The herald., 1895-07-13
ANIMATED BUT UNOFFICIAL
Is What the Friday Club Vacation
Meetings Will Be
Mrs. Graham Elected Chairman-Miss Harra-
den Was Present Yesterday, and
Gave Brief Talk

In accordance with the plans made las
week, when the Friday Morning club ad
journed officially for the season, series
of informal weekly vacation meetings
was inaugurated yesterday with a large
attendance. The club members have be-
come so addicted to the Friday morning
habit that they are not willing to break
in upon it entirely, although they were
less prompt in congregating at the rooms
yesterday than they are obliged to be un-
der club rules, and it was II o'clocbk. in
stead of TO- before anything of import
ance occurred.
Mrs. Margaret Collier Graham was
there promptly, and was unanimously
chosen for the chairman of the meeting,
but the matter of having secretary
brought about considerable debate. Some
thought no meeting could be a meeting
without a secretary; Others contended
that it was all to be so informal and un-
such an officer and finally the decision
was made that there should be no secre-
tary, and Mrs. Graham settled the matter
by announcing that the proceedings at
these meetings were to be distinctly sep
arate and apart from the club work; that
in ai4y way for whatever might take
place al the meetings, nor to go out as
such, and-here Mrs. Graham cast
searching, not TO sag penetrating. gaze
over the sea cf iaces-and SAID slowly and
distinctly. but with a very propitiatory
ssa.is, u she-. are any reporters pres
ent, and l suppose there are, for like the
poor they are always with us, they will
please understand and announce what l
have just sald."
Whereupon everybody, even the report
ers, grinned cheerfully, although Mrs.
Graham might have added that it is u.s.
ually because the reporters were poor that
they are always with us-but that is
another story.
The aims and objects of the club, what
it should do ana be next year. were next
discussed snimatedly and informally
but unofficially. A great many sugges-
tions were made. and divers opinions
offered, but no definite conclusion or plan
OF action was reached.
1t all took up considerable time. how
ever, and then Miss Harraden, who was
present, received a cordial invitation to
address the club, and tell, among other
things, who and why she wrote Ships
That Pass in the Night. OF course she
said she couldn' speak and OF course the
lajies insisted she could, and, of course.
by and by she did. and commenced ny
saying that she was not accustomed to
speak in public, and as for the book,
there was nothing much to say-it was
there.
She had been very i'll, her friends ad-
viseo that she occupy her mind by writ
ing. and she sat down and wrote the first
chapter in fifteen minutes. Then she
wondered what on earth she w"s going
TO do with the people she had cs'.ated in
that chapter, and SIZE kept en- wondering
the same thing until she got through,
and then she was thankful she had got
rid of them.
Miss Harraden also said thar she was
chained with the American women, and
she liked the American men, because
they took such good care of the Amer
ican women, whereupon she sat down and
the club Immediately adjourned -unoffic-
ially-that the women might go home
and be taken care of.