St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-05-18
Our Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent


(From our Regular Correspondent
The Second National Congress of
Mothers was held in the Grand Opera
House here, beginning May 2 and con-
tinuing the whole week, and having three
sessions per day. A large number OF del
egates from different states were present,
as well as many speakers. Mrs. S. W.
Birney, the president, made the address
of welcome and Mrs. Mary Lowe Dick
inson OF New York city responded.
Choirs from various churches in the city
furnished the music on different evenings.
Every phase of child life, work, study
and development seemed to have been
considered by ladies or gentlemen, who
furnished many instructive papers, be-
ginning from a practical standpoint. as
in "The Necessity of Training Schools for
Nurses, "The Hygiene of the Nursery"
"The Mistakes of Mothers" DR.. Mary
Wood Allen OF Ann Arbor, Michigan,
and the author of several childrens
books, considered "What Shall Be
Taught and Who Shall Teach 1t? ?" The
Countess Di Brazza ian Armenian LADY,
from New York city, chairman of the
Peace and Arbitration committee, dwelt
upon Harmony at the HEARTH" while
Anthony Comstock of New York thrilled
his audience with touching stories from
real life, his subject being "Memory's
Storehouse." Mrs. Lille Deveraux
Blake, who seems capable of illuminat-
ing any subject, took for her theme 1.-THE
Eternal Womanly." Mrs. F. Nathan OF
New York, president of the Consumers
League, which is trying to improve the
physical condition of working women
and shop girls, enlarged on 1.-THE Ethics
of Money Making and Money Spending"
DR.. M. w. Barr of Pennsylvania pre-
sented the Needs of Feeble-Minded
Children" Miss Julia King from the
Emerson School of Oratory Of Boston,
who scored such a success last year,
seemed as popular as ever and entertained
the congress at various sessions by some
of Eugene Fields poems on childhood.
There was much disappointment be.
cause DR.. Elmer Gates, the psychologist
was unable to be present and give some
account of his new theories and expert
ments on mind and matter. Theodore
F. Stewards origin and philosophy o
The Don't Worry Movement was fully
explained. DR.. E. M. Galandet, thu
president of the Deaf and Dumb Institu
ton at Kendall Green, mentioned fv'
common errors generally considered
truths in the education of the deaf. HI
declared that very few deaf persons coul(
be taught to acquire speech, neithe
could gestures be dispensed with, no
was the oral method the proper one
There are 55 public schools in the United
States containing 10000 scholars, TO
the education of deaf children, and onl,
five, with 500 pupils, use only the ora
method. In all of the Others the com
bined method of oral and gesturesis used
DR.. Gallandet's mother was deaf nut
and he began to teach at 10 years of age
, Mrs. Margaret Bottome OF New Yor
city spoke on THE Motherhood OF God.
She related many interesting experience
: of her early married life and homekeeE
ing and OF her great delight and happ
ness on receiving her FIRST visit from he
mother, who could tell her when he
beef was well cooked or rare, and man
other practical lessons needed. Fror
this standpoint she gained great spirit
ual uplift.
The Jewish women, the Hebrew womer
the colored women, all came in for thei
: share of notice, and there were many &C
mirable papers. Mrs. Mckinley CAV
them a warm reception at the Whit
House, although it was drenchin
oatpour out of doors. The officers he'll
large reception for delegates and visit
ing delegates at The Ebbitt upon Thur:
day eve. x-Queen Lii" and DR.. Mar
, Walker stationed themselves in the larg
E parlor, apparently TO help share in til
honors, so the ladies retired to the IRE
t parlor" and held their reception, whic
was a very pleasant affair. J.. w. BIZ
? chaff, the blind organist, gave his thir
J. and last organ concert at the Congregs
e tional church upon Saturday, May 7,
large audience. We have had stead
e outpour of rain for a number OF day
Y but it has brought out the leaves o
5 the trees and made the grass grow 6
J. an astonishingly rapid rate. We wei
n thankful not to have hail which destroye
d vegetation in Virginia. A.M.c.