The sun., 1902-12-18
SHOCK TO TIE ECLECTIC CLUB,
WHICH NEVER, NEVER TELLS AT
HONE WHAT 1T HEARS,
And Now q woman Lecturer With Inter.
esting Views on Divorce Let the News.
papers Print 'Em-Her Paper Barred
Out and One Like IL substituted

papers Print 'Em-Her Paper Barred
Out and One Like Ii Substituted.
The Eclectic Club, an organization COM
posed OF about 100 women who meet twice
a month and read and listen TO papers on
subjects interesting to femininity. got into
terrible stew yesterday because Mrs.
Elizabeth Bacon Walling. a professional
lecturer. who was to deliver an address on
The Marital Unrest, had given a copy OF
her paper to the newspapers, and one OF
them had printed it in advance.
The club never, never lets the newspapers
print anything that happens within It's
doors, and when this paper. which dealt
rather broadly Chats how the Eclectics
put it) with the divorce question. appeared
prematurely yesterday morning fine row
developed. Mrs. wall!ng was not allowed
to read the paper. 1t would give them
notoriety, the members said. So she SUBJ
stituted one on Shakespeare a. a Lover
and Husband The new paper gave the
club almost as delicious a shock as the other,
but then it hadn't been printed
Mrs. Walling Is nervous little woman,
who lives with her husband He is a lawyer
at 81 Fifth avenue. She was engaged by
DR.. Anna Donahue, chairman Of the Eclectic
Clubs literary committee, some time ago to
read paper on The Marital Unrest
befo ore the club.
Mrs Donahue read the paper first, and
marked 1t 20. k Then Mrs. walling
thought all settled and memorized II. But
no one told her that the club was very ex-
elusive and that even the husbands Of the
members were never allowed to know what
al, IL s.hg hgx1 G.
Of -The Marital Unrest with her photo
graph to all the newspapers. and one OF them
printed both ahead OF time.
My said one man, after reading II,
that's got Mary MacLane beat to a stand
STILL
When the club members read that par
ticular newspaper this is what caught their
eyes:
The closeness and "a meness Of association
" our mapsse rs,o1:sps cause Of
IN orrs and fi ay rem
rSson. nio divinity eT. n ysshy Of snS
ointments and horned with curl papers.
forgets that the poetry Of Inarrlags some
% elusive hS *. De Gsscaiy psa q
lsnsxsd ; fidor "a are al settled down % 'he ca Im
Sntrsd. ch string Is played. every aeiisht sls
the sensibilities sated. ali things fsil to os a
The benehcen work Of that happiest Of
false economic position OF woman. and the
misfortune to the innocent offspring OF the
op waH are horn s,:,
at some equitable social arrangement which
provides for the woman and children that,
prescribed rule and con ention. the heart can
% 81 ideal oYe dp the unrest and
The club members gasped. Such thing
was all right for private discussion. but to
have the public read and criticise! Then
came these extracts, which were considered
equally improper for husbands to read;
Whenever society hears that Marnaduke
they do not love each other, are not suited
s .sssd ssa II S.er: FS:y
than it is unrea sohabe and Idle. ~ '0''''
of the century nor an evil % outSrowth II oi ph rishs
World bean viz the sex Y 1ha have 3: esls ny
Not quite ideal could have been the SG connuSisi
bliss OF .Potiphars wife, from whose Yanton
TSuHssG shs a sSsdx Ss lands :d Yi S
temptress Ris Inflated garments. T Thi. n mari. ri
"a s. Shp9snss SS1. the ss *, e
, before , the ,usly Buc.l!as HIN and hsf %ir.oS.
0q Is argued sn our diSo4Ss only
breed conjugal discomfort. how is II that this
unhappy complaint Is 80 prevalent in south
righteous pride, enjoys the unfadins Glory
e nS, hsyins srsntsS snsS aycTSs since sSs
ins glory OF being the only state in S The Union
that is obliged to make special property laws
for the heirs OF concubinage.
The meeting at which the Eclectics were
to reyel in this was scheduled to be held
at Delmonico's at noon. Before that hour
every club member was in her place, though
Mrs. Walling was not yet present and on
every side could be heard such remarks as:
OF course not She mustn't deliver It,
that's all, and What would my husband
4 special business meeting was called,
that the club was opposed to hearing
the paper. No reasons were given, but
the %esn sys5y Sns kHsw hs%
Dore Lyon, the president All but three
courageous members joined In the chorus
The same three voted against the motion
when II was put to a vote and carried.
BOON aIeTWdTu MTs, WdHnR appeared
She approached knot Of women In the hall
outside tho meeting room and said
I'm Mrs. Walling who IL to lecture be-
fore the Eclectic Club. Will you please tell
me where The meeting Is TO be held?"
Mrs. Charles b. Trumbull. who is chair
man OF the Press Committee, did the talk
ing for the club,
I'VE regret" she said, that the club has
voted not TO hear the paper on The Marital
Unrest. The paper WAS all right. you
know. We accepted IL. II was on delicate
subject and one capable OF misconstruction,
but II was what the ladies wanted TO hear
Your fault has been in publishing it, We
are married women-most Of us-and we
represent the citys best families We
stand for no public expression of opinion
on any subject-much. less the divorce
question
Mrs. Walling tried to explain that abe
had meant no harm. but the Eclectics
showed that they were deeply hurt. She
was about to 60 when DR.. Donahue told her
that she might speak on another subject
II she wished.
Mrs. Walling promptly jumped into a
cab and rushed home for another manu-
script. She returned with Shakespeare
as Lover and a Husband Here are
some extracts:
In the biography OF no other post do curl
osity and fancy, garrulous tradition and
vulgar malice md expression In stories 80