Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-09-09
HISTORY of the Alma WOman's Club.

1t is generally expected OF lnose WI"
come before the public with new en-.
terprise, that they give an account OF
themselves, so now, undertaking to-
publish a newspaper, II Is quite the
proper thing for the Club TO bring FOR
ward history of the organization and
to show that the members ought to be
qualified for that amount of literary
work if training III tins direction Is OF
any value. Ii was in the early days OF
Alma College that some OF the ladies
connected with that institution, with
several of the earlier residents OF the
place, formed The Ladies Literary
Club" Mrs. q. A Davis being the main
instigatOr Several organizations FOR
study had been formed previously, COM
prised of members OF both sexes, meet
ing in the evening, but all had suffered
an early dissolution The Ladies LIB
rary Association had existed for seven
years also, but this was the first
Woman Club organized for study ana
holding meetings in the afternoons.
Every Monday for eight months of the
year was the time TO be devoted. There
were about sixteen charter members ana
the active membership has never fallen
lower. Some years IL has risen 60 thirty
for the number is not limlted), remoY-
as from town being chief cause OF de-
crease.
I'm December. 1889, the ladies under
took a tour on the continent of Europe,
but going directly TO Rome and from
there TO Florence they found so much
of interest 60 study III these two places
that they remained there during the
whole five months they had given them
selves
The second year, lS90-9l, they under
took a giant enterprise, in the study OF
English History from the Roman lnva-
sion 20 tne beginning OF the present cen
fury with a survey OF the production OF
the representative writers during this
long period and these studies We're re-
heyed by Il miscellaneous afternoon
every mOuth-all this TO be accomplished
bv "a number of busy hOuSe-ketpers.
The work laid ont for the following
wears Of INgl-g2 causes shudder ut the
rcmcmorance, The Club voted for
Il study of English Literature and also
for uu American day eaCn month, so the
committee on program lud out a
study y Of that grand procession OF
writers from Isaac Walton to Robert
Browning, taking in connection, the CO.
tCmpOriueOus writers IN Germany ana
France who may nave Influenced the
EngIsh--all crowded into the space OF
twenty-five Wteks-the remaining ten
being given TO American writings de
scriptiye of scenery or customs OF the
different states Truly, most Of the
club members felt that they had been
seated at an immense feast OF many
rich dishes OF which they had tried TO
eat, but could get only "a taste here and
there with the result that they remem-
Der only the flavor of those particular
ones which they were appointed TO
serve.
At the close of this year came an
event to be marked with a red letter-a
real banquet, served at the Wright
House in fine style and glorious seclu-
sion from the eyes OF curious man. Club
husbands brOOded in the secluslon OF
home or humbly dozed in the outer
Office Of the hotel until the hour OF one
III the morning, except when occasion
ally reused by the sounds Of merrlment
which escaped through the closed
doors of the brilliant banquet hall.
The following year the same COM
mittee was duly reappOinted and realiz-
ing the mistakes of the two seasons pre-
ceediug, proposed a scheme of study
with class book of questlOns-the sub
ject being the four great Shake spearean
dramas of A Midsummer Night
Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth and Merchant
of Venice. That was a year long t.
be remembered by the Club; things
came TO pass that had never occurred
before, that is, that all Of the member:
rose to the discussions, all had studied
all had opinions and lively was the in
terest in the respective characters OF
Macbeth, Lady Macbeth Shylock and
all the rest
This year with Shakespeare CLOSED
2,
which CLUB Husbands were JoyOusly
welcomed and entertained with "map1
a quip aud quirk, and reminiscenc
of the scenes which "our Shakespeare
always makes so real TO US "Alirth anC
jollity" reigned on this occasion, 81
late that the return home and TO be-
was signaled by the stroke of three.
Meeting again in October, 1898, the
study-class was resumed-now witt
two Shakespearean dramas, some of tn
works of the cotemporaneOus dramatists
two or three of Browning's dramas am
ending with a portion of the Ring AM
the Book In 1894, English poetr
from Chaucer 20 TennysOn filled up tn
year-proftable and interesting.
At the first meeting in October 1896
the name of the Club was changed t.
Woman's Club of Alma Then to
for Painting, with NanDyke as a guide
was taken up, with much profit {
those who pursued it faithfully. l
this pursuit the Club profted greatly a
it had heretofore, in literary work, b
the excellent collection of works Oh al
and painting in the college library, I
which many members haye access-an
yet it was hampered by a lack of paint
ings to study, an advantage whic
jewellers in large cities possess whic
we can only long for.
Painting now interested the Club f.
two full years A miscellaneous da
devoted to such subjects as COLES
Settlements, Property Rights of Womel
Food Values and kindred topics beiu
introduced during the year 1896 =
The past year was given over TO Il
study of some American Painters al
largely TO the discussion of some Of Il