The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-01-14
came the thought of association to help

10 women everywhere HeTe Is WI
for you which can not be done except b,
Association. both for yourselves ano
others Work together it matters little
under what form or name; and then
with mutual aims and symtathies
stimulated to noble ends do those
things which duty dictates and your
opportunity allows and gradually the
members OF this organization are learn
ing that there are other lessons in life
for them To read besides the stories in
the little old Horn Book y; the work OF
Woman's Clubs is indissolubly connect
ed with education and co ordination OF
forces and concentration Of plans must
be the watchword, IL success is attained.
The so.called progressive woman" il
seems to me. asks for no more than a
full opportunity to develop all her
reserve powers in helping on the world
A few days since in a neighbOring state
l heard bright woman say-"Women
are often held up to ridicule because
they are 80 ready to condemn, 80 i'm
patient OF delay, 80 anxious to convert
everybody right now, and she said that
she was reminded OF what Henry Ward
BeeCher once said when some new and
worthy object to benefit humanity was
brought to his NOTES.-The cause Is
just, the object is all right, now bril- e
on your fanatic to carry it out."-and
she had some times thought that the
women Of today must be called the
fanatics" to hell in some of this work
that is to be done to benefit humanity.
Professor LombrOso says The duty Of
woman in the social evolution is to direct
has 10 "A I,l. al.
this responsibility worthy OF the high
est powers OF womanhood and second
only to motherhood?
We read that it was considered an
epoch in many of the older states when
ne'ghborhood and village Libraries began
to be common. This was more than
hundred years ago and Noah Porter
tells us that the establishment OF vii.
lage library was considered AS natural
and almost as necessary as the setting
up OF a grist mill or town pump.
Today in at least one state-New
Hampshire-every town is now required
by law to establish and maintain free
public library. Until recent years we
have had but few Libraries in the west
outside OF the We'll equipped libraries of
the larger towns and cities. Now how.
ever. libraries are rapidly coming into
existence in the smaller towns and vii.
lagos. Many OF them directly through
the fundamentally Of the Womans club.
Tor this organization and the public
library should be aud in most cases are
invaluable allies and work together for
the good OF the community. The real
value OF some OF these small libraries
may not he appreciated in this genera.
ton. When John Harvard beaueatbed
half OF his estate and his library to the
struggling seminary in the wilderness,
no one foresaw the Harvard university
of today
In Iowa the library spirit is partic-
ularl active among Woman's clubs, or
one hundred and eighty clubs belonging
to the State Federation rearly one half
are doing something for Libraries. And
what is true OF Iowa ia true of other
states. In every little village and ham.
let where womans club has existed for
lime' we are pretty sure to find the
circulating library and free reading
room: Library boards testify that the
circulation OF books and Il @ consolation
OF reference books have greatly increas.
ed since the organization Of the Wom-
ans club.
Let us glance for a moment at the
work that the women in Kentucky are
dong in this library movement.
"for the fiscal year OF '97-9S the state
was divided into five club districts, The
hrst district had seven library stations
the second TOUR, the third three. the
fourth four and the fifth three. The
plan OF work for the committee was 70
collect books suitable for the mountain
districts and to send the same securely
packed IN strong wooden boxes. ayeraC.
ing hfty- five volumes to box, made ~
heaVy seasoned boards, securely fastened
with screws and locks and on arrival
are used as libraries Six months are
allowed for use of books Some doIn,