The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1893-03-31
WOMAN'S WORLD.
A GENTLE CRITICISM OF SOME OF
soRosIS MEMBERS.

A Common Sense Crusade-Interesting En-
tertainments in London-women Playing
at Love-The Story OF a Ring-yfachins
Made Dimples.
Wednesday, discussion in Sorosis as to
whether rural or urban environment fur
nished the more advantageous conditions
for the evolution of the ideal home was
focused, as might be expected, since the
disputants were women, upon the home
as a nursery, the incubator for the devel
opment of child character.
Ignoring with woman's logic the fact
that the children Of country homes are
the successful men and women of metro
politan activity, the consensus of opinion
declared for the superior advantages Of
the city surroundings in possibilities for
development and attrition with culture.
Having established this premise in their
exaltation of the prerogatives of mother
hood, the father as factor in the home
equation was eliminated after being al
lowed to foot the bills. Evidently the
paternal perquisite is to attend to busi-
ness, stay at the club and not interrupt
the experiment.
Naturally the society woman received
scathing criticism for her neglect of duty,
and the unevoluted mother was scorned
for sewing on buttons instead of study
ing social science by these new school
madonnas, and things were going right
merrily when suddenly one Of the sister
hood, singularly guiltless Of frivolity in
dress and a woman of progressive thought
and advanced theories, interrupted the
smooth flow Of rhetoric with the ques-
ton, "Is it not true that the obligations
of societies as well as the distractions Of
society divert us from the performance
of our full duty in the house, and par
ticularly in the personal supervision OF
our children"
Though this radical sentiment was re-
ceived with faint applause, reasonable
reflection recognizes its appositiveness.
Twenty thousand women, we ere told,
are now enrolled in active membership
in the various clubs and associations OF
the city devoted to every interest in life,
from the rescue Of neglected cats to the
study of Rossetti. And these organiza-
tions have done much for the develop
ment of women, not only ip the lines of
special culture or effort pursued, but in
the federation of interests, the cultiva-
ton Of tolerance, the institution Of
sympathetic sociology Of ideas as opposed
to the rigorous caste Of conventionality.
Much has been accomplished, too, in the
agitation of moral questions, the modif-
cation of public opinion and the further
ance Of reform. Eut it cannot be denied
that the woman who leaves anarchy in
her own nursery to the dispensation of
foreign authority in frilled cap while
she harangues at her club against the
elevation of the alien to the dignity of
public Office is as illogical as her unre-
generated sisters in the social maelstrom.
If there were no unattached spinsters,
no childless wives, no matrons with chill
dren arrived at majority, to look after
the garbage and Browning and dress re-
form, the heroic mother might be hon
ored for consecrating her children to the
ruler Of the universe, according to the
Mrs. Booth idea, and consigning them to
the care of the hireling, the certainty of
constructed all Christendoln at her club.
Possibly when women have really as
simulated the ethics Of economies they
will realize that she who contributes to
the commonwealth sons and daughters
with healthy souls in healthy bodies, as
the result of constant personal effort and
education, is really contributing more
impetus to the elevation of the race than
federation Of clubs can bring about in
cycle.-New York Sun.