The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-11
A Question Handled With Goth Wit
and Wisdom.
Novel Programme at w.
L. u. Afternoon"
IL Was Conducted by the Mutual
improvement Club.

Owing to the fac. that certain repairs
were going on in the upper audience room
at Pine street church, Saturday after :
noon, the meeting Of the woman's Liter
airy Union was held In the vestry, and
promptly at three. as usual, Miss
Blanchard dropped the gavel.
The president gave po'i,e of the lecture
by Mrs. Mabel Loomis Todd, to take
place In the vestry Of Pine Street church
In the evening of December 10th, to which
members only were to b, admitted free;
also of the forthcoming reception to bs
given by the Union, Decem b,r 21st, when
the gentleman are to b. invited; a5d
other notices of the exhibition Of the
Brush and Thimble club. and of the
Emerson school concert. Letters were
read by the corresponding secretary, Mrs
Frederick Jones, from the Fort Allen cir
lie, which asked for admission to the
Union, ais from the Auoooisco for read
mission. The vote natural lily was passed
In the aft native.
The general subject for the "After-
noon was Education. and as the pro.
gramme was in charge Of the Mutual
Improvement club. 1t VAS treated by the
mem bers In most characteristic fashion.
The committee were Mrs. Frank l..
Moseiey, Mrs. George B. Nearpass and
Mrs. Walter Leiavor. The chairman,
Mrs. Moseley, related most 1ttingly.
something of the origin and development
OF their club The idea of 1t. Mrs. Nose
ley said, grew out Of the interest, which
one Of Mrs. L. 5 Osgood's GLASSES In
New Hampshire. aroused 10 Mrs. John
o. Rice. From that impulse Of Mrs.
Eice's, developed the Mutual Improve
nent club, which the speaker thought
was the first In Maine for parliamentary
law" study, and which had since bsen of
the greatest help and inspiration to Its
members. Mrs. Mossley then CALLED upon
Mrs. George II. Walker, whom she char
acterizsd as on earnest student, to tell
something Of 1.-THE relation Of parliament
tsry Law to general education"
According to the rule OF the Mutual
Improvement club, each lady spoke
without any notes whatever, and the
ease and fuency with which they ex-
pressed thems selves added much pleasure
to the whole affair.
Mrs. Walkers plos for the educating
quality of the study Of parliamentary
law was an excellent one. for what batter
which teaches sslf-control, concentration
and self poiseY This, the Study and
r-1actic ~ parliamentary law, most sure
- = 10. must admit. Mrs. Walker
e.~A. - bstter idea OF education pre-
vailing NV, which eDdeavors to teach
the rising generation to think, rather
than to mavely accumulate facts In con-
Guiding, mas. Walker said tn At the chill
dren of the women who had the disci
pline Of study in parliamentary law,
would surely bs the gamers, because
added to their love for their children the
mothers had acquired some practical wis
dom rs well.
The debate, next IN order ON the pro-
gramme, WAS under the supervision of
Mrs. George Nearpass, who announced
that the subject would bs: "Resolved,
That cultured Intellect rules the world"
OF the debaters whom the members Sc
lectei to discuss this question, the club
may well BIS proud, for the women RIA.
soned and pleaded. parted and thrust
with great readiness, and with so much
good humored raillery that their hearers
listened with both amusement and ad-
Mrs. Albert N. Halves opsned the de-
bate and very readily substantiated her
argument that cultured intellect ruled
the world, by making a comparison OF
q world with ard without education. and
by DWELLING On the influence for both
powe and good, exortod by our states
men, scientists, authors, artists and 9TH
ers Of the learned professional.
Her opponent, Mrs. Hanson, took up
the cudRels for common sense, and bs-
gan by saying that "handful Of oom-
mon sense Is better than bushel of
knowledge" Mrs Hanson has brisk.
convincing way of talking, and she al
most persuaded her audience that money
and common sense were. after all. the
most moving factors In the world. She
made distinction between an 'edu-
cated' man and "highly cultured
ample of the former, and made the plea
that the latter sort was too ideal to rule
the world. She told very humorously
an experience she had In cultured Bos-
ton, where she elbowed her way through
a crowd. thinking she was going to see
proved to BIS Jeffries chow can one say
10 face OF such facts" she asked. "that
cultured intellect rules the world?'
The second argument In the affirma-
tive was admirably taken up by Mrs.
Walter Lefavo-, land she retaiiated most
amusingly, in denying that cultured
intellect must mean too ideal" one,
ms her opponent mad said. And she fur
thermore stated she was sure that most OF
the crowd In Boston that day OF which
her opponent spoke, liks her, had been
expecting to see the President.
That point created much merriment.
and Mira Lefavor closed her argument
with picture Of an American captain
and q fine ship bound for the Philip
pines. surrounded with the wonderful In
ventions of sciences, and the luxuries of
civilization 20 crafty ear, eye and intel
lect, In contrast to one of the men of tn 9
savage tribes of the Bilipinos.
It was left for Mrs. Oscar Wish TO take
up the Plea for love, saying that it was
strange we should have war II culture
intellect rules the world. She felt that
her opponent spoke "honeyed words, -
and while cultured intellect was all
right In Its way, 1t was apt 70 lack ener-
~. and what was worse-to lack heart.
Each woman was allowed two minutes
more In which to sum up her own argu-
ment, or to try to subdue her opponent.