The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-30

w oman says. nt idON Aiiulr inou-
sands OF earnest club women all over
this great country are studying its So
cial conditions Is OF tremendous signih-
canoe. We began In club life by study
ing literature. present and past. Then
we took up history, and from compar-
ing causes and effects i'm the past we
naturally come to studying the econo-
mic conditions of today. once take
up this question and we become a pow
erful factor i'm it's evolution. Women
can create and maintain public senti-
ment. and il is the thinking women
who usually become club women. The
new political economy, which means the
care and culture OF mankind, today de-
mands our attention. There are many
phases of IL. but most of our club
studies bear upon IL in one form or an
other
How grand a movement. how Infinite
ly more a power for good, might the
woman's club become II but beyond
and above the desire for intellectual
and other forms of advancement rose
i'm the heart of every true club woman
the beautiful thought expressed I'm the
Prayer by Helen Byington Emens:
Give me. dear Lord, some work To do.
Some field TO plow, some harvest rich
to reap.
Some mission to fulfll. both grand ana
true.
To feed Thy sheep.
Grant me some soul to lift above the
mire.
Some trumpet note to sound most
clear and sweet
rose and, 10. for what / did aspire
Lay at my feet
Perhaps the most notable meeting OF
the week among the home clubs was
the "open meeting" of the Providence
Fortnightly club, held on Tuesday af-
ternoon, January "a, In the assembly
rooms of the Church of the Mediator.
Invitations had been extended To the
Ballou Universalist club of Providence.
the Woman's league of Pawtucket ana
TO the church society of the Church of
the Mediator. AS "A consequence fully
200 were present TO listen To the literary
treat which had been provided. Mrs.
Forrest II. Rundell. the organizer of the
club and its beloved and honored presi-
dent, had made a special effort to come
from her home i'm Boston to preside al
this meeting and To deliver. as is her
wont. some words of greeting and en-
couragement. The substance of her
talk at this time was the story OF
an incident in the life of Mary \. Liv-
ermore. from which was drawn some
pertinent thoughts bearing upon the
question of the possibilities of the
womans club.
Mrs. Rundeu in beginning spoke
briefly of Mrs. Livermore and Of the
fact that she did not begin lecturing
until after she was 40 The incident
which so strongly influenced her whole
after career was interestingly told by
Mrs. Rundell as follows: ut was in
the time of the war She was i'm charge
of the northwestern branch of the sani-
tary commission, land she had just re-
turned from "a tour of inspection of
hospitals and military posts along the
Mississippi Supplies were desperately
needed everywhere, and il was neces-
sary To rouse the northwest TO meet
the emergency To this end branches
of the sanitary commission were organ
lied throughout for the systematic coll
lection and distribution Of supplies.
Hundreds Of invitations poured in upon
Mrs. Livermore to come and help or
ganiZe In the various states OF the
northwest. and she accepted one from
Dubuque, la. Reaching the Mississippi
river. she found it blockaded with ice
so that the usual ferryboat was not
running. Nothing physical ever seems
TO have hindered her from carrying out
her plans. and she crossed the river
in a small rowboat at great risk Of
body, not TO say life. She arrived at
dusk. too late for the afternoon meet
ing, but she was most rapturously re-
ceived by the ladies. They didn't care
for the afternoon meeting, but they had
planned for a rousing meeting in the
evening. Incoming and outgoing state
officials would be there. generals colo
nels and adjutants home on a furlough
members of the legislature. every
county would be represented. She
would have the opportunity OF speaking
TO all Iowa. Mrs Livermore was ap-
palied She expected TO sit In a chair
aIsi talk to a handful of ladies OF the
necessities of our sick soldiers and how
best TO provide for them, but she could
not speak to such an audieAce. She
couldn't do IL! She could say what was
needed to the ladies. but to mount the
platform and speak to SO many people
she absolutely couldn't do IT, And to
the ladies' despair and no less her own
modification, she remained immovable.
Finally IL was decided that she should
tell Col. Stone. the governor elect. what
she had expected to say to- the ladies.
and he, I'm turn, was TO relate II TO the
audience. The house was packed. The
ladies filed into their seats objectly: the
governor and the state officials took
their way 10 the platform, while Mrs.
Livermore and Col. Stone followed in
deepest humiliation. In the pariors he
stopped her for n moment. L have no
expectation, Mrs. Livermore,' he said.
that / can in the least change your
decision concerning the evening ad-
dress. but this has occurred to me I
have seen you at the front watched
your work i'm the hospitals and believe
you are I'm earnest and are honest.
When you tell me you want TO be n
hand or "a foot. an eye or an ear, n
voice or an influence i'm the work of
- assisting the country I'm it's sad hour
~ trnt A IN la hot xFnt n
] think you mean IL. Tonight, God has
prepared for YOU an opportunity To
speak TO all Iowa. You have not
wished il. The ladies of the aid So
ciety have not done II. These eminent
gentlemen have happened here on vari-
ous errands and this opportunity has
i'm n certain sense come about provi-
dentially. Now, how dare you, when
God has given YOU such an opportunity
$100 Reward. S100.