The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-01
Among Women's Clubs.
EDITED ~ MRS stlus o. vsrr's.



women together In such solidarity as
singing together. She spoke also OF the
Importance OF more thinking among
club women, for she said: I'VE Ameri-
cans are not yet thinking nation. We
must think. We must have something
| really dynamic; that comes out of our
| selves"
| Miss Rowe told also OF the steps that
! had been taken toward the establish
ment OF a shorter work day" of the
'curfew bell" postal savings banks,
vacation schools with manual train
| ing, etc." and all realized that the
woman's club movement In Massachu-
setts had already done much toward
the betterment OF social and industrial
conditions In that state.
| Miss Rowe was followed by Mrs. Por-
! ter, president of the Maine Federation,
who said: ut gives me great pleasure
| To bring you the greetings of the Maine
| Federation and TO sit a learner al your
| feet" In speaking of the work Of the
Maine Federation she said The tru-
| est form OF self-culture is 10 aid the
cause that needs assistance, so the first
| call OF the Maine Federation was 10 IN
| vestgate the condition OF the schools"
| Mrs. Porter then described the great
| service OF the Maine Federation in be-
| half of the educational system by that
| state and of the cooperation OF the
| intendents. She dwelt also upon the
work accomplished by the Bangor clubs
| i'm the establishment OF a free kinder
| garteu system" and I'm the penny pos
| tai stamp system" Mrs. Porter spoke
] also In glowing terms OF the travelling
| library systems of the Maine ,Federa-
| tlon, OF the village Improvement soci-
| ETY. She spoke OF the 10 clubs I'm the
| federation. with an, aggregate member
| ship OF $500. In conclusion she spoke In
an OPTIMISTIC vein regarding the club
movement as a whole, regarding u as
| yet in it's infancy. but with possibilities
| before IL as yet unseen and unguessed.
Miss Wilkinson in her address. spoke
on Modern Humanitarian Work" In
charming, touching way she told OF
personal experiences in the life and
! work OF New York college settlement
| on the borders Of Hells Kitchen, So
| called. From this she turned 10 the
thought OF "class distinctions" and said
that the deepest impression one gets
OF humanitarian work is that all class
! es are alike, The qualities necessary
| for humanitarian work are the spirit OF
kindliness and helpfulness and friendli-
ness, in word, the true spirit OF CO.
operation"
In conclusion Miss Wilkinson said:
Let US hope that this twentieth cen
OF spiritual cooperation
The last speaker was. Mrs. Emma
| Shaw Colcleugh. who in "A brief but
most interesting way autlined the
wretched condition OF women in Cuba,
| as recently investigated by her
At the close OF the speaking, the au-
dience Joined in singing America"
| when they descended again TO the main
! hall. where an informal reception was
held and all too soon the delightful oc-
casion had passed into history and be-
come one of the bright places in life
around which memory loves TO linger.
The committee who had charge of the
successful affair were. Mrs. Susan Il.
Rawson Mrs. Thomas w Aldrich, Mrs
George b. Francis, Mrs. Nicholas Ber-
ry. CredentIal committee-Mrs. George
r. Francis, Mrs. Frederick L. Gomez,
Miss Eleanor Briggs, Mrs Edward l..
Johnson. The ushers Were: Mrs. T. y.
Monroe. Mrs. Congdon and Mrs. Kelsey
Dow from the Providence Fortnightly
club: Miss Lucy A. Metcalf. Miss Lind
say and Mrs. w. Il. Langford from the
Sarah r. Doyle club; Miss lneZ Atkins
and Miss Louise Blake from the Ardir-
| hebiah club: Miss Bertha Burdick. Miss
Eddy and Mrs. Thurston from the En-
breoso club; Mrs. Charles Rockwell
Miss Caroline Jenckes and Mrs. Freder-
/
mans club.
The concluding literary meeting Of
the Providence Fortnightly club. held
at the residence of Mrs Tourtellott. on
Sycamore street on Tuesday afternoon,
April 25 was OF exceptional interest
The subjects chosen were in themselves
sufficient To arouse deal OF thought
and interest then. too. they were pre-
sented in thoroughly able and inter-
estlng way.
The meeting was presided over by the
secretary OF the club. Miss Katherine
Hubbard. Mho read a letter from Mrs
Forrest +. Rundell, the president of the
club, announcing her withdrawal. IL is
a matter OF deep regret to every MEM
Der OF the Fortnightly that the removal
OF their beloved president from the
state has made her resignation neces-
sity for her unsefish devotion TO the
club and it's interests. combined with
the influence of her strong. courageous
personality. has been an impelltng for.ce
in the organization and development of
the club. ~
Miss Hubbard presented a;so at this
meeting the outline Of an excellent
course Of study which. as PLANNED anu
arranged by Mrs. RundelL VIII be ptr-
sued by the club during the coming
club season OF 1S99-iS0o.
The first topic OF the afternoon was
then announced that OF Darwin and
His Theories" This was presented i'm
an able and scholarly paper by Mrs
Clarke II. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson
dwelt most interestingly upon Darwin =
scientific Investigations in the geoloGi-
cal and geological world and passing
took up his theory OF evolution. I'm in
PRODUCING this phase Of her subject she
continued: From Darwin To evolution
Is but a step. Many err. however In
confounding the descent Of mani with
evolution. the trite assertion that man
descended from monkeys has won evo-
lution more enemies among the 'un-
thinking than almost any or all things
else I'm the first plaC> IL is not exactly
pleasing 10 our priC and then one In
variably asks II men descended from
monkeys why ~ there no form between,
no missing link
Darwin never claimed that men de-
scended from monkeys. He did claim
and prove TO the satisfaction of the sci.
entific world the probability OF n COM
mon descent for man aad all other ma
mails because they have various char
..,c-tettcu Ia vhtrh they coiugide hut