothing can nova
days, and probably there have never been
days in which clubs could live without money
since the club that Adam and Eve belonged
to; so we must keep our dues paid, and Sc
cure new members, and arrange little en-
tertainments by which, for fair returns, we
can get money from the public. For,
though we do not expect just yet to be in a
position to refuse gifts, we aim for self
support. All girls clubs that amount to
anything aim for that, and since many have
attained 1t we will have good courage.
Tonight we stand on the threshold of our
club life and look out into widening room
bright with pleasant expectations, and we
feel as happy as child that has been given
what 1t was crying for. We start our club
on what we mean shall be its successful
way, and know that we all purpose that
1t shall fulfil its mission of promoting the
happiness, usefulness and mutual develop
ment OF its members, shall learn to pay its
bills like other honest folks, and become a
time-honored institution, respected because
it is good for something.