Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-23
THE CLUBS SPRING MEETING


 Mrs Periwinkle's club had arranged spring program for its first April meeting. But Mrs Jenkins, who was scheduled to write the original poem, had a houseful of paper-hangers at that time, so the day was set three weeks along. That brought it to the annual May moving time, so that the date was changed again. Things be- gan to look more suspicious. Then Mrs Wilkins, at whose house they were to meet the following afternoon call ed up the members and tearfully ex- plained over the safe distance or the telephone that the little Wilkinses had come down with the measles, Whereat each mother in Mrs PeriWinkle's club ran to fold her own darlings to her bosom and thank fate that the little Wilkinses had developed their malady in time for the doctor to sound warn ing.
 Mrs Griggs offered to entertain the club, although as she murmured, it was really Mrs Higby's turn. But Mrs Higbie, with admirable self pos session, ignored the hint, so that the ladies finally found themselves assem> bling in Mrs Griggs' charming library on the long heralded afternoon.
 Even the weather was cruelty in- considerate. Instead of springing daI- sies, soft winds (with long 'i') leap ing lambkins and twittering birds, 9 chill northeast wind (with short ''i'o sent each lady to Mrs Griggs with a blue nose, disheyeled hair and stout calf boots besmeared with. mud. As for lambkins and birds, Fall any one saw of them was in the form of stiffened carcasses swinging doleful- ly before the. butchers on the next cor her.
 The hour to begin was 2. Half-past 2 saw five ladies shivering before Mrs Grigg's log fire, while the frequent tim kle of the telephone bell explained the non-apearance of the other two-score members, tonsilitis, calciminers, unex. pected visitors, collicky babies and dis porting cooks being among the req sons assigned. At o'clock it was de- cided to begin. and the members led off by reciting quotations on the fair young spring. It is needless to say that there were the usual raptures over gentle skies and messy banks, but some of the women had the grace to look silly while offering their con- tributions. The essay on Spring. read hoarsely by a stout lady i'll 9 plaid gown and with red flannel about her throat, was a relief, dealing as 1t did with such unexpected features as signs of the zodiac, equinoctia1 evo1u- tions of the planets, the ides of March and such weighty accessories. Still the members sighed when 1t was found that the lady who was to have warbled at this point on the smiles and joys of the years second season was at home nursing and influenza racked husband, while. the lady who had been assigned to woo the Spring Song from Mrs Griggs' new baby grand pointed to her arm in a sling and murmured something about brok- en stepladders. The reading of "The Queen of the May brought them to the end, and the women snuggled into their furs and scurried homeward.
 T felt so sorry for poor Mrs Griggs.' declared Mrs Periwinkle, while enter taining her husband at dinner that night with recital of the days hap- penings. "She tried to have the lunch appropriate. you see, so she served cresse and ice-cold whipped cream and candied violets and pink frappe With rose leaves floating in it. We Were so blue and cold we couldn't eat a bite. Please give me some more of that roast beef, dear.''
 would suggest" remarked Mir PerlWinkle, "that you Chicago club women celebrate your spring festivals III august next year-Chicago News.