Graham guardian., 1902-01-31

whole good has been accomplishe,
IN many quarters.
By their experience in hous
cleaning women have been able t,
make valuable suggestions abou
street cleaning. They have form
ed classes in cooking and genera
house work to train young womel
for efficient domestic service, anC
have devised and carried to success,
many plans for the happiness anc
safety Of working girls.
Some of us remember the bust
ness women's club in the Atwood
building Chicago, with its artistic
library where the members may
have few minutes Of quiet rest
during the noon hour. In the cafe
wholesome luncheon can be OBJ.
tanned at cost. Whether entirely
self supporting or aided by some
of the wealthier members, | am
unable to say.
AS a Denver club woman saws:
The exclusiveness Of a few years
ago is lost sight Of in the desire to
better our ambitious, though less
favored sisters. The club women
of the present are proverbially un-
selfish and the sweet comradeship
which wider sympathy has
brought them appeals to all that is
good in them.
By their more intimate acquaint,
ance with children, women have
helped school boards to better
adapt the buildings, instructions
and general conditions of school
life to the needs of pupils, and
hundreds Of children are now in
city schools who never went TO
school until the women's clubs pro,
vided clothing for them.
Let few works of this move
ment praise 1t. Beginning near
home, notice the improvements
made in our little sister city of
Sante Fe by its woman's club of
audacious name-the Woman's
Board of trade-if you please
The old plaza was an alfalfa patch
sunk in The middle and surrounded
by a farm yard fence, and the
town paid from $500 to $500 a
year for taking care of it. At last
the city council turned it over to
the Woman's Board Of Trade with
an appropriation of $500. In due
time that unsightly spot was trans
formed into beautiful little park
with turf, coping, fountain, trees
and flowers. Within a year the
s en- ssssprise was cleared from debt,
and the Woman sBesEd al Trade
turned its attention tossa free
library, which was opened the fol-
lowing year with five hundred
volumes, librarian and reading
room.
Working among her flowers has
always been q charming role for
woman. What Is more feminine
than for a nuinber of women to go
out and make a be.autifnl flower
garden for their city, to sht,,re 'heir
posies with the people who hav~
pona of thair owp7
The Columbian of Boise City,
Idaho, distributed small packages
Of seed among the school children
to encourage them to learn the
pure joys Of planting and tending
and harvesting. Boise owes its
circulating library and free reading
room to these women, and verify
they have found favor with the
lords of their city, for they are al
lowed to hold their meeting in the
council chamber.
A number Of Minnesota clubs
open their rooms on market days
TO farmers wives and children,
who are glad of comfortable
place to rest after their shopping.
while they wait for their "men
folks"
| would not overlook the noble
effort Of Kentucky club women to
improve the condition Of the NOM
taineers Of their state by travelling
libraries. AT first the people were
suspicious and afraid to use the
books, fearing they were not free,
but members Of the Library com
mittee visited them IN their homes
and reassured them, read to them
and left books in each locality,
trusting that they will not only be
useful to those who can read, but
that they will challenge others to
learn.
The College %omen's clab Of.
New York city, with mem bership
of 200 loans money without inter
est to struggling women students.
The Chicago Woman's club,
m bership about $50, touches the
great ciiy's interests at many
points, through its six departments.
The department of education, for
example, supplements the school
board in various ways, as in cstab-
fishing Fairgrounds and decorat-
ing school rooms, while its .auxili
arv outgrowth, the School Chill
dren's Aid Society. fnrniS cd