The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-07-20
"sUNnYsIDE READINGS. !"
re Reneacent work Of an Invalid
Woman In q Massachu.
sets Town.

In 1855 summer resident of Harvard |
invited six invalid women of the neigh |
borhood to spend an afternoon at her
home. Obliged by delicate health to
lie upon couch, she provided six other
coaches for her guests. She read to
them Emerson's Essay on Books, and
then. fearing she had offered too solid
reading to people to whom Emerson
was but name, ended the programme
with a popular story. One of the wom-
en-, who was never again able to join
the group, said years afterward that
that essay opened to her new world.
The other six women agreed to read
together once week. Others soon
joined them, and at the END of two or
three years the attendance had so in
crea: ed that the hostess could no longer
serve refreshments, as had been her
custom. dispensing with refresh
ments was test of their interest," she
remarked, while talking of the club re-
Gently, ''but the attendance was not
lessened at all. There are now from 40
to 10 or so present at each meeting
mostly wives and daughters of farmers.
ranging in age from II years to 20. The
older ones have had common school
education only; many of the younger
ones have been through the high school.
and last year we had one college grad
uate. They all appreciate an opportu.
nifty for further mental culture, and
about six years after the club was
started these people were preparing
excellent papers in unexceptionable
English-better essays, in fact, than
many which appear in the magazines.
"We have no constitution, no officers,
no membership fee. We are unorgan.
lied, but not disorganized. It has been
suggested that we organize and join
the federation. But organization has
its disadvantages. Wait, 1 say, until
our present methods prove inadequate.
And, if we join the federation, we shut
out the men, who are now welcomed.
Three ministers attend regularly, and
if we could meet in the evening many
more men would join us. But the wom-
en- live too far away to come at night.
Occasionally farmer does leave his
| work and come to meeting, and al
ways seems to enjoy it. The men take
the greatest interest in the club and
in the work done for it by the women
of their families"
"Sunnyside," the home of the hostess,
has given it's name to the enterprise,
| which is known as the ''Sunnysidc
readings" Meetings are held only dur
ing July and August, but work prepar-
atory to them goes on throughout the
rest of the year. In the autumn coun-
Gil consisting of three ministers and
three or four other persons is called
together. They select topics for the
next season and appoint a leader for
each meeting. The leaders choose their
own committees. Such necessary books
as are not found in the town public IL
brary are purchased by the organizers,
who bear all club expenses, and sea-
son of study and essay writing begins.
The plan now followed devotes four
meetings each season to the study of
some country and four to miscellaneous
topics. In this way Greece and India
have been studied, and next year Egypt
l VIZ w eoACA up "A pAOICSSlOldl IQu-
stefan is engaged to furnish music at
each meeting, and one afternoon each
year is given entirely to music, selec-
| tons from single composer being rem
dered.
| For the last meeting of 1898 the
"Sunnyside" enjoyed pilgrim day."
Plymouth and early colonial times were
the subjects treated. The great parlor
at "Sunnyside" was arranged to repre-
sent room in the colonial period; those
who took part in the exercises wore APP
ipropriate costumes, and the music con.
sisted of old hymns, sung by ''Pil-
grim choir. There were 90 persons
present.
The club has broken down denomina-
tional barriers. Religious antagonism
has disappeared since the three pas
tors and the three sets of parishioners
have found common ground to meet on
In spite of its disregard of organization
or. perhaps because it is not organized
the movement, inaugurated not quite II
years ago, has united the forces of tht
community for the advancement of the
common welfare.-N. Y. Post.