The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-29
WOMAN'S CLUB GROWTH.
EVOLUTION OF THE NEW ORDER
OF THINGS ANALYzED.

Relation of Home to the Steadily Inereas-
| ing Number of Clubs and Similar Social
| Organizations-Someo of tho Various DE-
partments of the Club.
That significant product of our day, the
| woman's club, has sprung so recently into
| notice that its character and origin are Of
! ten misunderstood.
To begin with, the name itself was mis-
| leading, and the world at once jumped to
| the conclusion that it was modelled upon the
| only club it knew-the mans club. That it
| was place Of reyels was natural inference.
Even the mildest view was OF a scene of Cos
| sip and wrangling, the assumption of man
nish ways and indulgences. The most gen.
erous critics looked upon it as a violent
departure frem womanly ways and wom-
anly traditions, aggressive IN its tenden-
cies and one more distasteful sign of the
restlessness Of the times, while newspapers
delighted to r;diculs and the world to laugh
over the supposed or imagined doings be-
hind the scenes. In truth, If persecution
of a sort particularly repugnant to women
could have killed it, it would have breathed
its last long ago.
Happily, the club has outlived this phase
of its existence, and the truth is coming to
be known that woman has simply seized
upon the club idea from woman's point
of view, and developed it in a purely woM
anly manner.
Home is and ever will be the chosen king
dom Of woman. She could not if she
would eradicate the instinct that makes
her the homemaker of the race. The
housewife of 100 years ago, absorbed in the
affairs of her small world, directing its
varied industries and administering its
laws, overseeing the spinning and weav-
ing, conducting the cutting and fashion
ing Of garments, putting down its years
provisions, from jars of jam to barrels of
beef-in fact, personally experimenting
the processes of what are now dozen dis
tincS trades-even this busy housekeeper
was the true ancestor of her clubmakin9
daughter of today.
woMAN'S POWER.
Beautiful and orderly homes all over our
land, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and
from the snow caps OF Alaska to the Gulf
of Mexico, testify that woman has lost
neither her power nor her love for the
making of homes, though her life is so diff
ferent from her grandmother's.
Yet how striking the contrast between
the twol 1t would seem that nothing less
than moral earthquake could effect the
transformation in the lives of women. If
some prophetic soul had gone to our grand
mothers, absorbed body and brain in the
details of housekeeping and proposed the
woman's club, what would have been their
horror! How, indeed, did they treat every
poor soul who ventured to whisper that
woman, too, is an inGividual-Mary Wolf
stonecraft, for example
1t is instructive as well as interesting to
note the gentle processes of nature in
evolving from the devoted housekeeper Of
past generation the club woman of to-
day; but while considering it, let US not
forget that although housekeeping may be
a declining art, houlemalling is an advanc-
ing one.
Observe how gradually the change spoken
of took place. First, the housekeeper was
relieved of her spinning and weaving, ma
chinery doing both much cheaper and bet
ter; cutting and making of clothes followed
or the same reason; the preservation of
food became separate branch of industry;
tin cans dethroned the preserving kettle;
factories emptied the cheese press; diaries
superseded the churn; every household
process tended to consolidation.
These changes brought leisure into the
lives of women, and with leisure arose the
desire for improvement. Glasses and read
ing circles, as giving better results than
solitary work, were the outcome-the very
first move toward union on the part of
woman. Indeed, the class, though it came
SO modestly and met 40 opposition, was
more significant step than the club 1t
opened to woman the doors of college and
university, and its best lesson was the
"sisterhood of woman"
HOME IDEA IN THE CLUB
Close upon the heels of the class came
naturally to the plying heart of woman
unions for charitable work Gradually, as
interest grew and powers developed by
use, very large share Of administering to
the worlds distresses fell into her hands,
and by experience in this work she learned
her second important lesson-the power of
combined effort, the strength in union.
Now she was ready for the club, the in
evitable next step III her evolution and the
progress OF civilization Yet although, as
has been shown, it was really the end of
series of revolutionary movements it was
the first conspicuous departure from the
secluded home life of her grandmother,
position and ridicule.
Holding with all her soul to the home ,
idea, woman formed her club, trembling
with doubts and fears, perhaps Qor SCOTS |
OF husband and brother are hard TO bear). |
but inspired by the unconQuerable convic- |
ton that she, too, was an individual and |
upheld by power that was stronger |
than she-the irresistible spirit of the age |
is easier than TO see the home |
roots from which the club has grown; the |
several interests of the association proclaim |
them aloud. The home is first in wornau's 1
heart; IN her club she has her home com
nlttee, where in symposium of home
makers thoughts are exchanged AID meth
DDS discussed to the benefit of all.
The education of her children is a moth
er's most serious care; the club accordingly
has an education committee, where moth
IT and teacher together evolve the best
course of action. Books, music and art
belong to all intelligent homes; each has
Is committee and its special days for
study. From the days of alinsgiving at
he door TO the modern institution, woman
las been moved TO relieve the necessities
If others; in her philsn thropic committee
me is educated into wiser methods, and
Introduced to the thought of the foremost
men OF our time The most conventional
viii not deny 70 woman the duty Of at
ending 70 the "loaves and fishes" Of the
World; the entertainment committee has
urely the deepest roots in the home