The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-06-04
ACLUB FOR MOTHERS
THE HOUSEKEEPERS' ORGANIZATION
OF COcOANUT GROVE.

Florida Women Who Have an Interest
ing Way of Securing Relaxation from
Their Home Duties-Some Rules and
Objects of the Society.
Away down on the east coast of Flor
ida, 300 miles south Of st. Augustine, is
the pretty little settlement of C%ocoanut
Grove. 1t is situated ON the banks of
Biscayne bay, one Of the loveliest sheets
of water for winter cruising and fishing
that it is possible to conceive Of for
those who are not afraid to go beyond
the daily mails and telegraph wires, for
at present there are no railroads or
steamboats,, not wen a wagon road, con-
Meeting us with the outside world-sail-
boats only, but plenty Of those, and good
ones. too, which is very necessary, as the
nearest market or source of supply Is
Key West, 80 miles to the south.
OF course there is a hotel, pOstOffce,
store and Sunday school building,
which, with the Biscayne Bay Yacht
club house, the various winter residences
of the northern yachtsmen M the pref
ty little houses of the pineapple growers
and cocoanut planters Of the keys, each
JUL dICCIhIIS ~ LIS . Aoh~y VI
means, and set in the midst Of c%ocoanut,
lime, orange, banana and guava trees,
form a most attractive picture, to which
may be added the ever changing life Of
the bay, the coming and going Of the
yachts, the arrival and departure of the
mailbOats and freight schOOners. But
if the place is attractive, very much
more are the people who have helped
make it, and this is especially SO of the
women, whose husbands and sons are
the spongers, wreckers, carpenters and
boatmen of the reef, when not engaged
in truck farming or pineapple raising.
1t is to these women and their club
a housekeeper's club-that l wish to in
troduce my readers. A woman's work
ing club in every sense of the word, with
an attending membership of twenty and
a correspondence membership Of ten, the
latter residents Of New York, Boston,
San Francisco, Brooklyn, Staten Island
and Key West.
To most Of the women born and
brought up on the keys of the reef or in
! Key West, and of English parentage-
for the majority of the settlers came
originally from the Bahamas-the e X
perience of belonging to a society, how
ever simple, for women only, was a nov
city. Although our club" is now a
frequent and proud expression among
them, and member, in talking it over
with her husband, assured him that tie
bylaws of her club were as well made
and Just as binding as those c]oncocted
in the capitol at Tallahassee"
And so they are to the faithful band
a of women who gather every Thursday
afternoon in the little Sunday school
building, and join heart and hand In
helping each other to enjoy and i'm
prove the two hours a week rescued
from their household cares. For nearly
every member is a mother, not of one
;, but in several cases Of eight and ter
children, with no one to assist in the
y daily and hourly work attending such {
= household, so that the first rule made
and rigidly enforced, mo babies allow
ed at the meetings." is a genuine relief
and gives time and freedom for mucl
Y that would be otherwise impossible.
Sometimes the children are taken to
~ neighbOring house, ten or twelve httl'
tots from one to three years old, and
husband or eldest Sol volunteers to over
see those that are able to walk, in which
case, as it draws near closing time, on
little head after another will be seel
coming, Indian file, along the marrow
path, all Of them bareheaded or nearl.
so, in search of mamma and general.
in great glee at having escaped. 0
course there follows a grand baby show
The originator of the club is its presi
dent, Miss Flora McFarlane, of NeI
Jersey, a woman who has proved he1
self in every way capable for the lf
she intends leading, having homesteade
a hundred and fifty acres of governmen
ii lands, which she has gone bravely
work to clear and improve.
The officers of the club are the pres
dent, secretary, assistant secretary
treasurer and %caretaker, who has entir
charge of the clubs ~workbasket, givin
- out the work and collecting materials
T such as scissors, thimbles, needle book:
patterns and button box, after eac
meeting. These meetings occur ever
Thursday afternoon from 3 to ..
At the organizing of the Climb 1t Wa
voted that the time be spent In maxim
useful articles of clothing from mater;
' either given to the club thereupon II
president presented a dozen kltche
aprons) or bought with the clubs fund
the funds being derived from membe
ship dues (Which were promptly paid,
that the treasurer found herself busy
once) or gifts. That such articles shou
the be sold at each meeting, and to mel
bers, at cost price.
ar That the money received for the FIR
year be spent in the purchase of mate
ais and also in suitable and useful ar
(, cles for a bazaar, to be held at the a
nual meeting for the benefit Of t
church building. That resident mel
bers be elected by means of a vote ca
:. with black and white beans; distant
correspondence members on the go