The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-06-24
woMEN's CLUBS IN INDIA.
They Are Not Devoted to High Ideals, and
Social Lines Are Marked Plainly.

In India clubwomen do not aim at
realizing lofty ideals There comfort
and amusement are the avowed objects
of all women's organizations. Debates
are never held, papers are never written
and therefore never have to be listened
to, and the grayest problems discussed
are the probabilities of Captain A. IS
marrying Miss B. on his small income
the wonderful power that Mr.. x. has
over the deputy commissioner, whose
wife lives cat home''-that is, in Eng
land-and the scandalous report that
General "a great reat-grandmother
was OZARK" A person who has never
been in India cannot comprehend the
gravity of this last matter. Such an ac-
cusation is worse than saying that a
man had no great great r andmother at
all.
The clubhouse is a large, rco-ny bun
galow, the most attractive thing about
it being the broad gallery, which ex-
tends all the way around and is inclosed
with latticework. The bungalow in
cludes four or five rooms, by far the
most important being bar where re-
freshments, principally liquid. are
served. The largest room is-whisper it
not in woman clubdom-devotedi in the
main to dancing. 1t has parquet floor,
and at least once a week dance is
given by the club members. This room
is also let to people wishing to give
balls, and here bachelors and grass
widowers are permitted to give their
women friends little dinners or theater
supper parties.
Another room, much smaller, is used
as library. 1t is furnished with tables
covered with the latest magazines and
newspapers and couple of bookshelves
filled with novels of the day and such
works of light weight science and phi
losophy as have made stir in the read
ing world. To say that woman has
read the last is equivalent to saying
that she has something in her. A draw
ing room and dressing room complete
the house, for such a thing as resi-
Dental club for women is still unheard
of in India. A brown, bespectacled ma
tive sits ON duty at a table ON the We
randa. His function is to keep the &C.
counts and to send round the subscrip-
tiQn book every month, when collections
are made
The clubwomen all go in for athlet-
les. Attached to every clubhouse is a
large hall with an earthen floor. This
is covered with mating, and here that
most exciting game, badminton, is
played in the cool of the morning and
afternoon. Sometimes tournaments are
held. On dance nights this court is util-
lied as a promenade, when it is lighted
with Chinese lanterns and decorated
! with potted plants. Tennis courts are
also frequently attached to the build
| ing, and regiment of small boys in
uniform is OF hand to get the balls.
The clubhouse is invariably located
where the regimental band plays on
certain evenings. On such occasions
| every one sits at small tables on the
| lawn, eating ices, drinking cooling bev-
erages and discussing the coming races
or the prospects for the next season at
| Simla. Children are admitted on these
| days, though ordinarily a placard tells
| them plainly that they are are not
| wanted.
This is the smart women's club. An
| other variety of club flourishes in India
| at big stations and is devoted to women
who are not quite at the top notch of
| Anglo-Indian swelldom. Its member
| ship consists of those who attend the
| big balls and general gatherings at the
| government house, but are left out 10
| the cold when it comes to the Sunday
| dinners and small dances. The wives
| of the cavalry officers and those who
| value their reputation as belonging to
| the upper crust shun these Murghie
| Khanas, as they are called, and their
members as they would the plague it
| self. One who enters such club will
find that the company consists of a
| crowd of women engaged in discussing
| domestic affairs, such as which is the
best soap for washing dish cloths or
how to keep babies fannels white.
| When a woman becomes domestic in
India she becomes very domestic. There
is no betwixt and between. Her horizon
| is a narrow one. Art, literature and the
affairs of the nation have no place in
| her mind. Into such club man rarely
ventures. If one does stray in, it always
/ turns out that he is after one of tvs
| things-a new after dinner story or vol
| unteers to do some work, such as deco
| rating the church, for example.
] Subscriptions to women's clubs in In
dia vary from rupees up, according to
| the station and reputation of the club.
| There is an admission fee and members
| are elected by ballot. 1t is said that the
| temptation to drop in black ball as a
form of revenge for some former slight,
| real or fancied, often overcomes a mem
Der, but woe to her if she is discovered,
| for her sister members make it hot for
| her-New York Sun.