The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-03
Among Won1en's Clubs.
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sp,rEo ~ nRs. ssllls o. psrrls.

Songs OF Seven? Are not the the
words found in Jean Ingeiow's poem
Regret full of a deep and tender
meaning? Do they not make US think
noble thoughts and seem To lift us
away from this work-a day world for
the moment?"
Continuing her paper. Miss Hubbard
referred 10 the beautiful description OF
the break OF day Gound i'm one OF In
gelow's poems). reading the same in
illustration. Concluding, the paper
continues: Where can we find such
beautiful descriptions of the many
country flowers (unless In Words
worth's yerses) as Jean Ingelow gives
to us?':
"Oh, brave marshinary buds, rich and
yellow,
Give me your money to hold.
Heigh-ho daisies and buttercups.
Fair yellow daffodils, stately and tall,
When the wind walls, how they rock in
the grasses,
And dance with the cuckoo buds,
Slender and small"
on Tuesday afternoon Of the past
week the Ardirhebiah club was most
delightfully."- entertained at the resi-
dence OF Mrs. Theodore w. Foster ON
Waterman street. The theme OF the
literary hour was Jeanne dare" In
w. O. Cornell and Mrs NJ. Il. ]. Rus
sell. In the absence of Mrs. Charles
Russell. however Miss Irons assumed
her part of the program.
The first paper OF the afternoon by
Mrs. Cornell, was entitled Joan OBJ
tains Audience with the King-Wars,
and Coronation at Rheims" The pa
per was broad and comprehensive in
its treatment. giving evidence through
out OF careful study and research on
the part OF the writer. Commencing,
the paper describes the scenes and
times I'm the early girlhood of Joan.
when first CHE heard her voices
speaking more and more distinctly. as
she communed alone with nature:
Child of God, go forth and save
France"
The paper continuing: THE life on
"A child living with other children in an
obscure hamlet leaves no record from
which its history can be written. Joan
seldom spoke OF her visions, they were
much too sacred for copmcn conVersa-
ton. Afterwards. when IL became abb
solutely necessary 10 say something in
order to. establish her divine mission
she spoke OF what she had seen, but
always with reluctance and reserve:
with still greater reluctance she spoke
TO her judges at her trial. and Yet from
her own story all our real knowledge
of her visions came AT this point
the essayist describes the environment
and personal characteristics of Joan.
She had never learned To read or write
but in all household work she was es-
pecially proficient, deeply religious.
bedient, unselfish. Continuing. the
paper describes at length the fallen
and dlsintegrated condition OF France
at this time, when JOan's voices be-
came so peremptory that they could no
longer be resisted. They had told her
before, and they still told her that she
must raise the Siege of Orleans and
crown the dauphin. Charles the Sew
enth. and she was sure they spoke the
truth" The paper proceeds 10 describe
the unremitting efforts of Joan to raise
an army, her final success after re-
peated rebuffs and discouragements.
and her ultimate accomplishment of
what TO her was a divine command
from the King Of Heaven. viz: ITO
raise the siege OF Orleans and TO lead
Charles to Rheims to be crowned and
consccrated."
The paper proceeds To describe the
capture of Jargeau and Beaugency,
which followed the victory at Orleans;
the great victories at Patay and
Troyes and concludes with the descrip-
tion Of the coronation scene at Rheims,
viz: "Close To- Charles during the
ceremony. with the banner I'm her hand.
stood Joan and wrote one Of the spec
tators. 'Itiwas a fine thing To see her
fair bearing When the ceremony was
over. she burst into tears. and kneel-
ing at Charles feet said To him: Cen
tie king, now is accomplished the will
of God who desired me To raise the
siege Of Orleans and lead you 10 this
city OF Rheims FOR your conservation.
showing YOU are the true king and the
l. H..
belongs.
The second paper of the afternoon,
by Mrs. NJ. =. Russell. was supple
mentary to the first. yet continued To
hold the intense interest OF the club
from beginning To end. The following
may be quoted from the paper as bear
ing n special relation TO the entire
subject matter:
TO arrive at a just estimate Of q
renowned mans character one must
Judge il by his time. not ours. Judged
by he standards OF one century, the
noblest characters Of an earlier one
lose much OF their lustre. Judged by
the standards Of today, there Is prob
ably no illustrious man of four or five
centuries ago whose character could
meet the test at all points But the
character of Joan oe Arp-lS unique II
can be measured by the standards of
1ll times without mieglVire or appre-
hCnsion as TO the result. JUDGED by
any of them, judged by al OF them. II
Is still flawiess. u ia still ideally per-
feet. II still occupies tlc loftiest place
possible 60 huUan attainment, a lofticr
ono than has hecn reached by any
other mere mortal. When we reflect
that her century was the most brutal
and wicked I'm history since the dark
eS. ages. we are lost in wonder at the
miracles Of such n product from such
q soil. The contrast between her and
her century is the contrast between
day and night. She was truthful when
lying was tho common speech Of men,
honest when honesty was a last virtue
a Keeper of promises when the keeping
Of y promise was expected OF no one.
"Sho gave her great mind TO great
thoughts and great purposes. when
other great minds wasted themselves
upon pretty fancies or upOn poor am
bitions. She was modest. fine and
delicate when TO bc loud and coarse
might be said to be universal. the only
entirely unselhsh person whose name
has n place in profane history. When
her great work was done she was Of
fcred rewards and honors, but refused
them All. desiring only. Would the
king grant her 10 go back 10 her vil-
lage home. at Domremy. and tend her
sheer. as before. feeling her mothers
arms about her.