Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-23
MEETING OF wOMANS CLUB
Department of Ethics and PhiIosophy
Listens 20 an Address by
Rabbi simon.

The department of ethics and philosophy,
Rev. Mary Gerard Andrews leader, provided
a rich treat on Monday afternoon for the
Woman's club and it's guests in an address
by Rabbi Simon on "The Rubaiyat OF Amar
Khayyam." A fitting preface to the topic
was the double vocal number sung by Miss
Anna Bishop, who also gave a closing num-
Der. All three selections were taken from
the song cycle, known as ''In Persian Gar
dem" words from the Rubaiyat; music by
Lisa Lehman. Mrs. II. I. Whitmore played
the accomplishments.
Opening his remarks by stating the para
dox that the farther west one travels the
nearer he comes to the east, the speaker
proceeded to show that the earth is not only
n physical but spiritual sphere. Nothing -
he said 'can stop the missionary march of
an idea. Politics, art literature, work
toward the union of eastern and western
thought. The marriage of the Orient and
the Occident is the triumph of the nine
teenth century
Dwelling for a movement upon the price
less treasures of oriental poetry so rich in
philosophy, ideaism, meditation the rabbi
characterized Persian poetry as supreme as
the poetry of sensation" representing sub
jectivity, as opposed to objectivity. Data
regarding the author, his environment, his
powers were briefly given and the speaker
passed to a discussion of the Rubaiyat,
which he declared to be destitute of a ar
tistic or logical unity of a consistent
scheme of philosophy, saying substantially:
THE Persian asks the questions, How,
whence, whittier. the questions that have
been asked by all mankind. He gives the
answer of the pessimist and the skeptic The
all I'D
responsibility. freedom gone, why should
genius so rob us? Pessimsm and skeptic-
ism have their work; they set men to think
ing, but they have not done much for civili-
zaton. This is an age of stress and storm
America has great problems to solve, the
weightiest of her history. She can never
solve them if she give up her ideals of God
of personal responsibility, of Immortality.
She needs to follow, not the Persian poet
but her own poet of reverence, courage and
hope.-EmersCn."
During the business hour 1t was decided
that the club be suitably represented in the
general club exhibit that is to appear in the
Paris Exposition and that SO be contributed
to the fund of the Paris committee of the
General Federation of Clubs.
A report was read by Mrs. McKelvey of
the city improvement committee, rehears-
ing the labors of that committee to secure
reccptacles for street rubbish and pointing
with pride to its success. The committee is
now encouraged to attempt something fur
ther and calls meeting for February to
consider the needs of the city.
A paper was read by Mrs. ]. H. Harvey,
urging the consideration by the club OF cer-
tain matters in connection with the public
schools. Mrs. Harvey believes that the bible
should be read in the schools and that pure
religion should be taught there; that school
matters should be divorced from politics;
that women should sit upon school boards :
that men should have fair recompense for
work upon such boards and that schools
should be supported by direct tax. On mo-
tion of Mrs. Heller it was decided to dis
cuss the first of these propositions at the
next meeting of the club.
The department of political and social
science invites the club and its friends to
an address by Booker T. Washington Mon
day, January 90, at 4 o'clock subject, THE
Coored Womans Part in the New South"
The other announcements are as follows
The department of ethics meets Tuesday,
January %; subject, "Emerson's Essay on
Persian Literature" Household economies,
meets Thursday morning. German history,
meets January 80 at . p. m; Dr. MILAN will
read a paper on Marie Theresa" The
musical department announces "In a Persian
Garden" by a quartet at o'clock, jan
uary 30. Chorus class meets Friday at 10
o'clock A full attendance is desired, as the