The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
FOR FEMININE READERS
THE VARIETY OF WAYS IN WHICH
WoMEN's CLUBS BENEFIT WOMEN.
The BOY of the Family "A Discourage
ing Product, hut Worthy of Atten-
tion-An American Defect.

The modern movement of women's clubs
gives social and intellectual interest to a
great class OF women who without them
are poorly provided for, said speaker at
a Boston womans club the other day. Until
within few years when once a womans
youth was passed, excepting among the
wealthy and leisurely class. whether mar
ried or single, her social good times were
practically over. She made pleasant times
for other and younger people and found or
was supposed TO find her pleasure in that
and in the cares and duties of her house
hold. But in most small places the neigh
bOrhood circle was small, the life narrow
and dull and many bright woman found
herself losing ground year after year. She
had no one to work and study with The
church. with its missionary and benevolent
societies, helped, but only on one side. In
many places people kept very much to
neighborhood and small class circles. To
women thus placed the club came as a
great deliverance.
Every one Graves expression and the SYM
pathy and interest of those who care for
the same things. People also need TO have
their opinions controverted or they become
narrow, provincial and set like Miss Will
kins's heroes and herones. One reason
WHY lIOSt WHO DtlOIlB 10 ldISc ldIllleS are
likely to be more fair minded than only
children is THAI from childhood they have
their actions, tastes and opinions brought
TO the bar of the judgment of brothers and
sisters, and so they learn early that there
are others Speech-the power of definite
and varied approximations more than
anything else mans elevation above the
brute, and many women in lonely homes
have very little Of it.
Take the thousands of loyal single women
who ministering to the last years of
aged parents, take the widow with young
children or one whose children are grown,
or the married women whose husbands are
away and whose duties confine them closely
TO their own households and think OF their
Lonely hours. OF course. some of these
cannot take the time TO attend any club,
but to those who can it is a priceless boon.
The insane aSylums draw d larger per cent.
from farmers wives than any other class of
women. Bad cooking, a strange dislike of
fresh air and hard work undoubtedly have
much TO do with 1t, but the sOltariness OF
the lie IS the real eXplanaAon of the
trouble. The club draws the women from
all churches and different neighborhoods
ana so WldenS the view. 1t gives the woman
with a literary bent an opportunity to use
her pen TO some purpose. The musical
woman nnds new appreciation Tor her
talent: One from whom very little was ex-
pected shows a genius for organization
Gradually after the formation OF a club
every member finds her place and oppor-
tunity and all can work together foi, the
general good.
Edward Everett Hale says that if you
study any subject for six weeks you will
know more about it than anyone you will
meet. Most of us have our cub papers on
our minds good deal longer than mat, so
the educational value of writing papers is
not small matter. People often get into
Snpshod and careless way OF listening
but IL one is likely to be called upon in the
discussion following the reading of a paper
Wool gathering ana grandmotherly mapping
VIII not do. with many there are subjects
which have an intense and burning inter-
est so that oneVfeels as ii she was called
10 speak on that subject, and the club gives
In George Eliot's Adam Bede," Mrs
Poyser well says: There is no pleasure in
and only let your mind out on the sly, like
a leaky barrel In the early days of
womens clubs, members were apt TO fall
into one of two entirely diverse dangers
Either they were TOO polite to venture to
differ from what another lady had said
however much it might be against their
own convictions, or they were hurt and an
gered to lind that others differed widely
from them, and sudden Withdrawals and
sharp personalities epSued. 1t is for the
best interest of club life that partisan pol
tiles and religion, in its dOctrinal manifeS-
tations, should be kept out as much as pos
sible. Still deep and intense conviction on
such vital subjects will consciously or UNI
consciously influence the point of view on
every other, and the woman who cannot
listen with an open mind TO anotherS way
of treating an important subject will never
be a good clubwomau.
Besides the writing and discussing of pa
pers, and the classes and benevolent work
which are so helpful in clubs, the lstenip&
TO speakers from without, who represent
large interests of education, of philanthropy
or of literature, lifts the clubwOman into
larger life. Women'S clubs form one of
the best tests of character.
Not your husbands or fathers bank ac-
count, not your upholstery, nor china,
clothes, but yourself avails You must be
good, and good for something, to be a val
liable clubWoman.