The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-04
OUR GIRLS, CLUB IN PARIS
Where Young Women students Find Com forts They Could N t Otherwise Have.


 [From the Churchmanl
 The Rue de Chevreuse is a narrow street, only a block in length, which connects Rue Notre Dame des Champs with the Boulevard Mont Parnasse. From the Boulevard one sees its com monplace buildings, and rising above them, the red-tiled roofs of a convent, where statue of Our Lady of the Fields looks down on the dormer win dows and clustered chimneys of the surrounding houses. On the left is a large four-story building shining in a fresh coat of cream-eolored paint. When the great porte opens we catch a glimpse of a sunny court with a gar den behind. The house extends around three sides of a paved court; in the centre is large flower bed filled with scarlet geraniums, ,hollyhocks and roses; an old well has been covered over and transformed into a pansy bed, and here and there are boxes overflowing with gay nasturtiums. The tall trees and shrubs in the garden shield the court from the view of neighboring houses, and in the pleasant seclusion the noisy, dusty Boulevard seems far away.
 This is the American Girls club, an outgrowth of smaller one which was opened three years ago in the Rue Va win. The idea of the latter club origin ater with the late Rev. W. w. Newell and his wife, who, from their many years of faithful work among the stu dents. were thoroughly acquainted with 6tp 1S 1ob law Reid became interested in the plan, and she assumed the entire expense of the maintenance of the club. It con sisted of a reading room, a small libra ry, and a reception room, where tea was served every afternoon at o'clock. Situated as it was in the the midst of the student quarter many girls would come in for an hour of rest, to see the papers and magazines, and have a chat with acquaintances over a cup of tea. On Sunday evening a short service was held, followed by an informal social gathering.
 This club proved to be such a success that last October the Rue de Chevreuse house was opened, with the addition of bedrooms and much needed restau- rant. The girls pay fair price for their rooms and in the restaurant, but the club cannot be supported by the in- come derived from these sources. Mrs. Whitelaw Reid has made herself res ponsible for the rent and the taxes, while other expenses are met by other generous Americans The business af- fairs are controlled by 8 gentleman and a committee of ladies living in Paris. and the house staff Is composed of a dfrectress and chaperon, who man. ages the house and restaurant, house. keeper, concierge, and women domes- tics. In addition, there Is the president of the club, usually one of the students, who has a general supervision over the odi~g room and the library, presides
 clock and takes prominent part :, .4le social affairs of the club.
 l'The present club is intended only for etirls studying in Paris without the pro- oectjon of relatives or friends; and al- hough married women are not admit ted as lodgers the reading room and restaurant are open to all students. Not only does the club give a charm ing home life to forty girls, but others share many of it's privileges. It is the nucleus of student life in the quarter, and from the very existence of this cen tre of American life in a strange land, the lonely newcomer feels a sense of comfort and protection.
 The restaurant does much to remove the difficulties of student life for girls in Paris. The charges of most of the pensions are too high for many, and in the French pensions the newly arrived American misses home comforts, and | suffers from the neglect of the proper sanitary conditions, while continued | course of small restaurants is sure to end in dyspepsia, mental and physical | Some rent apartments and try house. | keeping, but, ignorant of the customs | and puZzlng intricacies of French law, | this frequently involves them in diff | culty and expense. There is the con- fiict, also, between health and ones | work, in which too often the health suf- fers.
 With these drawbacks to economical | living, 1t is no wonder that the club | was welcomed gladly by American stu dents. The house has been full most of the time since 1t opened Already the rooms are engaged for the coming winter, and the welI-flled restaurant last year showed that it was fully ap- preoiated by the students The charges are rather less than in the cheap res taurants in the quarter, while the quail ity is much superior. One of the menus will give an idea of the prices which, however, fluctuate a little with the season and the conditions of the mar kets. Vegetable soup, cents; boiled fish, white sauce, cents; fflet, madeira sauce, with salad 13 cents; mutton praise, g cents; salad, cents; baked caulifrower, 5 centsi preserved cherries cents; coffee. cents: tea, cents.
 On the second floor is the drawing room or "blue room," so called from the prevailing tone of the furnishings
 The club is "at home" on Thursday evenings, though visitors are not con fined to that day. Some choice photo- graphs, gifts from girls who have re-