The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-08
WOMAN HAS 4 MIND.
And Makes 1t Manifest
When She Has A
Mind To.
An ODD VOLUMES CLUB.
How 1t Originated and Who Are
Its Members--0ther Matters
OF Social Interest.

repeated than the truth ouce told. A.
most ANYTHING will Dc accepted if it be
declared often enough. Far back in the
memory Of man someone started the
fiction thai the minds of society women
were in a ~lamentably pulpy state, ano
thai any book beyond a mild novel of the
Dora Thorne school OF fiction was beyond
their puny compensation. Perhaps III
the days of Raneses or Seti l. THESE
things might have been, but fortunately
that race of women has persisted from of
the earth, or left the vicinity of New
York, which means the same thing. and
their places nave been filled by women
TO whom a wise power has given minds
that crave the companionship of books,
and the wealth thess gentle friends alone
can bestow.
Four years @ a number of leading
Jersey City society women, feeling the
need of concerted literary study, formed
the Odd Valume" Club, which has ever
since held bi-weekly meetings during the
months spent IN town. Although its
influence mas silently made itself felt. in
more ways than one, it has remained
secluded from the public, Il today &C.
cors to The NEWS the privilege of the
uFSG press EtpOIt Ol !LS plOCSSuiuES.
Among literary, social and musical
circles there are few young ladies more
widely and favorably known than Miss
Celie Gaines. When jersey City could
yet claim Mrs. Erminnie A. Smith as its
brightest literary star, Miss Guires was a
member Of the famous band Of Asthetic
Daughters, tue twelve maidens whose
presence added lustre to those meetings
where were gathered the most famous
literati of Two Continents, at the bidding
of her whom literature and science recog.
nized az the most wonderful roman Of
her time, and who held in Jersey City the
only American salon. H. WIS to be ex.
pected thar the'firSt Stepin the institution
of the "Odd Volumes" should be taken by
Miss Gaines, and that the members should
have elected and retained her as Presi-
dent until the present day.
SOME OF THE MEMBERS.
At its formation the society numbered
among its members Miss Ella KimbalI,
as music lovers then knew her, now Mrs.
Charles Cavalli, Mrs. Horace Merrill,
Miss Kuhner of New York, Mrs, Bigelow
of Hackensack, Miss Annie Van Winkle,
Miss Annie Adriance, Misz Emma Post,
Miss Kitty Cronen, Miss Katharine a.
Speir and Mrs. Wolfe of Brooklyn. AS
might have been expected. such Il number
of applications for admission began to in
undate the officials that membership was
limited Il twenty-five. a number which
was soon reached and has never been eX-
ceeded. The present officers lre Miss
Celie Gaines, President; Miss Katharine
A. Speir, Vice-President; Mrs. James
Rowbottonl. Secretary and Treasurer.
When its career began. The objest of
the club was merely the reading OF GER
tain books selected by a committee and
circulated among the members, while ut
the meetings a general discussion of these
works took place; but it was not long be-
fore the plan was adopted OF assigning
for each meeting II special author, whose
lustrated by original essays. During the
season of 1S90-91, George Meredith, Char
Iotte Bronte, George Eliot, James
Russell Lowell, John Lothrop Motley
and many others came upon the
tapis closing with a discussion of ne
question. "Who. in your opinion. is the
greatest novelist of the ages' For the
present season, however. a new plan has
been adopted, and the society has taken
up the study OF American history by
epochs and topics. AT each meeting re-
freshments are served by the hostess of
the day, but a rigid rule limits the menu
to three articles. Each member is
privileged to bring one guest to each
meeting, Ii such invitations are among
the favors eagerly sought and carefully
bestowed. The club has never given u
public entertainment. but has many
times diversified its programme by must
Gales and teas, and always brings its
seasons labors TO IL close by a reception.
Err LITTLE EXPENSE.
The pecunlary obligations of this model
society are triAtng. One dollar a year
will meet expenses for dues, but 1t is al
most as difficult to enter It's charmed Cir
Gle as for the S%criptural I'M to perform
his celebrated @ with the
needles eye. AS before mentioned. The
limit OF membership is twenty-five; "few
die and none resigu," and in consequence
be registered as applicants for admission.
Few nave left the ranks of the charter
memberships. Bigelow and Mrs. kuhner
moving away have severed their connec-
ton and Mrs. Wolfe is now under the
sunny skies of Venice, but with these ex-
ceptions the mem bers are u~nbroken.
Among the present membership may be
mentioned:-Mrs. Marcus +. Beach, Mrs.
George Clifford, Mrs. Cornelius Brett,
Mrs. Patton, Miss Clara Godfrey. Mrs.
James Rowbottom. Mrs. Horace Merrill,
Mrs. Charles Cavaili, Miss kath-
erineA. Spier. Mrs. Eaton. a bright
Slater, Miss Powell, Miss Maud Powell,
Miss Underhill. Miss Jean G. Mcbride.
Miss Julia Sherwood. Miss Imogen Ken
Eel, Miss Bessie Perkins, Miss Bessie Har-
rison, Miss Annie Van Wrinkle. Miss
Annie Adrlance, MISS Emma PoSt ana
Miss Kitty Grower.
The club has already gathered a fine
library of selected works. which may be
retained by IL member for ii period not ex-
ceeding two weeks, but the most precious
treasures of the club are two letters from
Hjalmer Hiorth Boyesen. the famous
Morse novelist, and-greatest of allan
autograph letter from u beloved Auto
craJ, Oliver Wendell Holmes, commend
inn tho work nf Thp Qnpipty md pXhihIf-
ing in u marked degree that sparkle and
originality that have won him his high
emlnence among the worlds writers.
1t is a sign of the times .hat such Il so
ciety should have grown and hourished
among women VINO hold high rank in the
social world-a sign that the lore OF books
is no longer confined to Il single ran or
class, and that the gentle influence OF
what Emily Faithful calls Our Best
Society-the Book Shelf" must assert it,
self in every mind to which the creative
power has given love and appreciation OF