The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-03-14
Regular Meeting of the Kenosha Wo-
mans Club Held at the Library
Wednesday Afternoon.
SIMPLICITY IN LIVING DISCUSSED
Mrs. Harriet Meers Reads Very Interesting
Paper on Practical Subject and Dis
cussion is Lead by Miss Hurd.

The Woman's Club met Wednesday
afternoon in regular session. The
paper for the day on ga Plea for Sina-
p1icitys in Living" was read by Mrs.
Meers.
A hard eand fast definition of sim
p1icity in living. would be very difficult
to give, as to every person It presents
different meaning. The essayist did
not choose to'dwel1 upon the subject in
connections7wit economy OF money,
but moresin connection with economy
of time. Freedom from shams form
the intricacies Of the modern wonan's
life; the gain tosbe in strength of body
and tranquility of mind, and more time
for the pursuit of the things that lift
us from the commonplace life.
The problem is how to live to secure
the greatest possible comfort without
sacrificing our physical, mental or
moral vigor.
In the struggle for the vanities of
life we are 1ikened to Esau, who sold
his birthright for mess of pottage.
Women are the natural foes of SIM
plicity in living. Nearly all the labor
saving inventions for women have
been invented by men, but with each
1aboring saving device comes new and
greater demands from the women.
We have the sewing machine, a
great labor saver over the tedious hand
work of our grandmothers, but with it
comes the fashion for more ruffles and
tucks. The telephone, bringing added
convenience in one way, causes so
many more trips up and down stairs to
answer it. Thus in numberless ways
we have gained much in modern con-
veniences, but there are many attend
ing evils. While it is said "There is
no pain like the pain of new idea, !"
the American women are beginning to
learn that the simply furnished room
is nearly always artistic, and that the
mere gathering together of heter-
ogenous lot of furniture in a room is
not a sign of good taste. The home
should not be crowded like bazar, but
in it's furnishings and decorations the
personality of the home keeper should
predominant. It is not what we lack,
but what others have that causes us to
be restless and often leads to extrava-
gance, and this in turn to bankruptcy.
In the matter of dress simplicity and
suita bleness are the things to be
striven for rather than the latest
style.
In our food, too, we must not forget
that there is as much danger in over
nutrition as in under nutrition.
Owing to the prevalent feeling that
hospitality demands display we are
apt to shut ourselves off from the in
teresting and stimulating companion
ship of our friends. The slang express
sion used in describing many of our
social functions is as expressive as in
elegant, "gigg1e, gable, gobb1e, git"
Every nation has its aristocracy and
the ideal for the American women is
the simplicity of living that combines
good taste with the commonplace
things of life and the time for the pur-
suit of intellectual and spiritual
things.
Miss Bessie Hurd led the discussion
and many ideas of practical interest
were brought out before the ladies ad-
iourned for an informal discussion
over the tea cups.