The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1898-02-05
e II B s
ANNIE L. MILLER, EDITOR.

appeared In last week COURIER, IS re
printed in this issue because of typo
graphical omissions in last weeks mum
Ter which make it Iuacl urate as history
In response to my urgent request Mrs
L. C.. Richards wrote the review and il
reading the proof did not notice that hel
own name had been overlooked. In my
opinion it is due to Mrs. Richards more
than to anyone else in the Lrtos c'ut
that it is the oldest club holding contin
uous meetings from its origin to ths
pres INT time. in the city. Others have
happened to be absent at those periods
which come to all clubs when the disin
tegrating effects Of time seem about tC
destroy the organization. At such
times Mrs. Richards steady love of cul
ture and strong personality have stimu.
lated and held together the other mem
bers. With her name missing from the
membership list the history ia in ,om
plste and unsat sfactory, which is reason
enough, il there were no other, for re-
publishing her faithful History Of the
Lotus Club. COURIER.
The late Hayden Art club exhibition
reminds some Of tho older citizens Of the
first exhibition given in Lincoln. In
1880 an association was fl rmed with the
ambitious name of Lincoln's Society OF
Decorative Art. Mrs. Mcconnell was
chosen president, and the vice president
was Miss Richardson. who was at that
time teacher CT art in the State univer-
sity. This society had lengthy consti.
tuition and by laws and the membership
dues were 81 A down town studio Was
fit.ei up in a room on the north side OF
o street, midway b.tween Tenth and
Eleventh. The articles forming this ex-
hibition were collected by some of thu
ladies now interested in the late Hayden
art display. The homes of the Ienple
were robbed OF valuable heirlooms, old
and new pictures, ancient and modern
china, Japanese and Chinese drLpes,
fancy embroideries and old and rare
laces, everything Of value in the city
was loaned and very creditable display
was the result. 1t aroused great enthu.
siasm at the time and was quite an and
ard inspiration to Miss Richardson and
her University art classes. In the midst
OF these pretty surrout dings November
II, 1880, the Lotos club was organized.
The ladies that formed it had for three
years been reading in small groups in
different parts Of the city. but at this
time came together ard formed an or
ganizatioa OF seventeen members. Mrs.
John L. Mcconnell was elected presi
dent, which Office by unanimous vote Of
the club she has ever since held, and
some three years ago was elected to fill
that Office for life.
The charter members were Mssdames
John L. Mcconnell. L. c. Richards, E.
s. DuIdy, S. F. Rouse, David Baum. E.
E. Edwards, c. E. W. S:ruve. Al. Mar
shall, George E. Church, Charlotte De-
lauey, r. O. Phillips, c. H. Gere,
Charles B. Koor. E. NJ. Fox. John r.
Clark, Lewis E. Cropsey and Miss Sarah
Harris.
The club decided to study Shaksper,
under the leadership of Prof. Gorge E.
Woodbury., then teacher CT English
literature in the State university, TIE
name chosen was the Avon club in
honor of the man whose works we were
TO study. Every Two weeks the profess
sor gave an essay CT talk on the play
selected, the ladies' reading or discussing
the parts Of the play with him. This
course was pursued two years with
much profit t. all. The third year
Gce,he's Faust ald a few selected poems
were studied. then by a vote Ct the club
the Meisterschaft system Of studying
L. this