The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-05
Hm0mg the Club Wom@m.

ton for women in decorative work. The
afternoon promises to be especially in
teresting and a good attendance is de-
sired.
Mrs. NJ. S. Cummings of Helena was
a welcome guest at the Womans club
on Wednesday.
We shall never have broad culture
as individuals, nor as clubs, until we
put ourselves in such an attitude of
mind that we can entertain the
thoughts and opinions of others. even
If We canont accept them as final
Alice Ives Breed.
One mother, in showing her badges
to a friend, among others sorosis, in
ternational press and cabalistic literary
monograms, pointed proudly to the
brooch at her throat and said: This
Ia the badge I am proudest Of" 1t was
dimpled baby face, set round with
pearls. Not all of us may encircle the
dear faces with Jewels, but they are
deep set in our hearts, for above cvry-
thing else, the club woman is a good
mother.-Etta H. Osgood.
The Illinois Federation of Women's
clubs has issued a pamphlet containing
the reports of the standing committees
at it's fourth annual meeting held in
Chicag go in October. The report of the
literature department contains some in
teresting items. 1t shows that a grow
ing feature of club work is the discus
sion of current events. The increas-
ing attention that intelligent women are
giving to the life about them and it's
social problems is considered one of
the most encouraging phases of club
work, promising well for the future.
Judging from the number of clubs fol-
lowing it. history is the most popular
club study, and European history the
favo1ite division. more time being Civ
en- to it than to the histories of all 9TH
err countries combined. In some cases
the study of literature is historical
rather than analytical or critical study,
and in every case save two. it is of
English or American authorship. Quite
a good deal of attention is given to BIZ
ography and character studies, great
men receiving as much attention as
great deeds. The reading club still
keeps it's place as means of culture,
although its popularity Is evidently on
the wane. One club is writing a story,
a chapter being read each meeting.
Book reviews as club work is consider
ed a somewhat unique form of it to
take. The novel and short sto-
ries are popular subjects Of club
study, the English novel leading the
American. There is a limited repre-
sentation of foreign novels, in fact the
study of literature in all it's branches
is almost confined to that of the Eng
lish-speaking people. Matthew Arnold
held that to understand any literature
the student must be acquainted with
more than one. That an exclusive
study of home production was narrow
ing, affording no critical estimate or
r,&n ~ IL
ing English literature will supplement
it by an acquaintance with the excel
lent literatures of modern Europe, they
will have means of comparison which
will make their English studies the
more valuable.
Science is fairly represented in these
studies, the divisions of sociology and
household science predominating. one
club studied geography and found 1t in
teresting and helpful. Some pro-
grammes are made up entirely of lee
lures on different subjects.
Perhaps of even more Importance
than the subjects of study are the
methods used. The committee find in
the reports submitted to them that
these are fairly divided between writ
ten papers, followed by discussions and
class studies under a leader while the
professional lectures play no insig-
nificant part in directing club work.
lHele seetllS " We d widespread us
satisfaction with the essay system, and
direct appeals are made to the commit
tee to devise some way to get rid of this
Club incubus as it is termed.
There is much to be said on both sides
of this question; in fact the writing of
papers is a true phase of club develop
ment.
The widespread deficit found in club
study is overcrowding. True culture
consists, not in the mass of things
thrown into the mind without a thought
of their relative merit, but careful
discrimination and assimilation of
them, thus making them your own.
Friday was an exceedingly cold day
for enthusiasm and the ladies of the
Atlas club were not out in full force.
The short papers on "Glaciers' and
Origin of Glaciers read by Mrs.
Wardell, Mrs. Knight and Mrs. Nc
Calm We're very interesting, and Mrs.
Holbrook of the Woman's club delight
ed the ladies with a short but graphic
description of a visit to the
Muir glacier. Mrs. Holbrook al
so gave an enthusiastic and
practical talk on the advantages to be
gained from a state federation of wom-
ems clubs.
Mrs Knights paper. Elizabeth to
the Death of Mary, Queen of Scots"
was one of the best of the English his
tory papers, and was followed by Mrs.
Monroe's arefully-prepared article,
From the Execution of Mary to the
Death of Elizabeth