The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-22

viewing, by the way. the popularity of
the house at Quatre Bras.
The story OF the establishment OF the
Kingdom OF Holland followed when, in
conclusion Miss Thompson delightfully."-
recited the stirring lines OF the Dutch
poet, Maarten Martens, ITO the Queen
OF Holland"
A word as 20 Miss Thompson's re-
cent work before the Octagon Club OF
Taunton will be of interest 10 Rhode
Island club women. since Jane Austin,
whose books are so dear and familiar
10 US all. was her subject. Miss
Thompson emphasized particularly the
novel Pride and Prejudice, and that
character peerless among heroines In
English novels. Elizabeth Bennett. Az
ter "A most interesting review or the
novels of Jane Austin. Miss Thompson
urged upon her class the desirability of
becoming familiar with all the works
OF this woman of genius, whose Pride
and Prejudice, stands prominent.
One OF the most inspiring meetings
i'm the history of the Mothers club OF
this city, was that held at the Manual
Training School Monday afternoon OF
last week. when paper written by
Mrs. Helen III. Gardiner OF Boston and
delivered before the national congress
of mothers. was read by Miss Margares
Louise Banigan of this city. to an in
! terested audience. The secretary OF
the club writes: This paper, which is
entitled The Moral Responsibility or
Women in Heredity,' should be read by
every prospective mother in the land,
for there is no question as to its value
in the training Of women for the pro-
fession OF maternity"
a brief synopsis Of this valuable pa
per follows viz: After bewailing the
fact that neither dense ignorance de-
formity of body or mind. i'll health nor
criminalty can disqualify woman from
the one sphere which all men assert To-
be hers by Divine right Mrs. Gardi-
ner goes on to say:
Poets, statesmen, novelists, and ar
lists have for ages untold striven 60
eclipse each other in the eulogies cf
motherhood. on the stage nothing is
80 sure of rapturous applause as is
some touching bit of sacrifice. which
has reached It's climax in mothers
love. wherein she has Welded all to
shield, To protect. or to better the con-
| dition OF husband or child From the
crude sentimental song. which advises
the son to stick to your mother when
her hair turns gray through the vari-
Gus phases of maternal love and devo-
tion or sacrifice, and on, up 10 the lof.
tiest touches in art and literature, there
is alike the effort to celebrate the pow
er. the potentiality. and the beauty oE
motherhood, and to stimulate the SEN
timents of love, gratitude and admir-
alton for, and emulation Of the ideal
depicted
But through il all. in the building
and maturing OF this ideal, there runs
ever and always, the one thread OF
thought, that self-sacrifice, self
negation, elf-effacement, are tho
greatest attributes OF maternity, that
in order to be an ideal wife and mo-
ther, the woman must be sunk, the In
dividual inundated, the ego subjugat-
ed While admitting that these as
sumptions are TO "a certain degree true,
Mrs. Gardiner wisely differs from the
| same and takes a larger, broader and
clearer view of the situation, which ia
at once refreshing, for said she: When
we come to study anthropology and
heredlty. we come TO realize the indis-
putable facts that her love. her physi-
cal heroism and her bravery, linked
with her politically and financially sub
Ject status, have cast physical blight
moral shadow and a neutral threat
upon the world. Then we cease to
clap quite so vigorously at the theatre.
and our tears or smiles are mingled
with mental reservation and "a sigh for
loftier ideal of the meaning and pur-
pose of maternity than the mere physi-.
cal one that has been depicted as ma
terial sacrifice TO the child and self
III.
to. wonder If much of the vice, the
crime, the incompetence and the woe Of
the world is not the direct lneal des-
cendant of this very self debasement
of the individual character OF woman
I'm maternity. We begin, in short, to
wonder If subject motherhood is not
responsible to the race for the weak
the deformed, the double dealing, pre-
tense soaked natures, which curse tha
world with failures, disease, with war,
with crime"
Continuing. Mrs. Gardiner writes:
Self -abnegation. subserviency to man.
| whether he be father, lover or hus-
! band, is the most dangerous theory that
can be taught TO or forced upon her
whose character shall mould the next
generation. She has no right to trans
init nature and character that Is
subservient, subject, undeveloped; in
short, slavish character, which is
either blindly obedient To or blindly re-
bellious, and is therefore in either case
set, as is a true lock to prey, to be
preyed upon by society in the future &"
In conclusion, the paper was read IN
such way as To strongly appeal to
mothers to give a truer, a loftier con-
ception OF the true meaning of mother
hood.
A general discussion followed the
reading of the paper. which was full OF
interest from Deslnnlng 10 END.
AT the meeting Monday afternoon
Miss Marlatt OF the Manual Training
school. spoke upon "Dietetics in Child
hood
The Round Table Club OF Woonsock-
ct were entertained at the home of Mrs.
Fred l.. Chilson on November 10th
when current events OF the time was
the theme under consideration.
At the last meeting of the Newport
Current Topics Club the subject. "The
Nutritive Value OF Foods" furnished
abundant food for discussion and re-
fection.