Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-05-31

Etortua w s@emen VINO nave an interest
ing Way of Securing Relaxation from
Their Home Dutics-some Rules and
Objects of the Society.
Away down on the east coast of Flor
ida. 800 miles south of st. Augustine, is
the pretty little settlement of Cocoanut
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 even 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, 100 miles to the south.
OF course there is a hotel, postoffice,
store and Sunday school building,
which, with the Biscayne Bay Yacht
club house, the various winter residences
of the northern yachtsmen and the pref
ty little houses of the pineapple growers
and cocoanut planters of the keys, each
built according to its owners fancy or
means, and set in the midst of cocoanut,
lime, orange, banana and guava trees,
form 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 wish to in
troduce my readers. A womans 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 ex-
perience of belonging to society, how
ever simple, for women only, was nov
city. Although ''our club" is now
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 concocted
in the capitol at Tallahassee"
And so they are to the faithful band
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 week rescued
from their household cares. For nearly
every member is mother, not of one,
but in several cases of eight and ten
children, with no one to assist in the
daily and hourly work attending such a
household, so that the first rule made
and rigidly enforced, mo babies allow
ed at the meetings" is genuine relief,
and gives time and freedom for much
that would be otherwise impossible.
Sometimes the children are taken to a
neighboring house, ten or twelve little
tots from one TO three years old, and a
husband or eldest son volunteers to over
see those that are able to walk, in which
case, as it draws near closing time, one
little head after another will be seen
coming, Indian file, along the narrow
path, all of them bareheaded or nearly
so, in search of mamma and generally
in great glee at having escaped. OF
course there follows grand baby show.
The originator of the club is its presi-
dent, Miss Flora McFarlane, of New
Jersey, a woman who has proved her
self in every way capable for the life
she intends leading, having homesteaded
a hundred and fifty acres of government
lands, which she has gone bravely to
work to clear and improve.
The officers of the club are the presi-
dent, secretary, assistant secretary,
treasurer and caretaker, who has entire
charge of the clubs workbasket, giving
out the work and collecting materials,
such as scissors, thimbles, needle books,
patterns and button box, after each
meeting. These meetings occur every
Thursday afternoon from 3 to5.
At the organizing of the clnb it was
voted that the time be spent in making
useful articles of clothing from material
either given to the club (thereupon the
president presented a dozen kitchen
aprons) or bought with the clubs funds,
the funds being derived from member
ship dues (which were promptly paid, so
that the treasurer found herself busy at
once) or gifts. That such articles should
be sold at each meeting, and to mem
bers, at cost price.
That the money received for the first
year be spent in the purchase of materi-
ais and also in suitable and useful arti-
cles for bazaar, to be held at the an
nual meeting for the benefit of the
church building. That resident MEM
bers be elected by means of vote cast
with black and white beans; distant or
correspondence members on the good
faith of the housekeeper proposing Them
Bright, newsy letters are received
from the nonresident members, and all
sorts of gifts in the way of household
articles, from half q dozen cup towels
A Dn~1~