The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-27
In THE SOCIETY WORLD.
Meeting of the Nautilus Women's
Club.
INVENTIONS AND WOMERS WORK

Discussed by the Ladies' Present.
Other Matters of a Social Nature.
Persons sending social items to this depart
ment viii please give their name and address in
order TO secure publication.I
The Nautilus club held its regular
meeting with Mrs. Holland last week.
This was the second of the four days
to be devoted to domestic science during
the year.
a debate on the proposition: %Re-
solved, That Modern Inventions have
Lessened Woman's Work" having been
arranged, Mrs. l. D. Whittemore took
the affirmative, and Mrs. E. B. Cowgirl
the egative.
The ladies' handled the subject well,
and brought out many arguments on
both sides.
The discussion by the club was general,
and few pieces of fine EN- broidery and
needle work sky years old were dis
played, showing that our grandmoth ers
had some leisure well as the mothers
of today. So much excellence was found
in both papers by the judges that de-
cision was postponed till some future
time.
An invitation from the Western Sorosis
to attend a reception at Unity church
this afternoon was read aud accepted.
The Nautilus club will meet next
week with Mrs. King.
Mrs. whittemore's Arguments.
Mrs. Whittemore opened the debate by
saying: in the last two decades wo-
mans excitement over woman has been
Unprecedented.
''She hardly knows what to think of
herself and her situation.
"Her generation is confrOnted bV new
problems.
"The housekeeper of today guilty
feels that she accomplishes less IN some
departments than did her ancestors, and
yet feels in the work she does do,
that constant rush and hurry which seem
a part of the age.
''She pauses, and wonders if her activ-
ity is useless buZzing, and wishes to justi-
fly herself in her user of time. x
at is evident that times have changed,
and that inventions have caused the
change.
sour women ancestors of a hundred
years ago carded, spun, dyed and wove
the wool, at last cutting, fitting and sew
ing by hand every garment, even the
shoes and hats worn by every member of
the family.
1.-The mukmaid was a reality in those
days, not picturesque figure.
MAUD Muller had many co-laborers in
making hay, all, we hope, as winsome as
herself.
Family washings were laboriously
performed by hand.
son washing machines alone there are
2, 45S patents, on wringers 80"
1.-THE feather bed of those days." said
Mrs. Whittemore, with their iutricately
wrought quilts and woven counterpanes,
represented untold work; it even being
no small task to climb in one of them.
''All dainty articles of wear and adorn-
ment, today nude by machinery, were
then made by hand"
She continued: "A lady in Topeka
recently told me of legend in her hus-
bands family. A gentleman purchased
family carriage, promising in payment
on a certain date a designated number of
yards of wooden blankets which his wife
was to weave.
"She shut herself up in the loom room
and devoted herself to the task, taking
pride afterward in the fact that she COM
pleted the work in two-thirds the time
her husband had thought possible.
The point 1 want to MAKE is a simple
one:-Heat, light, water. food and
Clothes the Indispensable comforts, may
be brought into our homes ready, or
nearly ready, for use.
by the baker, tho grocer. the tailor,
the seamtress, the Iaunderer. household
labor is reduced to the minimum,
mind, l do not say we can all COM
mand all of these aids, but modern in