Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-11-07

tea aIl<l gake are ferfe4. an bare
social rflAE befnFe sepsTstng II
"a eoGsidersd 80 heosr b bsiosE o. tss
FouBightss sslah. zIid h oDs that =
s~g>Eis so~st.t fes. IL = . i@ais.' club
exclusively
The Tssetisth C~stury club = slse
literary. bet meets IL ths evening" 500 =
eomposed II Doth SEXES IL - inltated
frou The Ass lerx SlBsteeBth Century
club. an6 IL like al evening party, vita
soaae great literary hight enssssd 10 read
an essay and be the attraction Tie
memtsrs Of Il are elected for social
reasons; and IL 10 society snair. IL
meets once month il rooms AZ The Art
museamA
Ihs Preach club 10 unique club. aud
has = record Ct ten ar twelve years OF
existence IL meets every week 90
Saturday nights in small hall hired Tor
the purpose and has = progress divided
into two psrts. TIE first bali consists
u mUsie and the h.st half 81 short
French play; generally one Of those
charnsing little consoles for which the
French are GO calculated This club has
developed great deal OF dramatic talent
In Chicago. aud II 10 surprising how well
soms Of the young people who belong 10
10 act and speak In French They have
the advantage Of being trained BY Al ex.
cellent French actor. who has retired
from the stage. Conversation is carried
on in French only. and for this purpose
there is half hours intermission be-
tween the music and the play. Once
year the club gives public performances
in theatre. Tor which Il sells tickets 10
help pay expenscs
Amateur Musicai Club
The Amateur Musical club s very
large club, and IL does a great deal Tor
charity, "a well as for music by Its annual
entertainments given in a big hall by
subscription. Whea left there three
years ago this club had a membership
Of six hundred ladies'. and IL was neces-
cary 10 pay the yearly dues six months
ia advance, 50 great WIS the demand TO
belong 10 it. II is equally benefit 10
amateurs aud professionals. as IL gives
the former al opportunity To play In
public, and adyertises their teachers
through their performances. In addi-
ton 10 the regular concerts, given every
two weeks by the active members Of the
club. they have six Artists Recitals."
for which the most distinguished artists
are engaged. and for which they are
handsomely paid. My sister. Mrs.
Thomas, was for fve years the secretary
OF this club before her marriage and
freely gave up one-third OF her time to
it's affairs She then resigned and the
club has since had its regularly paid
secretary.
The men OF Chicago have also their
Literary club. which meets in the
evening in its own rooms, and is similar
10 the Fortnightly club in character.
Once a year each Of these clubs gives a
social entertainment. and invites the
other. and there is quite a rivalry be-
tween them.
la emulation OF the Amateur Musical
club / started the Artists Concert club,
and it was organized on the same plan.
but was confined TO the professional
musicians Of Chicago. We gave twelve
concerts every winter on alternate Tues
day afternoons l used to devote the
month OF October to going about from
door 10 door and securing my subscrip-
tons OF five dollars for season ticket.
l found il good plan TO have each
ticket admit two persons This made
the concerts very cheap. was very pop
ular. and gave US large audience. Be
fore i began. people tried TO discourage
me by saying. "Oh, you can never
get musicians TO cooperate with each
other. they are too jealous" / did not
find this to be the case. On the con-
trary. they we're interested in each 9th
er's success and wers always present at
the concerts and rhe musical critics
were likewise stimulated to go and TO
write long notices OF the concerts for the
daily papers. This was very valuable
To the artists.
| must not close my resume or the
Chicago clubs without mentioning the
Womsn's club. the largest and most i'm
portant OF them all. This club occupies
itself with philanthropy. education. sci
ence and the great questions Of the day.
and has many committees working away
at different things. Ii Is much more
democratic than the Fortn.shtly club,
and IL much more aggressive and pro-
gressive. In New York, where | have
been living during the last three years.
clubs for literary and artistic purposes
do not seem 10 play the important part
in social life that they do In Chicago. /
have Just been elected into the Drawing
Room club, which ~ literary club and
meets in the evening. An essayist OF
reputation is engaged 10 read paper.
which is discussed, aud then there IL
supper. Music ~ sometimes part of
the program, and everybody Is required
70 40 ia evening dress. 1t is very
pleasant club. You see. ladies'. my ex-
perience ~ clubs has been a varied and
extensive one, and IL has brought me
many happy hours.
CongratuIating the Society.
II - good thing for a musical club
10 take some Of the musical papers. and
keep IL on account Of what is going on
in the world at large The New York
Musical Courier Is an excellent paper
for general news. and has many foreign
correspondents. The Chicago Indicator
- another enterprIssng journal TIE
f.tude. which " published in Philsdei
phIS. ~ excellent FOR teaching purposes.
and prints much good music. ". L. Is.
Matthews " Chicago edits very able
magazine called Music. ehieh CONES out
once a month ard gives a summary II
music IN all ia branches. and contains
many admirable articles by noted teach.
ers-
This 10 the ago whea women are at
lsst beginning "a feaiizs their udepend
ence a. "A SCI. and 10 work Tor themselves
a. men do. Those % ns who we're pre-
ent at the meeting u the WoIDaus Aux.
Hilary Branch 81 the Congress on Music,
At Chicago in July. vii remember v bAt
tine programs were arranged and given
by the women invited 90 take part. aud
the irsepss Interest evsnce,l bs the nab.
&c in their proceedings The halt Vas
lammed fub IL people every time. and
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