The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-16
Club WonDeD Are
The
Most Severe Critics.
Copyright, 1881

copyright, 1881
No after anguish ever compares with
that first time a woman reads a paper
or makes a speech in public. Though
she may have the eloquence of Hy-
patia and the self confidence of a Mary
Ellen Lease, she is doomed on that de-
but to a torture which. If known to
Dante, would have inspired him to es-
tablish an extra purgatorial circle.
Unfortunately neither Beatrice nor Mrs.
Dante had any experience with women S
clubs or societies. and so Dante never
heard of club stage fright, and it has
lost a deserved immortal odium.
Thousands of women, with the autumn
opening of the season, would like to be-
long to the great club sisterhood, but
hesitate to enroll themselves in its
ranks because of the dreaded paper or
speech. Women who on ordinary oc-
casions might be strongly suspected of
an intimate acquaintance with the
bIarney stone are silent as the sphinx
in the awesome presence Of the club
president.
Club stage fright is different from
any other sort Ladies who have given
serious lectures without tremor trem-
bile and are dumb in the less formal at
mosphere Of the club, because they
know that it is always ones friends
who are most critical. A dozen embar-
easements distress a club speaker. She
wonders If her hat is on straight, if her
hairpins are in place, if her new gown
is quite handsome enough, if it is too
rich for the occasion, if it hangs well
or if it is in the fashion. She is posi-
tive every other woman in the club is
comparing the paper with an individual
and superior effort The victim is be-
wildered over the pronunciation of the
unusual words and stumbles and slut
tiers over them and finally even mis-
takes the ones with which she is per-
fectly familiar. In her confusion she
speaks much lower than she has any
idea of, and all over the clubroom are
heard harassing calls of Louder,
louder
People comment on what she says or
reads in subdued tones. Unable to
make out whether the remarks are IA
vorable or unfavorabie the unaccus-
toned one loses her place, and while
the club sits silently waiting for her to
resume she bushes and shivers with
modification. There is always some
misguided member of the club who
wants to ask questions during the prog
ress of the paper. This lady has at
tanned a reputation for being well in
formed and of good judgment owing to
her quiZZical propensities. The reputa-
ton is probably unmerited, as it is con-
siderably easier to ask questions than
to answer them. The feminine Socrates,
however. with her miserable mania for
information, entangles the unaccus-
toned speaker in so many plumbers and
admissions Of ignorance that she is
sometimes panic stricken and retires
from the platform. The paper read, the
club in general takes up the discussion,
or, more properly perhaps, the dissec-
ton, of the effort
After this operation no inexperienced
woman with the spirit of a kitten ever
thinks she can read a paper or make a
speech in public again. She goes home
with headache and tearfully seeks
the sympathy of an unappreciative
family, as a rule inclined to make sport
of her sufferings as an orator Now and
then she compares notes with some 9TH
er clubwoman not as yet lost TO all
sense Of stage fright. and the tyro is
comfOrted TO learn that her experience
has been duplicated by that of some
one else. If she has grit and is not too
sensitive. after this she goes on writ
ing club papers or making club speech
es and gradually becomes so hardened
that she can talk straight ahead with
out notes.
Many women graduate from church
societies and missionary bands into the
literary or philanthropic organizations.
Now and then one makes her debut
against her better judgment. but not
often does she do so against her will.
a well known authoress recently had
her first experience Of stage fright as
the result Of a too great willingness to
oblige one Of her friends. The literary
lady lives in a large western city and
is young and pretty enough to he pop
ular in society. Her literary efforts have
been the amusement Of leisure hours or
were turned out to satisfy the demands
of long limbed maiden of 10 who has
an Unsuitable appetite for stories and
poems" Owing to her Willingness to
oblige, friends less gifted in the use OF
the pen were not slow to call unon her
when their clubs demanded their serv-
ices as speakers. Naturally she as
sented when a certain Mrs. Smith ask
ed for paper to be read before the
county convention of missionary socie-
ties. Wondering that Mrs. Smith. who
was a woman Of intelligence. did not
write her own paper. the oblicinC an
thoress agreed 10 supply - pages OF
literature on the subject Of Chinese mis-
sions. The literary lady. who for con-
Venience may be styled Mrs Brown
had busy week before her and Thought
no more Of the missionary paper until
one morning she opened an envelope.
from which fell programme Of the
missionary convention. bearing in large
letters. among other announcements. the
statement that Mrs. William Henry
Brown would read paper on mission
work in China. Mrs. Brown almost
tainted.
1T is some terrible mistake on the
part Of some one. l viii write to Mrs.
Smith and call her attention TO it" said
Mrs. Brown. In due time she received
an answer from Mrs. Smith. saying that
no mistake had been made and that she
hoped dear Mrs. Brown would be on
hand at the church promptly at the