The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-07-21

Thursday afternoon, presided over by
Mrs. Madge kendall, the queen of
smiles and tears" who is as dear to the
Americans as the English was the record
breaker. All the people whom the po-
lice would permit entrance were crowd
ed in st. Martins hall, which is quite
large. and many more were turned away.
1t has been ill-naturedly suggested that
the opportunity of seeing so many celeb
rites with their paint off for the small
price of one shilling was accountable for
the crush. At all events the people were
there and the meeting was exceedingly
interesting. Mrs. kendall played upon
same way as from the stage, and her
naive confessions of ignorance on the
subject of presiding and her asides were
features of the occasion. After making
the opening remark that silence must be
preserved she added: Fancy that among
this meeting to request the readers to
Speak up" for the actresses demonstrate
ed the value of their training by being
heard with telling. effect. The speakers
included Miss Genevieye Ward, the ia
nous tragedienne, and Miss Mary Shaw,
both American actresses: Nine. Chelga,
dramatic author of France; trauleln
Graves, IN English dramatic, writer,
who smoke for Mrs Beerbohm Tree, who
was presented and excused herself.
One very sad event has cast gloom
over the American women especially, the
sudden and shocking death OF Mrs. Ellen
G.. Johnson, who had been for nearly
twenty years superintendent of the Mas
sachusetts prison and reformatory for
women, and who had accomplished mar
yels through her demonstrat ton of the
power of occupation and kindness. Her
record of real reform work among the
inmates is one Of which the nation is
proud and her influence has touched the
treatment of women prisoners i'll every
part of America. Mrs. johnson gave
of the social section on Tuesday, speak
ing OH 1.-THE Treatment of Women in
Prisons" The next morning just after
breakfast she was taken with a fainting
spell and died within an hour. She with
other friends were the guests of the
Bishop Of Rochester. The remains will
be cremated tomorrow. The council
| passed series Of very appreciative and
sympathetic resolutions.
| Ali of the meetings of the council, that
is the delegated voting body, have been
held in secret, but nothing very interest
ing or important has been done, principal
ly debating on changes Of the constitu
ton, methods of procedure, most of which
work is cut and dried, having been very
ltllN AdlN ouI w IAS S-HCSutANS Soi!AAAt
tee last year. The election was to have
taken place ON Wednesday, but has been
postponed until Tuesday, which is re-
garded as unfavorable to Mrs. Sewall's
chances. She is the only nominee and
! there is no opposition upon which one
can place her finger, but there have been
and are being some attempts to change
the constitution to permit the re-elec-
ton of Lady Aberdeen. Were the term
shorter. there would be less opposition to
the idea, for everyone admires Lady Alb
erdeen and would gladly extend her any
compliment. that they could reasonably,
but! that seems little too much. This
movement seems to he due in part to
Lady Aberdeen's popularity and n sense
of obligation to her which the American
women share fully with the rest, for she
has given time, strength, money and i'll
tluence to place the council in the posi-
ton which it now holds and in England
| especially this was not easy and the full
cooperation of Great Britain is nee
essary to the continuance of the growth
and encouraging prospects Of the council.
'ihe American women will acQuiesce
gracefully in whatever comes and are do
ing no talking on the subject, but the
German women don't like the idea Of
Great Britain holding the office again and
are making it plainly known.-Martha
Scott Anderson in the Evening Wiscon-
sin