The sun., 1897-01-05
SOROSIS TALKS OF HOME.
rs THE WAY WE LIVE NOW DETER
THAN the OLD OR WORSE7

THAN THE Old OR WORSEf
Suppose the Dear Old Grnndmother Has
Fri,zied Her white Hair and Gone TO the
Club and Hospitality Consists of Touch-
Ing n Button. There Are Comprnsntiou..
Sorosis began the new year with fine meet
ing yesterday in the new ballroom Of the VOL
dorf The discussions were lively from start to
finish. Mrs. William Tod Hclmuth presided in
her usual graceful and spirited way. She an
nounced that tho Committee on House and
Home had charge of the discussion and intro
duced the Chairman, Alice MAY Scrdder.
In presenting the question. Are tho innova-
tions OF modern times benen encial to home lfef'
Mrs. Soudder said:
when the ladies on the negative drew pic
turc of the quaint oldtimo home with its old
fashioned flower garden abloom with marigolds,
pinks, and ho!lybocks, with its open log FIRE.
with its mother and daughter working sido by
side at tasks that many women OF to-day
dcspsc, many OF you will sigh for tho lowly old
fashioned thatcb. and agree with the small boy
who. when asked IL he wanted n mansion in tho
skies, replied, NO. don't. l live in the top
fiat of n sevcn-story house and have TO run all
the errands.' But when the speakers called on
to defend tho modern homo are heard. you'll
rejoice to think that you are living in
1907. with all of Its labor.savipg ma
chimes travelling facilities. telephones. fold
ing beds and what not I'm afraid you'll
flnd yourself In the plight OF iitto girl In the
Presidential campaign OF 80. One of her grand
fathers was a Republican; tho other Demo-
crat. When she went to the house of one in tho
morning she was taught TO say IIurrah for
Garfield and In the afternoon whom she visited
the other she was taught to say 'Hurrah for
Hancock Finally one niaht she went homo
and said Mamma. rvo hurrahed for Garfield
and hurrahcd for Hancock until don't know
who I'm for. aud l alnt a-goin' to hurrah for
any body any more"
Susan Hayes Ward answered TO the question.
"Yes, n thousand times yes. shall substitute
tho word changes for Innovations" she said.
and what these changes are can only be hintcd
at Among them are wholesome food health
full dross. outdoor sports. shorter hours OF toll,
the many professions open to women. later mar
riages. and smaller families OF children. Mar
row IL down to individuals. and there 10 the
bachelor man, the Massachusetts splnster. and
the new woman. These are a few OF the mod
have taken ths place OF men on the farm and
manual labor In the field and In the house Is
brought nearer together. Old people are young.
or and young people are older than they used to
be, and go spirlt OF cnmnraderio exists between
parent and child. Children have the freedom
Of the home. They take their pleasures there.
"a more widesprsad knowledge OF hygiene
has done wonders for the home. Has not the
lessenlns Of infant mortality q blessed bearing
ON home lifeI l fail to see how IN old-tim
family OF fourteen children. with eleven ia their
graves, Is any better exponent OF home life than
woinanhood. Home life has been enriched for
women no less than for children. The time for
| the husbands saying In one we are united and
| | am the one il passed. Modern Innovations
| have brought good changes. The home Is now
a rel public instead OF n monarchy"
| susan X. Bourne took the other side. Higher
| late. and they are often 10 before they 20 into
lusinps- and must be off still
| later. Club life has made great changes Ia
| home life. too II takes the married man from
his family aud leads the young man into "A life
OF selfish qualification. Club life has also taken
| woman from her home. for s-ho has not ,et
| iiti!e things. How many mothers OF today
| know how to make dainty dishes. To darn. to
srnndinotherG she is seldom seen sitting
| around In a modern home. : he is an authority
on club affairs, trizzIes her white hair, and goes
| TO all the meetings"
| Helen Grandln Lord argued that the innova-
10 the modern tenement house dwellers. the
master mechanic, and to those Just starting out
| In llfo together 10 modest way tnan such peo-
pie had ever known before.
Gertrude +. Hess asked: Where is the leisure
| or the desire for the cultivation OF things that
haste OF city life. with It's rounds of club meet
ines. operas. theatres. afternoon teas. and late
| dinners. Even tho very babies Of six years have
| their physical culture and dancing classes.
| Housekeeping has been given W and homes
Incidence or TO gain moie time for social or
| club life. In such cases hospitality resolves
| itself into merely touching an electric button
months bill. once. a little girl who had been
| Invited out to lunch was asked when rhe re-
| turned: We'll. now did you behayey Did you
say Yes Il yon please, ana No; ! tha"k
ron please" but there wasn't any chance TO
| say "Su. | thank yOu." cause took everything
| they offered me- In Boston society has lately
been formed called the STAYING at Home
| When things come to this pass IT. Is time for
| women to say 'Nu, thank you. to some OF tho
things that are offered which lead them away
| from their home life.'
| Mrs. Helmuth introduced Mrs. Mary Dame
| Hall by sayiug that she was a grrat-grand-
| mother, and ought to know both sides OF tho
| question pretty we'll.
| said Mrs Hall THE first is the woman's clnb
| The sisterbood of women is one Of tho most
| powerful forces OF model times. Think OF tho
| beauty of the genuine love aud admiration OF
| women for ono another ana their desire to help
| each other"
| The second innovation touched on by Mrs
| Hall with approval was the bicycle.
| Mrs. Charles Bassctt said: The innovations
| OF modern times are not beneficial to home life
| because they have never touched II. House
| keeping they may have benefited. but house
Keeping and housekeeping are two different
| things. praise the Lord. Home life didn't need
| Innovations in primitive times. 1t existed then
| Just as II may to-day In brown-stono fronts.
| Modern Innovations cannot touch the spirit or
| home life. Folding beds and dumbwaters may
| be conducive to peace In tho home, for they do
| sometimes shut up. but have they any innu-
| encep Modern innovations are only mighty as
| they serve tho home that gave them birth.
| hood, sisterhood. brotherhood. ~ IL love and
| service Can't we believe TODAY that the only
real benefit TO home life comes from keeping
| close together
| NJ. d.; Mrs. sara Ostrom, First Ntce-l l'rcsident
| 0f Sorosis; Mrs. white OF Maine. Mrs. Deal, and