Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
WOMEN AS BANQUETERs
They Would See Nothing Funny in 0haun-
oey Depew's Stories
The Excelsior Clubs After Dinner
Exercises-Mnny T0asts
offered.

offered.
The Excelsior Literary Club, after an
existence Of eight profitable years, gave its
first banquet Tuesday afternoon at the
residence of Mrs. H. NJ. Stems, 4O7 Florida
avenue. The long double parlors were
cleared for the banquet table and covers
were laid for forty-five guests. The room
was draped, dado and frieze, with silk flags
and curtained and canopIed with them. The
tables were handsomely set with American
beauty roses and ferns, and a pretty name
card lay at every cover, tied with white,
the club colors. The menu was long and
all-embracing as some of the toasts, and
that is saying a great deal for BOTH The
quality of each was quite equal to the
quantity, ard as it took something like
three hours to discuss the two It will be
seen that nothing was lacking.
1t was jolly lot of women who gathered
around the banquet board; there were doc
tors. lawyers,newspaper women, society wo-
mer, authors of books school teachers and
housekeepers; most Of them were happy
wives and loving mothers, and all of them
were women who know what an earnest
thing life is, because they have borne part
Of its burden upon their shoulders. The
Excelsior Club was formed eight years ago,
as glowing thought" by friends of a
shut In" whose vision was so darkened
that she had to give up her busy life and
was thus cut Off from many of the recrea-
lions that she loved. Member after men,
Der was admitted. and the scope widened
till 1t grew at last to the dignity Of club;
with a definite aim-that Of self-improye-
ment. 1t has never made much noise. but
tndnanca haS hocp vii
Post-Prandial Exercises.
At 1 o'clock all were seated, and Mrs.
Stems, president of the club. introduced
Mrs. J. L. McCreery as toastmistress. who
right ably presided. Mrs. Stems welcomed
the guests briefly and earnestly. ard the
response to the first toast of the day, Our
Club" was presented in a poem from the
pen of the husband of Mrs. Mira NJ. Met
calf. one of the club members. who said
that her husband had inherited her talent
for rhyming. 1t was entitled The Coming
Woman" and according to her chronicler
she is not creature to be dreaded. Miss
Alice Stems, a shy young maiden Of six
cited an original poem. Excelsior" par
ody on the old poem. and an extremely
clever one, with the club women for its
theme. "Our Parliamentary Exercises"
was responded to by Mrs. L. L. Bacon, the
parliamentarian of the club and othertoasts,
originally and wittily treated. were Our
Aims" bright original poem by Miss NJ. A.
Bennett; "Our Departed Ones.' Mrs. NJ. L.
Edison; THE Women of Our Club" Mrs.
Mira NJ. Metcalf; Women in the Profess
sions." Mrs. E. A. Chamberlain; The
Babies Of the Club" Mrs. Wallis; THE
Social Element of Our Club" Mrs. R. ].
Whiting: Marriage" Mrs. Bouton; Our
Deeds Of Kindness" Mrs. Smell; fashion
Its Uses. Its Abuses" Mrs. D. Norris: "One
Kin" Mrs. Stephenson. Mrs. Isabel wor-
rell-Ball responded to the toast THE News
papers," and THE Fifty-third Congress"
got beautiful 60 funeral Grafton from
Mrs Naylor. "a Chip Of the Old Block"
was handled In a mastery way by Mrs.
Florence Sullivan Dutie, and the distinctly
original manner in which DR.. Mary Nor
rison handled her toast, woman, a Child
of Our Grandmother Eve" elected con-
tinuous round of laughter and applause.
Miss A. NJ. Chamberlain gave charm
Ing eXtemperaneouS response to the toast
"Our Country" and she had not time to
seat herself when some one started Amer
ica." and 1t was given with spirit that
stirred the souls of all. Man was daintt-
ly and carefully. handled by Mrs. Carrie
Scott. and 1.-The Blue and the Gray" were
charmingly blended by Mrs. A. w. Foster,
who was born under the flag OF the gray
and married man who wore the blue.
Mrs. NJ. D. Lincoln, In responding to the
toast, "a Chiefs Among YOU said that,
with 1.-THE Evening STAR to point the way
to News gathering, 1t male one hustle
to keep abreast of the Times and not
get left at the Post"
Chauncey Not Missed.
Miss Helen Grace Stephenson recited
1.-THE Adaptable Girl In inimitable manner,
and Miss Mary Foster spoke to the toast
"Oh, Wad Some Power" and took occa-
sion to remark that 1t might be heresy.
but she thought that Chauncey Depew
was not In the least missed. A fact that
was further emphasized In the next toast,
"Our Hostess very eloquently responded
to by Mrs. Kittie L. Scott, who took occa-
sion to relate two of Mr.. Depew's best
after-dnner stories. exactly as she heard
which produced the slightest symptom of
smile among the women, when smiles and
laughter had been the order all along.
The banquet was a decided success and
will now be followed by annual affairs.
Among those present were Mrs. NJ. L.
McCreery, Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett, Mrs.
j. D. Frlshie, Miss Nellie Hodgson, Mrs.
NJ. ]. Stephens, Mrs. A. j.. Lyons, Miss A.
NJ. Chamberlain, Mrs. NJ. l.. Edison and
Miss Gertie Metcalf, Mrs. II. NJ. Stems,
Mrs. Marion Parker, Mrs. NJ. D. Lincoln,
Mrs. DR.. Mary Morrison, Mrs. r. G. Whit
ing, Mrs. Geo. A. Bacon. Mrs. Carrie r..
Chapman. Miss NJ. c. Bennett, Mrs. NJ. j.
Lizzie Bradley. Mrs. E. A. Bond. Mrs. !.
w. Ball, Mrs. F. s. Duffie, Mrs. s. Wood
ward. Mrs. C. E. Phelps, Mrs. NJ. ]. Steph-
enson and Miss H. G. Stephenson. Mrs.
n. J. Smell, Mrs. A. 8. hurry, Mrs. A. w.
Foster. Mrs. s. H. Jacobson, Mrs. B. B.
Saxton, Mrs. l. NJ. Weyand. Mrs. Katie L.
Scott, Mrs. A. G. Powell. Miss Julia E.
widows. Mrs. NJ L. Willis. Mrs. Alex.
Kent. Miss NJ. L. Naylor. Mrs. H. H. Mar
tin, Miss F. L. Naylor.
From the Jaws of Death.