Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-28
The Meeting of the Woman's
Club.
Mrs. Mitchelrs Paper on Russia
and the Czar.
Mrs. Helen Mar Bennett on the Tech
nique of Rest.
Mrs. stetson's Theory About Receiving
Gossip = Can Women Create an
Idea-The Discussion ON
That Subject.

oughly organized in its section work.
This week it was under the charge Of the
magazine committee, OF which Mrs. En-
derlein is chairman.
Mrs. Tolhurst read little poem se-
lected from an article in Kate Fields
Washington, entitled The Germ Culture
club The article, written by DIR. Lum-
mis-, was peculiarly happy in style, no
one knowing whether "the name sig
nifed the culture of germs, or the germ
ination of culture"
Mrs. Foster read a little article OF
Charlotte Perkins Stetson's, How to Re-
ceive Gossip, suggesting notebook,
names, absolute authority, dates, etc.
This would soon do away with empty
stories from careless tongues.
Russia and the Czars was the title of
the first paper of the morning, presented
by Mrs. Mitchell. 1t was most admir-
able and was accompanied by very
ing the famine districts and the Jewish
provinces. To imagine the magnitude
of Russia we must remember it COM
of the globe, every square foot of which
was won by human blood. In this great
country forty languages are spoken. The
autocrats OF Russia have numerous IT,
tles-czar, emperor, king of Poland,
grand duke of Finland, czar of Kazon,
Astrakhan, Siberia, etc. The laws OF
1897 made the crown hereditary by the
right of primogeniture.
Alexander Ii abolished serfdom and
established the jury system, free press
and several universities. The jury sys-
tenn was afterwards abolished, and the
free press. in it's turn by the present
czar.
In the Review of Reviews for January
appeared an article by w. T. Stead, en-
titled The Gear and Russia of Today.
Mr.. Stead describes the czar and his
environments in most graphic style.
He desires to combat the famine with
passionate earnestneHs, to extripate the
Jew, to suppress stundism yet hestands
as powerless as the humblest Monjik of
his dominions. He is idelized by his
family, has mind solid, sure, practical
and sound. The peasantry believe in
the omnipotence of the czar. They say
"God ia distant, but the czar is here"
The Russians believe the Jews are an
evil element in the body polite. They
are confined to certain provinces in the
southwest, and there is passionate de-
termination on the part of the czar to
destroy them.
The darkest spot in the Russian pict-
ure is the famine, q horrible, appalling
spectacle of 20. 100000 people starving
In the valley of the Volga. In deserted
villages CHASTITY shadows stalk about,
attempting to quiet the pangs of hunger
with something resembling black earth
covered with mould. Multitudes live
on grasses and foliage OF trees.
History is full Of strange problems.
The delivery of our ancestors from bond
age was full of famine, agony and woe.
Time and good government will adjust
all things and the torch of knowledge
will yet enlighten darkest Russia.
The second paper was charm
ingly prepared paper upon The
Technique of Rest, given by Miss
Helen Mar Bennett. Herbert
Spencer says: "It is time to preach
the gospel of relaxation" The saving
of strength is of equal Importance with
the making of strength. In recent
number of Harper's is an article by Miss
Anna G. Brackett upon this subject,
Ht,0undluS III ACl plui 1uESCbiiouSs pnC
begins by telling us that our muscular
strength is controlled by nerve force.
Distilled by the mysterious alchemy of
life from food, sunshine, air-it is life it.
self. Natures ways are not our ways.
We may secure contentment in two
ways-by increasing our possessions or
by decreasing our desires. In the whirl
and rush, with the cry of no time, we
continuously overtax our nerve force,
and we cannot cheat nature by elixirs
and tonics, by coffee and alcohol.
We must learn the economy Of expen-
diture, the saving OF our vital energies.
The first step is regularity of sleep
when in bed relax every muscle, lie as il
dead. Do not keep in mind the daily
trifies ;Tuse note book and put down
such things in proper order. To keep
the mind full of petty details soon rem
ders one absolutely unfit to read any.
thing but the daily papers. 1t shuts
you out of the broad, life giving cur
rents of thought, and you are soon un'
able to interest or converse. Do moi
stand when you can sit, or sit when yor
can lie down. Develop spirit of indie
pendence over the members your body
Teach them they are detachments, no
corporations. Close the eyes often
Remember the Arab proverb, Hurry il
the Devil" Chafing against the condi
fions of life takes vitality. Know frs
exactly what you want to do, and thel
do it with the least possible exertion.
The last exercise Of the morning wa
q resume given by DIR. Lummis of Mol
lie Elliott Seawell's article in The Criti
on The Lack of Creative Faculty il
Women. The doctor first read brie
sketch of Miss Seawell, who, thougl
still quite young, has had most phenom
email literary success. Her first story
OF Russian life, was accepted by Th
Nation; her first novel by Lippincott'
Magazine. Eer first story for boys wol
the $500 prize in the Youths Compan
ion. Her first book review was pro
nounced the best of ninety-three elah
crate reviews, and her first play ha
Just been brought out by Roaina Vokee
Miss Seawell argues that no womal
has ever done anything in the intellect
nal world which has the germ of immol
tality; in other words, the power t
create is lacking in women. Georg
Eliot may be vehemently called, SaT
pho considered the greatest lyric poet (
the Greeks, George Sands one of th
eminent women of her age; but i
none of their works is a creation
It was another age and another gener.
alton that declared Shakespeare th
9oaon;ficenf literary genius of the Worlf