The Washington times., 1894-12-02
FIN DE SIECLE FEMININITY
Noman's AnthropoIOgical Society
Doing Some Interesting Work.
THE PI BETA PHI FRATERNITY
Needs of the House of Mercy-An Institution
That Quietly and Effectively Does Noble
Work-ouestion of North and South in
Columbia Chapter, D. A. R.

Columbia Chapter, D. A. R.
Woman's Anthropological Society has just
held its tenth annual meeting in the lecture.
room of Columbian University, Miss Sara A.
Scull, vice president, in the chair.
Applicants for membership were balloted
for and elected as follows: Mrs. Sara York
Stevenson, curator of tho Egytian section OF
archaeology in the University of Pennsylvania,
and Miss Jane V. Gillette, an educator OF the
deaf and dumb, and niece of the well-known
instructor OF mutes, DR.. Phillip Gillette.
Mrs. Barrus read a most interesting article
upon child growth and OF the different modes
of loeomotion used by infants before they
walked; the quadrupedal, or the movement
with the hands and the soles of the feet on
the ground, was said TO indicate great mus
cular strength. cut describing the infant
in that position at short distance had the
appearance of a dog.
Miss Jackson read the paper Of the day
entitled Comparison of Alaskan races"
Among those present were Mesdames Anna
Fl. Barus, Mary S. Bigelow Mary V. Z. Ca
bell, Cole. Elizabeth Boynton Coyille Caro-
line II. Dali Martha Powell Davis, Helen
Douglass. Lucy Brown Flint, Julina o. Hall,
Katherine Hosmer, Hanson. Efie McQ.
Hocombe Jean NJ. Lander, Moore, Miranda
Tullock Clara Bliss Finley, Miranda 2. Sea-
man, Mary Wight. the Misses Ada Carman,
Anna Tolman Smith. Della Jackson, Emma
Teller, and others.
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity is one Of the oldest
and largest of the seven national women's
fraternities. There are chapters in anumber
of colleges where women are admitted, her
territory extending from Swathmore to
Leland Stanford.
The standard of eligibility to membership
In the fraternity is very high, the require
ments being both moral and scholastic. The
applicant must also be in full sympathy with
the broad outlook of life and in touch with
the progress of the nineteenth century.
| The main object Of the fraternity is the
broadening aud betterinS OF womans life il
| general, and especially that of the college
| girl.
There is in Washington an active chapter
| Of which Miss A. E. Mcguire, a Columbian
! University student, is president. and an alum.
nae club which directs the work for the Dis
! trict through its executive committee, o.
| which Miss Cora de la Matyr Thomas is presi-
\ dent; Miss Margaret Halsey Brewer, vice
/ y
! Miss Hester McNelly, treasurer, and Miss
| Edna A. Clark. censor. 1t is now working tc
| secure for Washington a shelter for self-sup
| porting women who are in this city without
| homes or relatives. 1t is intended to mode
| the home after the Margaret Louise Home il
New York and the Warrenton Street Home II
| Boston.
These homes are for the educated, refined
women who find themselves obliged TO earn
| living, and are unable to pay the prices
| charged in the better class of boarding
| houses.
Among the membership there are Mis-,
! Emma Harper Turner, Miss Steritt, sister o
| Dr. Steritt, of the Columbian faculty; Mis-
| Thomas, weIl-knOwn for her work in connec
ton with university extension; Miss William!
and Miss Grace GouvenOur, daughter OF tht
Ohio Senator.
The Cosmopolitan Shakespeare Club, at the
| last regular meeting. appointed Mrs. Jessl,
| L. Engle, president, and Mrs. Josephine NJ
| Patten, secretary, delegates 10 the federated
| clubs of the District of Columbia, with in
structions 10 join the new organization, which
| will meet for the election of officers on tht
| Sth of December. The members present wert
Mesdames Engle. Patten, Pierson, Bean
| Nelson. Thompson. and the Misses Patten
| Wiess, and Patten. A number Of visitor
enioyed the entertainment. The club vii
meet on the third Monday in December, a
the residence of Mrs. Cash, 1904 North Caro-
| lima avenue.
The House Of Mercy, one of the most i'm
portant, though, perhaps, least known OF the
charities in Washington. is in present need o
some assistance, especially in the matter OF {
winters supply Of groceries.
There are now eighteen inmates in thu
House OF Mercy: these are from the Distric
OF Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, and Penn
sylvania.
They are graded into classes, probationary
advanced. and monitors; and promoted ac
eording TO behavior, No one is receives
for less than year, and, in most cases,
longer stay is considered necessary. Thos
! under tWenty-one years of age are expects
to remain until they become OF age Th
women are taught hand sewing, embroidery
and house work. and given secular instruC
ton in night school.
1t is the aim of the Sisters of st. Mary, i
charge, to surround these women with re
ining influences, believing that such contrib
utes to the work ofredemption. Clean, neat
pretty surroundings are apt to engender tn
love of the beautiful, and to awaken q mic
sense of refinement, almost invariably blunte
IN the fallen women.
1t is fact that many women taken into tn
House of Mercy since its establishment hav
been provided with good homes as servant:
Some have married, as is the ease in one il
stance. at least in this city. They haV
emerged from the home equipped better tba
ever before for lifes battle. and in but lew il
stances has it happened that those who leav
the institution ever succumb 20 temptation
There is a large lot adjoining the institution
which belongs to It. 1t is out OF debt, but
needs the money to build house suitable fC
the requirements OF the work.
The House of Mercy needs also additions
beds and bedding; there are accommodation
for tWenty-four but there is room for 81
more. 1t also needs groceries, and coal fc
the winter and some underclothiBg for the il
mates.
The officers of the Board of Managers are
Mrs. Anton Heger, 1901 1 street, Mrs. E. {
w. Chubb, 2307 Pennsylvania Avenue; Mr..
Frank H. ..Bigelow, 1925 Massachusetts Avenue
Columbia Chapter, D. A. R., will meet th
second Tuesday in December. There ar
about twenty-five members in this chapte
and singular coincidence. the membership
about equally divided between Northern an
Southern women.
The admission of Miss Mildred Lee, daugh
ter of the late Robert E. Lee as honorar
member, raised once more the question {
North and South, and it was proposed to in
yite to membership the daughter of som
prominent general on the other side-Mis
Sartoris, for instance, or Miss Mary Garfield
Brown, as an Offset Then there is Miss WiI
ME Davis. Why not? And why, in commo
sense. should any question arise betwee
Dau ghters of the Revolution which could b
Cabinets So so per doz Bishops, eO5 Pa. avt