The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28
FOR FEMININE READERS
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WOM-
ANS CLUBS OF NEW YORK CITY.
The Furnishing of n Room a Matter
for Careful Study-GOwns for Lit
tie Girls-Here and There.

to the New York Evening Sun for infor-
nation concerning the metropolitan
woman's clubs. She contemplates taking
up her residence in the city, it seems,
where she will naturally pursue her club
career and she is DESTROYS of knowing the
nice distinctions of the different organiza-
tions in towns before she identifies her
self with any score of them. In reply the
Sun says that it is no easy task to classify
the clubs off-hand, but as ''Out-of-Town
Club Woman" is evidently in hurry, here
is our little best at the matter Sorosis,
of course, stands first, upon a proud pre-
enninence that she has herself erected and
upon no less firm foundation than bon
nets. Sorosis is considered the fashionable
woman's club. Not that fashionable women
belong to 1t; far from it. 1t unquestionably
makes the best sartorial showing of any
woman's organization in the city. 1t is
for whatever reason, hardest to get into,
and with one of its regular monthly meet
ings in full swing it is harder to get out
of. Better be blackballed by Soross than
admitted by any other club" is a common
saying among the clubbists. Related to
Sorosis by divorce is 1.-THE Professional
advisedly the league being the direct re-
suit of split in Sorosis a many years ago,
when 1t blackballed Lolita and when a
mighty lot of the actress contingent head
ed by Mrs. A. M. Palmer, proceeded to
form a club of their own. The league is
prosperous and professional, and 1t does a
lot of good among it's destitute members.
1t has clubhouse all of its own, a rarity
in New York, and. the Ratchet of the orig
inal scrap peing long since buried, it hob
nobs with SoroSis upon occasion. Indeed,
many women belong to both clubs The
Rainy-day Club is not very old, but it has
already gained a renown envied by al;
and excelled by none. The only
trouble about the Rainy-day Club is that
IL is famous for what ii doesn't do. Orig
inally organized for the purpose of MAX
ing popular short skirt for rainy days,
1t has long since lost sight of this and vies
with Sorosis as an authority in fashion.
But one rule is adhered to at its meetings
that nothing In any way relative to dress
reforms and especially rainy-day dress
reform shall be touched upon. Art. music,
the drama (the rainy daisies are really
second edition of the league), roller-skat-
ing, municipal government, automobiling
the newest coiffure-any or all of these and
great many more may engage the clubs
attention, only II must be always borne in
mind that in no way shall the topic of
short skirts for rainy days be introduced.
The success of the organization i'm keep
ing this rule is quite as well known as the
organization itself.
The Society for Political Study takes it
SELF very seriously. 1t is a sort of cross be-
tween the society club pure and simple
and the out-and-out suffrage associations
1t discusses affairs of state and 1t adds to
the gayety of nations but it does not scorn
the seductiOns of good clothes. For that
matter, Tough neither do the suffrage
cleties scorn dress. An evening meeting of
the strong minded sisters shows them at
their best, with every aigrette a-quiver at
thought of all the wrongs of women and
every white-gloved hand raised in denun-
citation of the rights of man. The Eclectic
Club, recently turned Prohibitionist, is cele-
brated for its manicured finger nails. More
highly polished finger tips are on exhibit
ton at an Eclectic meeting than on any
other club occasion. The Minerva Club
which has just resolved itself into a per-
petual executive session, is a split-off from
the Eclectic and inclines to the esoteric
1t counts among its honorary members sew
eral celebrated East India fakirs. The many
genealogical societies hold prominent places
in woman's clubdom, the Colonial Danes
taking, as they do in all parts of the coun-
try, first place Following in the footsteps
OF the dames-though at some distance
are the Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton, the Daughters of the Revolution (the
distinction all hangs on direct and "col-
lateraf), the Daughters of 1872, the Daugh-
tiers of 1910, the Daughters of 1861 and (but
very recently organized) the Daughters of
1893. On the whole, If woman has the
pedigree she could not do better than join
one Of the genealogical societies There
she is sure of good time, and none of the
intellectual exactions of more aspiring
clubs. There is less rivalry to clothes
among these women, each sure that the an
cestors of every other came over in the
Mayfiower. The various bodies of women
banded together because they have all come
from some one part of the country are a
significant phase of the "club movement"
AS its apostles love to call it. Again, this
significance stands more for what the club
isn't than for What 1T is. The number of
women belonging to the New England So
ciety, for instance, who are there in their
capacity of club FOUNDERS rather than be-
cause of any Yankee birthright is amazing.
But everything goes - in clubdom. "A
stranger in New York. need not have the
slightest fear that she will be able to get
in somewhere somehow.