The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-18
ANNIE KENDRlCK WALKER
Mrs. Burdette Talks Inf finally
AT the Woman's Club


Mrs. Burdette, the brilliant wife of Rob-
ert ]. Burdette, was guest of the Woman's
club yesterday afternoon, and gave an in
formal talk on the subject OF club life
Mrs. Burdette is herself one of the great
est club leaders of this country, and pae
women who had the pleasure of meeting her
yesterday realized fully the wondrous
power and tGlarm of the woman, whose
fame mas extended far beyond the Pacific
coast.
Mrs. Burdette was introduced by Mrs.
French the director of the department of
philosophy, science and literature, under
whose auspices she gave her brief but de-
lghtful talk She referred with exquisite
courtesy to the comparative youth of the
Womans club, and at Tie same time said
that a club which had existed one year
rad certainly passed The experimental
period and knew its reasons for existing.
The department club, she continued, is
pre-emnently the club Which exerts the
broadcast influence, because it appeals to
women of different tastes, and offers oppor-
tunities for study and work along different
lines in which women are interested. Mrs.
Iou4 uellt tlipHdSlItu tie IltSu VI WilhhiiS
and observing women in this new club life
that has come at the end of The century.
The clubs open UP the avenues of Thought,
and the club movement, She said, would
result in better educated mothers. Ere
quently, she continued, the unobserving
mother Is unable to answer the queries of
her little ones in regard to the most COM
monplace things In life, and in many house
holds the children naturally regarded the
father as absorbing more general knowl-
edge than The mother. Club life tended to
develop thinking women, and while all
that is best In clubs radfated from the
home, all the best results would be felt in
the home
Il have" said Mrs. Burdette, "a creed
which 1 call the gospel of unselfshness, and
1 hope that I will find that paradise of a
club where this creed is practiced Tt is not
charity in the way of giving old or new
clothes but in the giving of the kind, up
lifting word which is never lost 1t is to
sink individuality"
Mrs. Burdette in speaking of the club
movement dwelt upon the power that lies
In repose and advanced the idea that many
of the club women were acquiring too rap
luly tHt new lie IHlS WAS the case she
said, more with the eastern women that
of any other section and she here spoke of
the repose of the southern woman, and en-
phasized the fact that while the latter's
club life brought to her the same advan-
tages as to her sister in the east, still the
southern woman looked at things with
more calmness and her club work would
naturally be less nerve wearing. Simplicity.
said Mrs. Burdette should be the keynote
of our lives. "I advocate" she continued,
simplicity in dress, in entertaining and in
all the things Of life"
At the request of the ladies present Mrs.
Burdette spoke of the Ebell club of Los An
geles, of which she is a member, and es-
pecially were they anxious to hear some-
thing of the club house which Mrs. Bur-
dette built at her own expense, and which
is used by the club as its home.
Mrs. Burdette pictured the club house, in
the garden spot of the world, where roses
blossomed and vines ran riotously. The
club house, she said, followed the Greek
idea of simplicity, and was but one story
in height, the colorado being. supported
with handsome pillars. The club building
includes the auditorium, the library, rooms
for the department meetings, tea rooms,
and other apartments for comfort and use.
The method of ventilation and of lighting
the building, which Mrs. Burdette explain
ed, was of especial interest In view of the
Woman's building to be erected in Birm-
ingham.
The description of the club building in
Los Angeles was an inspiration to the wo-
men who heard Mrs. Burdette speak, and
every woman instinctly drew a mental pic
ture of the vine-covered club house in the
sunny land of California, and it was not
difficult to picture the charming figure of
Mrs. Burdette standing at the threshold.
After Mrs Burdettes interesting talk Mrs.
Pearson, the president of the Womans club
made a number of practical inquiries in re-
gard to the business methods of conduct
ing clubs a subject which Mrs. Burdette
readily discussed. Mrs. Fac Smith, by re-
quest, gave a little talk on the London
clubs which she visited this summer, and
there were several informal talks on SUBJ
jects of interest.
The women present enjoyed several mo-
-ments of informal conversation with Mrs.
Burdette and the afternoon at the club was
one of the most delightful in its history.
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