The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-22

HIGH JINKS.

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nj recent golngs on ut meeting of the
Rhode Island Womans Cub.
The Womans Club is most estima-
BILE institution. IL seeks advancement
and culture for woman kind. We
believe it is warm patron
of the Weman's College, the an
mex TO Brown University. 1t is om-
posed of women no less smart than
they are dianified. There are maids as
we'll as matrons in the membership and
they do not affect short hair - at
least since it has ceased to be
fashionable 10 cut the hair short--nor in
other ways aim TO make themselves pc
culiar among woman kind. 1t is said
that you cohld nor, in passing. distin-
guish member of the Woman's Club
from any other kind of Rhode Island
woman except for suspicion that an
atmosphere of unusual intellectually
which she carries with her might ex-
cite.
The Woman's Club meets twice week
in the rooms of the house occupied by
that excellent educational institution
conducted by the Misses FIELDEN and
CHAcE. an institution, by the way, that
is credited with educating more at
tractive young women than any
similar institution in the world.
We don't know what subjects
are discussed at these meetings, nor
what entertainment is provided, but we
have always had an idea. We are con-
fident, for instance, not from authentic
report, to be sure, but from our
superficial knowledge of the char
acter Of the membership and of
the high ideals 1t aims to
maintain. that subjects in general look
ing to the bettering OF womankind as
she is found in Rhode Island were the
themes of the bi-inonthiy lectures or
debates. Such topics as, sis it OF More
Advantage for Woman to Subscribe
her own Christian Name Instead of
her Husbands when writing to
a Newspaper " Is Man of SO much Ne
cessity to Woman that the latter SHOULD
be required to Drop out of the World
after Marriage?" " Is the Theater Hat
sine qua non of True Womanhood?" and
=" Resolved, while Brown University is
fiddling around for an Endowment, that
we build a $4,000 Woman's College,"
we have always assumed, furnished
profitable diversion for the meetings of
the Woman's Club. Aud after debate
was closed we imagined the members
indulging in the hilarious enjoyment of
a cup Of tea, good strong Woman's Club
tea.
But rumor has il that this is not the
extent of the diversion of the Womans
Club. Indeed we could, if we were dis
posed, quote credible authority to the
effect that much beyond anything of this
sort furnished entertainment at the last
regular meeting and it awakens the
suspicion that other meetings, mayhap,
have been similarly entertaining. Re-
sponsible as is our authority we still
hesitate to permit report of the pro-
ceedings referred to in our news col
umns. But we cannot Withhold our ex-
pressions of dismay, not to say alarm,
at the disclosures.
In word, we are informed that some
thing akin to a vaudeville entertain
ment YVES enjoyed at the Woman's Club
at the recent meeting, Of which we take
cognizance. We do not know how
much there was of song and recitation,
with and without costume, but
we learn for a fact that one
of the members appeared in mans
clothes to the delight of her fellow men,
bers--and to the inexpressible pleasure
of the young ladies of the school of the
Misses FIELDEN and CHAcE, WHO being
beyond the province Of tho school COM
mittee, only see things in mems clothes
when going to and from school. We
admit that we do not know
the name of tine Club woman
who thus appeared clad in the garb Of
the tolerated sex. But we are informed
that she looked charming, if not quite
at home. Neither are we informed
whether she sang "On the Bowery," did
somersault - or just appeared.
But we reiterate that the re-
port of the performance somewhat
dismayed US. though it made us wish
we were eligible to membership in the
Woman's Club. Membership evidently
offers advantages not otherwise t. be
obtained. We are sure that the mem-
ber in costume made a fifst-rate man
and we confess that the circumstance
excites in us new interest in the regu-
lar meetings of the club.
MayD't we be permitted to be repre-
sented by reporter and an artist at the
next occasion? We promise to do justice
by IL and TO furnish N full and connlata