The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-12
AS 1T LOOKS TO WOMEN.
The Glasses of the Working Girls
Club on Randall Square.
ARITHMETIC AND BUTTONHOLES
Writing Lessons and Caiisthenics and
singing - Bright. Independent Girls
and Their Teachers and Helpers
Practical and Pleasant Goodfellowship.

Overhead there was a steady tramp.
tramp as il dance had considered the
question of getting under way but had
not found itself able to proceed beyond the
grand march. All around was an uneven
murmur of low. girls voices, and in my
hands held narrow strip OF cambria
with whose aid and countenaDce 1 was
taking my first lesson in button-hole max
ing. The cambric was crimson and the
cotton was white. so that when the
stitches didn't lie evenly, as they mostly
wouldn't my eyes had early notice OF the
full enorm ity of their offenses.
1t was pleasant room in which to make
friends with needle and thimble. On the
walls were pretty colored prints, with
cases of books under them. Twisted
about the gas fixtures were sprigs OF
holly, left as Christmas reminders. Down
in one corner was "a box OF dumb-bells,
and gathered close about the low tables,
SO close that brown curls touched black
and both mingled with yellow, were girls
by the dozen; girls with bright faces and
nimble fingers, all holding strips of Grim
son cambria and all working long white
button holes.
Two or three teachers fitted about
among them, praising progress and turn
Next me was a dimpled individual with
short hair tied by a ribbon in the nape OF
her neck, and when furtively picked out
''long-legged' stitches / was guiltily con-
scious that she saw me and smiled. Her
buttonholes were straight and smooth and
the stitches laid snug and costly.
Through the open doorway came sight
and sound of other and diverse occupa-
tions. There was group in the next
room about bigger table, their hands
imbrued In ribbons; they were deep in tle
mysteries of millinery, for they bad faith
and looked forward TO the spring hats
mild but imperious reign, The rest of us
regarded the amateur milliners with that
respect which is the just due of anybody
who has mastered the art OF making
bow.
There were two long tables where heads
were bent lower and brows We're knitted.
"Good and bad express qualities" came
the slow, distinct sentence from the
nearer, while pen and ink chased it over
smooth white paper; "long and short ex-
press dimensions or duration, and yet
long and short are also adjectives." The
dictation went smoothly, page after page,
mingling grammar and writing les
son, and over the dark locks, rib
bon-tied, of the penwomen floated some
hint Of the business complications Of q
at the farther table.
"P" had 81 500 to begin with, il was To
be Judged from the sayings of the tall
young teacher with smooth, white fore
head and clear eyes; but when cps"
transactions with the crooked "Q' were
over that sum had been reduced-how
much I don't know, but too pitiably
small figures, judging from the zeal with
which the pencils ratified over the states
in vain effort to do little better by the
unlucky bankrupt, If possible.
And all these doings, arithmetical and
otherwise, took place?
Did forget before to tell you that they |
lent me the cambria and the needles and |
even the thimble at last nights meeting 1
of the Working Girls Club of Randall /
square.
BY and by the lessons were over and
then the roll was called-there are $50 |
names-and then we sang:
ei United. united.
"a In loving union plighted
hadn't been before and so don't know
the rest of it; but il WAS n very pleasant |
evening. with the wind whirling in dust
eddies outside, and the light and warmth
and good fellowship within that mark
the eworking girls gathering whereveryo
This particular club has been in exist
ence only little over two wears, but it's
meetings make busy and profitable three
Of every weeks evenings. Tuesdays and
Fridays the arithmetic and grammar and
writing and the dressmaking and mill-
nery and misunderstanding 90 forward,
and "Wednesday evenings gymnastic suits
come out and music and calisthenics
have the field. Most of the teaching is
voluntary and unpaid. but the bright in
dependent girls who enter into such mu-
tually helpful relations with their richer
sisters who meet them on common
ground In the club rooms, make the club
self-supporting just so far AS is possible.
There is visiting committee to have an
eye to the girls who are i'll, and AS prac-
tical as any part of the work is the stamp
saving fund, whose workings have secured
tidy little bank accounts to several of the
thrifty.
There is nothing wiser, pleasanter or
more useful going forward in all Provi-
dence than the meetings of this same
Working Girls Club, and If they don't
discipline me for talking about them I
am going again some other evening to
have another try at those red and white
buttonhoies. u.