The Minneapolis journal., 1901-04-03
THE WOMEN'S CLUB
MOVEMENT
VII.-BEAUTIFYING HOME SUR
ROUNDINGS

ROUNDINGS
BY Frances Copley Seavey Chairman of an
improvement Committee Of the American
Park and Outdoor Association.
Copyright 1901, by Victor f. Lawson.
While public-spirlted men and women are
undertaking to improve the general appear
ance OF large cities by banding themselves
INTO civic leagues, municipal art associations
and similar bodies, it cannot@be too strongly
asserted that there is equal necessity for de-
veloping latent possibilities along similar
lines IN city suburbs, towns, villages and
country neighborhoods
The simple beauty OF trees and grass claims
instant attention from city people of all sta
tlons, but the more meager or squalid their
nome surroundings the more marked is this
recognition. Oftentines those who are accus-
toned TO these TWO fundamental elements. of
natural beauty growing negleetful, allow
thelr immediate environment to lapse into
barren squalor. 1t may be that such examples
should be credited to a too great familiarity
with nature but it seems more probable that
1t is the result of individual deterioration 1t
would appear both safer and pleasanter to
encourage the wholesome freshness of grow
ing greenery and bloom than to suffer in
creasing contempt by the too close approach
OF tin cans and ash heaps
There are already many improvement socie-
tes, CLUBS and associations scattered through
tut the United States; there are also a stin
greater number of women s clubs The latter
in some instances have been inspired to for
sake literature, art and the sciences to devote
their efforts to the betterment of the daily
surroundings in their own communities
Taking Up This Important Work.
Women's clubs can do practical work in the
line of suburban, village, town or neighbor-
hood improvement either by aiding as organ
izat in thS Mo Of 49,
ment societies, by making Improvement work
branch of their own plans, or by boldly
adopting it as the end and aim Of club exist
ence for year or longer as requirements
may dictate. In most localities, however, the
amelioradon of existing conditions of daily
life is so clearly the one important question
that doubtless most clubs that give the matter
consideration will determine it the better part
to devote their entire energy to it, Probably
after one or two years of such faithful effort
subsequent work may safely be delegated to
a capable committee
In undertaking improvement work women's s
clubs can hardly do better than follow in a
general way the lead of prominent and sue
cessful improvement organizations such as
the Laurel Hill society of Stockbridge, Mass
the Beverly (Mass) Improvement Society,
the Town improvement Association of Mont
clair, N. j., and others, while fitting the de-
! tails of such effort to local necessities and
opportunities. Indeed such organizations are
the natural outgrowth of local conditions
Among those cited, typhoid epidemic due to
impure milk disseminated from a dairy stu-
ated amid foul surroundings reused the
mothers of the town to the necessity for sani-
tation and greater knowledge of the sources
OF family supplies, as we'll as to a realization
OF the fact that the four walls of home fail
to encompass the factors that make for the
health and happiness of the household and
that their responsibilities extended beyond
such clearly defined limits In another In
stance one woman's longing for something
beautlrul within reach of her own home, for
sweetness, neatness and order in the streets
that formed her daily environment. was the
leaven from which rose what is claimed TO be
the first and is still among the foremost
among Improvement associations in this coun-
try.
WatchwOrd of These Societies.
ITO make our town Tor village or suburb)
better, more wholesome and more attractive
place OF residence, is in one form or another
| the watchword of every efficient band of i'm
provement workers, and no club of women
needs better slogan
AS has been intimated, conditions in every
case must govern the choice of the first work
to be done. Good roads or streets and santa
II