The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-26
SOR0SlS
New YOrk's Great Society Of
Intellectual Women
Holds Its Annual Meeting at
the Waldorf.
THERE is A BANQUET
In the Evening to Which Men
Are Invited.
Subjects That Were Discussed
by the Women.
THERE is A BANQUET

sweets" and last night at her annual
dinner in the Waldorf ball room she
made the fullest claim on her title She
was at her sweetest.
Last nights was a ''holly dinner"and
the tables were wreathed in green and
red Bunches of deep-toned carna-
lions emphasized the tracery of ever
greens down the center of each or the
four tables on the main floor, while fac
ing them the table of honor was a per
feet bower of green and red with
background of palms to frame the pic
ture The mulberry banner of SoroslS
hung alOft and just beneath 1t SAT the
clubs president, Mrs. Wlllam 1ooa
Helmuth, wearing her ,colors IN very
truth, for her gown was of mulberry
satin in the tint of the standard above
The ten courses were signalized by
a sorbet SorOsis served in a tiny tree
trunk with a branch of holly waving
above-the souvenir of the evening.
Sorosis fingered over her dinner.
There We're visiting between the courses
and exchange of gossip while the or
chestra played it's loudest. But at last
the long lines of chairs were turned
towards the presidents table and the
discreet scattering of men amid rows OF
cleaning arms and bejewelled should
ers became more evident. Mrs Hell
muth's welcome was of the briefest-
Il welcome all of our guests but eS-
pecially the men, said She This is
one institution they do not dominate
We have been organized % years To-
night, have had 639 meetings ana nave
invited men only to % of them. So
want them to feel what huge pr1v1-
1ege they have.
1.-The Diner Out was responded to
by Mrs. Sarah COnant OstrOm.
.'At the first dinner in the Garden of
Eden woman modeStly withdrew, but
now she shares with man not only the
dinner, but the after-dinneP speech,
said the speaker.
Frank Fuller was wittily hattering
on "Discontent as Civilizer." Taking
discomfort as the most SkllfuI W1elder
of progress he argued that everything
was due to wOmans eternal spirit of
discomfort - Civilization" he said,
waits while Sorosis Dimes" This won
him rounds of applause.
IF woman ruled the senate today,
he said, in closing his tribute, you
would see no squa bling over the arbi-
sration treaty which wise president
and a wise queen have Endorsed. Not
woman would cast her vote against it,
THERE WAS MENTALITY.
In the afternoon meeting of the So
rosis before the banquet the discussions
were lively from start to finish. Mrs.
William Todd Helmuth presided in her
usual graceful and. spirited way She
announced that the committee on house
and home had charge of the discussion
and introduced the chairman, Alice May
Scudder.
innovations of modern times beneficial
TO home life?" Mrs. Scudder said.
when the ladies on the negative
drew a picture of the quaint old time
home, with it's old fashioned flower
garden abloom with marigolds, pinks
and hollyhOcks, with its open log fire,
with its mother and daughter working
side by side at tasks that many women
of today despiSe, many of you will sigh
for the lowly old fashioned thatch and
agree with the small boy, who, when
asked if he wanted a mansion in the
skies, replied: No, 1 don't; 1 live in
the top story of seven story house,
and have to run all the errandS.' But
when the speakers called on to defend
the modern home are heard, you'll re-
joice to think that you are living in
1897, with all of its labor saving ma
chimes, travelling facilities, telephones,
folding beds and what not. m afraid
you'll find yourself in the plight of a lit
tie girl in the presidential campaign of
1880 One of her grandfathers was a
Republican, the other a Democrat
When she went to the house of one
in the morning she was taught to say
'Hurrah for Garfield and in the after
noon when she visited the other she
was taught to say 'Hurrah for Han
cock Finally one night she went
home and said Mamma I've hurrahed
for Garfield and hurrahed for Hancock
until / don't know who I'm for, and 1
amt a-goin' to hurrah for anybody
any more.
BETTER ALL OVER
Susan Hayes Ward answered to the
question: Yes, thousand times yes.
I shall substitute the word changes for
Innovations" she said, land what
these changes are can only be limited
at. Among them are wholesome food,
healthful dress. outdoor sports, shorter
hours of toll, the many professions open
TO women, later marriages and smaller
families of children. Narrow it down
to individuals, and there is the bachelor
man, the Massachusetts Spinster, and
the new woman. These are a few of
the modern changes: Among the farm
erS machines have taken the place of
the farm and mammal Ia hOT~
the field and in the house is lighter, and
fathers, mother and children are
brought nearer together. Old people
are younger and young people are older
than they used to be, and so a spirit of
camaraderie exists between parent and
child. Children have the freedom of
the home They take their pleasures
there. Their fathers used to take theirs
to the barn.
"A more wide spread knowledge of
hygiene has done wonders for the home
and has not the lessening of infant
mortality a blessed bearing on home
life? 1 fail to see how an old time fam
lily of IA children, with II in their graves
is any better exponent Of home life than
a family of four reared to strong man
hood and womanhood. Home life has
been enriched for women no less than
for children. The time for the hus-
bands saying In one we are united,
and l am the one is passed. Modern
innovations have brought good changes
and the home is now republic instead
of a monarchy"
Susan K Bourne took the other side
Higher education" she said. keeps
men in college late. and they are often
30 before they go into business, and mar
riage must be put off still later. Club life
has made great changes in home life, too
1t takes the married man from his fami-
ly and leads the young man into a life
of selfish qualification. Club life has al
So taken woman from her home for she
has not yet learned moderation in such
many mothers of TO-DAY Know how to
r1rea int III 18Th n n MIR nV