The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-03

To the average man and to the woman
who is so far behind the times as never
TO have caught the club fever. the ques-
tion why women Join clubs is a conundrum.
The club movement puzzled me for long
time. owns a writer in the New York
Herald" and. being of an enquiring turn
OF mind. without letting any of my club
friends suspect my Intentions l started
to and out what need the club filled in
woman's life to make it such popular
feature of the century We have just left
behind US.
] went TO every club meeting ! was in
vited to. l really and truly endeav3red to
fathom the fascination. The club fever is
like hypnotism. its victim is powerless to
battle against 1t. One club leads TO an
other. A woman who joins one is like a
woman caught in Quicksand. She can no
more help joining others than she could
help being sucked under by the treacherous
sand.
When ! found that attending meetings.
listening to papers, eating a lunch, or
drinking cup CT tea afterward did not
bring me any nearer the answer why
women join clubs, looked further and
Are these women happy in their home
nyes2 Is there not an eternal something
which they are reaching out for and which
they hope to find in the excitement of
club life?"
Then | commenced to study my friends
and / discovered something which know
will call down much abouse on me. The
average club woman is not a happy wom-
an. and she goes 10 clubs to lose herself,
to take her mind from her sorrow, disap-
pointment or longing for that which she
has not.
In many women it is the mother crav-
ing which is unsatisfed in them. In otn-
ers it is an unhappy marriage. Again it
Is the lack of occupation which our pres
ent mode of life forces on women, and it
is a hundred and one little things due to
the age in which we live.
Men find satisfaction in the excitement
of business. In the hustle for money.
Women evidently hope to find the same
satisfaction, the same excitement. in
their clubs.
One friend OF mine q lSrge spuled wom
an, with love enough in her heart to
mother a dozen children, belongs 10 near
ly every club in town
II would never go near club and would
be the happiest woman in the world II
only had children she said to me one day
in reply to my question as to why she had
Joined SO many CLUBS.
In olden days that woman would event.
ually have become a fretful. peevish in
valid a nuisance to every enc around her.
Today she is a specimen of magnificent
womsnhood, energetic, phiianthropic, and
mp to date in every sense of the word.
That is what clubs have done for her
Another case which came under my no.
tice was directly opposite. The woman
had a husband who to all appearances
!. -
dren who always looked neglected. She
was an unhappy looking creature herself,
and l felt sorry for her, and conceived
quite dislike to her husband. l felt
that he ill-treated her.
/ suddenly discovered one day that l
had wronged him, from a conversation
which / CHANGED 20 oyerhear. man
friend asked him what his plans for the
winter were.
u hardly know" he replied I'VE tried
housekeeping last winter, but Mrs. B
was so occupied with her clubs that she
did not find time TO unpack our books or
get the apartment settled all winter. /
think we will board
Yet this same woman found time to
take an active part in a political cam
paign, and 10 write papers on political
questions which were quoted by men. l
am still puzzling over her case. Is she
unhappy in her married life, or does she
merely crave the notoriety which club
work gives her?
once received letter from a woman
who lived away up beyond the Bronx,
written in defence of women's clubs, and
her arguments were very strongly in ia
vor OF them. She said:
IF people who cry out against clubs
could only realize what a boon they sre
to women like myself who are tied down
10 the treadmill Of housework. the care Of
children, the deadly monOtOny of suburban
life, they would change their minds and
agree with me that they are better than
tonics and cheaper than doctors bills.
The time and money which many women
are now wont to spend in trying new
cures are now more sdyantseeously ex-
pended in sclub meetings and dues. The
latter fad is certainly more healthy and
less costly.
The average club women has no time for
ailments Every moment is occupied"
She gets more outdoor exercise in going
from one club to another. Her mind is so
taken up with her papers and the wonder
full reforms she has under consideration
that she never thinks of her physical con-
dition.
A great factor in the club question is
the present fashion Of living in apart
ments. The geographical formation OF
Manhattan island has brought about the
gradual disappearance of private resi-
dences. The great number Of apartment
houses and family hotels now occupied and
in the process OF erection TO be filled as
soon as completed is another reason why
women join clubs.
With home all on one floor. with cleo
trio bells and lights, private telephones,
elevators, and ianitors (even though many
Of them are ro1ues), and a maid however
incompetent she may bel directly under
her mistress eye. the average woman can
not find enough to do to occupy all her
time. therefore she joins a club.
Then the sewing machine and the enor-
nous stock of ready made garments to he
found in the shops have a great deal 10 do
with the growth Of women's clubs. 1t is
less expensive today to buy everything
ready made than TO make or have the
things made at home. The time, there
fore which in the past women spent in
sewing Is now, in u majority of cases
done away with. and that Zine Is devoted
20 clubs.
The old-fashioned preserving and pick-
ling time of our mothers is thing of the
past Today you can buy your preserves
and pickles cheaper than you can put then
up yourself at home. Modern improve
ments have so simplifed housekeeping thai
woman naturally finds many idle hour.
on her hands. and in nine cases out OF Ter
those hours are devoted to clubs.
Still another reason why women joiI
clubs is the small family. Does 1t moi
stand to reason that woman who has
only one or two, at the most three, chill
dren, with all the modern inventions o
the nineteenth century TO tighten her bur
dens, as compared to her mothers family
OF six and sometimes twelve children
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