The Portland daily press., 1893-04-13
THE WoMAN's COUNCIL.
What 1t Is and What 1T Is Doing Enter
tcrtaingly Described at Last Evenings
Meeting.

Feminine grace, combined with intel
lect and wit, such was the Woman
Council held at the Second Advent
church last evening, prompted by the
spirit of womanly advancement by union
and sympathy. Many beautiful flowers ad-
ded to the acttractiveness of the church.
Three of the members of the "Our DAY,
Mrs. Gertrude S. Leavitt, Mrs. I'll. Ii.
Dresser and Miss Swasey acted as ush-
ers. The exercises presided over by
Mrs. George S. Hunt were opened by
an organ voluntary by Prof. E. l.. Ran
kin, followed by an appropriate Scrip
ture reading and prayer by Mrs. Dwight
NJ. Pratt, wife of the rector of Williston
church.
The vocal solo, Consider the Lilies"
by Miss Rosie G. Mcclellan, was rem
dered with much taste, and was highly
appreciated.
In the enforced absence of Mrs. l.. M.
N. Stevens, her address on Work OF
Woman's Council was very p leasingly
read by her daughter, Mrs. Gertrude 5.
Leavitt. She first explained the organ
ization of the council stating that five
years ago there was held in Washington,
D. G., an International Council OF Wom-
en-. At the close of the great meeting
the initial steps were taken to organize
a National Council Of Women OF the
United States, which council would con-
sist of the societies of national character
or value. 1t is the plan of the National
| Council to have organized local councils
which shall accomplish for the commun-
| ity in which they exist what the
| National Council does for the nation,
namely, to bring into direct icommunica-
| ton with one another all organized bod
| les of women in the city in order to let
| each body of women know what is being
done by ALL No society joining the
! council is affected in it's work except as
| it work is brought more openly before
the public, and as public knowledge may
increase public sympathy and thus
strengthen every society joining it. The
council has no power whatever to con-
| troll any organization which enters 1T,
but makes it possible to show each 9th
er in a pleasant and helpful way what
| oOClcJlCS dlC tiOII5 LII SAAS AAaesAAJ
| lines of work and study in which women
are engaged. The council does for So
ciety what society does for an individ-
ual. 1t is a bureau of information. 1t is
| to busy people interested in woman's
work what the Review of Reviews is to
| busy people interested in current events.
81 believe the influence of this council, y
concluded Mrs. Stevens, Twill hasten the
coming of the blessed day when each
| ones veal will be every ones care, and
when there shall be an inwrought and an
outwrought Golden Rule"
After Mrs. Stevens's account of the
| formation of the Council, some of the
work being done by it's Portland mem
bers was described in papers devoted to
local institutions and societies. Miss G.
M. Dow, treasurer of the Home for Aged
Women read a history of that worthy
institution. Mrs. Cole, secretary of the
Samaritan Association, read the report
of the good works of this organization.
This report was written by Mrs. Fred A.
Kendall.
Mrs. III. P. Merrill read an interesting
paper written by Miss Mary E. Cousens
and Miss Harriet Stevenson on the
Second Parish Sewing Circle.
Mrs. F. B. Clark then read the report
of the Woman's Suffrage Club. This
club although established but year ago
has increased from membership of 20
to go. A point upon which Mrs. Clark
laid particular stress was the fact that
mothers are not equal guardians with
the fathers of their children. Although
the women of Maine met with a defeat
during the recent legislature Mrs. Clark
stated they were by no means dis
couraged.
At the close of this paper the pro-
gramme was varied by duet, Life
Dream is O'er.' by Misses Mcclellan and
Morrison This was followed by re-
port of the Temporary Home, read by
Mrs. J. w. D. Carter.
Mrs. M. S. Hughes gave very inter
esting report Of the good work of the
M. E. Chustnut Street Woman's F. M.
Society in India and Corea.
Interesting reports of the W. G. t. U.
by Mrs. Geo. S. Hunt, the Our Day Club
by Mrs. E. S. Coyle and the Woman's
Auxiliary to the Y. M. G. A., by Mrs. J.
B. Coyle followed.
a vocal solo afterwards by
Miss Nettie May Morrison very delight
fully concluded the evenings programme
Buy suit at assignee's prices at AT
kinson's.