The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-21
/ OUT AND ABOUT

A writer in the Gentlewoman LOT M@S
belongs to the camp of the pessimlsts
who can see little or nothing goou III
clubs for women, and she gently put
firmly proceeds to prick holes IN tle
fabric of the institution and mint DARK
Nv that the club woman is treadlng lhe
narrow path that leadeth to nervous
prostration and short hair.
Listen while she talks =.
I'm these days so many CLUBS are VI
ganized for apparently good anu usS
s,l nurnoses that it seems almost
neglect of duty if one fails to become
member of one Or more of them, ana SO
ioin in the march of progress ana keep
in touch with the world. But IN tne
mind of the thoughtful and ousy WlIe
and mother will arise questions as ~
the actual advantages Of such organ
cations. Will they tend to enlarge anu
strengthen the mind, or simply auo "
its cares and perpleXities?
"She will naturally ask II IL Is nopiel
to be concerned in the sanitary condl-
ton of the city than in the sanitary
condition of her home, or If practl-
cal interest in the training OF cnlldreI
in general requires greater intellectual
effort than the training of her own III
tie ones. e
Furthermore, she will doubt, II a
ten minutes discussion on the import
ance of women in public life, another
ten minutes on Greek architecture the
same length of time devoted to ancient
religions and so on through lst Oh
equally profound and important SUP
iects, will give her the repose of mind
which she sorely needs, or even any
real information She will probably
conclude that the hour thus spent could
be better employed in the pursuit OF
some one study, or in the enjoyment Oh
good pictures or music, or just simply
in the open air. 1t would seem that
the woman who conscientiously dls-
charges her home duties, and is
faithful worker in several clubs, ends
by adding to the list of victims of ner-
vous prostration While she, whose
chief ambition is to be thought pro-
gressiVe, will thoroughly and assertive-
ly fulfill her club duties. But what OF
her home-the noblest organization ever
instituted on earth?
In any case, this tendency to club
life seems to menace home life. 1t so
divides a woman's interest that
she cannot be the central figure of
gets so many helpful suggestions at
the club meetings on the management
of the household and children. Oh, the
WEAKNESS of a multitude of counsels,
and they are far from helpful; our
households and children become sub
iects for numerous experiments; one is
reminded of the anecdote of a physician
who was called to see a very sick child.
He asked the anxious mother what she
had been doing for it. Oh she an
swered, despairingly, just everything
that every one advised
THE lives of many women are so
pitifully narrow that one is tempted to
welcome any movement which might
enlarge their sphere of thought and ac-
ton. But is the club, in all the mod
ern acceptance of the term, a step in
the right direction?
Life is so short that we want to
make the best possible use of the pre-
cious moments, and not find out too late
that all our efforts have been misdirect-
ed, that our silver is indeed but
dross.
There is a good deal to be said in re-
ply to this, providing that one is an
optimist and has time. 1t would be in
teresting to interview some of the lead
ing physicians-at the rate of SO visit
AS to whether their annual income
from nervous prostration has increased
with the growth of the Womans club.
A few husbands and fathers might also
be put on the witness stand. If they
testified to devastating homes and ne
elected offspring; if the physicians
owned up to growing list of nervously
prostrsred club women patients, and if
the husbands and fathers burst into
tears when the name "Woman's club
was mentioned, then the Gentlewom-
ans contributor would have made out
a good case, so far, at least as Worces-
ter goes.
But this is too solemn a subject to
be toyed with in this light-minded
fashion. A serious discussion of the
various points raised in the article in
question would better beht the occa-
sion. If any readers of Out and About
feels like saying word pro or con on
the Woman's club as an institution,
space in this column will be cheerfully
! afforded her or him.
Miss Easton of Union church choir
and Mr.. Kerr of Boston, who sang with
great success last week at the Collins
recital in Old South church, will as
sist at the recital by John ]. Heron's
pupils in Horticultural hall, June 5.
A concert of Shaksperean music will
proceed the scenes from 1.-THE NIer-
chant of Venice" that is to be pre-
sented by pupils of the English high
school Friday night. The program will
include a violin solo, Far away" by
Master Joseph Riedl; songs from
Twelfth Night" and "As You Like
It." by Miss Ethel Briefly; 1T was q
lover and his lass Gas You Like It.')
by Charles Albert Gray; violin solo
Master Humboldt Lamont; selection
from Romeo and Juliet" Mrs Lillian
| Hanson Gray. Miss Elizabeth c. Wood
man has charge of the musical portions
Of the evening.
Mrs o. F. Rawson, Mrs E. F. Disco
Miss Adeline Disco, and several Other
ladies expect to go to Millbury toner
row night for Mrs. Richards reading
and the reception, which will take
place at the Unitarian church under
the auspices of the Millbury Woman s
club. A good many Worcester Wu-
mems club members will probably at
tend. During the recent visits OF Mrs
| Waldo Richards to Europe she received
the most distinguished patronage. Her
unique recitals in dialect as well as Ter
rendering of classical selections from
! English literature, showed, as a Lon
don critic expressed it, that "her art
is not that of the everyday reciter: il
is something higher and more ideal ;"
The ladies of the Church Of the I'm
ity gave their annual tea to the ladies
of the Home for Aged Women yester-
day. Thirty-five ladies spent the af-
ternon and evening there. At o'clock
a handsome spread, which included ice
cream, was served at tables decorated
charmingly with swamp pink. Each
member Of the family found at her
plate, wrapped in. delicate japanese
napkin, a silver quarter.
The entertainment began in the af-