The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-22
The Rushing in Of Fools.

the club women.]
/ The Kingston Woman'S club was in
session and the president leaned back
in her chair and sighed with relief as
she saw the approach of recess, for she
| had Just won the last of many hard
| battles and she was a little weary after
| the fray. During the recess and the
/ musicale which followed, and even as
| she bade her co-workerS goodby, and.
| entering her carriage, drove slowly
! home, she still remained quietly thought
| full as if in a dream
| II feel so queer-so depressed. and a
| foreboding of some unknown evil seems
| to hang over me: yet / know am right,
perfectly right she unused, as she
reached her room and sank into a chair
| before the fire. ''Ah, there's SaVille;
will change my gown and have her
come up here and we will have a nice
! long evening together"
| She had risen at the sound of opening
| doors and a merry, soft voice and light
| footsteps in the halls below. Presently
! the arrangements for coy hour were
| perfected and the mother and daughter
were sitting near the little table, which
! was supplied to suit the tastes of two
dainty, gentle-nurtured women.
Now L will tell you all about the
work done today, as your guest kept
you from attending, and 1 want to talk
| over some points with you, my darling
| grille" began the older woman.
All right, mamma; know next TO
| my own silly self that woman's club is
| the dearest thing on earth to you, but
/ really 1 was not sorry to be absent from
| the business and debating session to-
| day, for to me it's all tiresome. and L
am not a born leader. as you are re-
turned the pretty, fair girl, with sun
/ ny smile. Her mother sighed.
mo, you are more soft and clinging,
/ and while it is nice to have such an af-
| fectionate, dutiful child, still L wish you
We're more ambitious. Why, at your
| age L was president of a young ladies'
| literary society and leader and
"Chief cook and bottle washer. mamma.
| dear, in the Kingston Womans club
! since it's birth, and it does you great
/ credit" interrupted the daughter gay
| ly.
Yes; I thought today as I sat and
| looked over the large audience room
/ and could see the reception room, the
| library, the studios, and other apart
mentS between curtains and half-open-
| ed doors that it was all different from
! the little dingy hall where first met,
| or even the stuffy old-fashioned parlors
| We occupied later on. 1 have worked
| and thought almost night and day for
| over twenty years to build up a club
| that would be a credit to the city and
| to the SEX and =
And you have succeeded Mamsie,
dear; there isn't a doubt of that-but
| tell me what was the fight about to-
| day."
| month before you left school L wrote
/ you that L had made the acquaintance
| of the mistress of that elegant new
mansion out in the Lake district, known
i as Magnolia Grover"
| Yes you said they were wealthy.
| that is, the lady was a widow with a
| grown son and daughter, that they
| were from New Orleans, and highly cul-
tured-most desirable acquaintance"
| And so they are; that is, the mother
and daughter are simply perfect in APP
! pearance and manners the son is travel
| ing in Europe, but they expect him
! home in a few weeks, and from the ac-
| counts of his standing in social circles
| over there, especially in Paris, he is a.
| most talented Thew
| all musical and Mrs. DalrymDle does
| the most exquisite art embroidery and
| painting. She speaks French, Italian
| and German, and reads Greek and
! Latin, and is an addition that any so
| ciety might long to gain, and then to
! think that some of those women who
| would dare to oppose her name as
| member to our club
But why? On what grounds, mann
ma?"
20, the most narrow, un-Christianlika
! pretext you ever heard Mrs. Living
ston, the nasty cat, has friends in New
| Orleans and she wrote to them, making
| inquiries about the Dalrymples and 1t
seems that spiteful people down there
| whisper that there is a drop or two of
| negro blood in the family, and so they
| are called 'niggers' and ostracized from
| good society in the SOUTH
That's cruel. They cannot help their
| color. Do they look as if they had ne
| gro bloOd?'' asked the young girl.
| No; that is since [ heard the report,
| I have noticed blush tint around the
finger nails, and Mrs. D. hair is a CLOS
sy black and wavy, though not at all
| kinkly and even if she and her daugh-
| ter did show the darker race in their
| skins L should still keep my position.
| It's time this color line was broken
| down God made us all children of one
| great family, and he is no reSpecter of
| persons, so how can we shut out such
sweet, refined women as Mrs. Dalrym-
pie from our clubs lust because some
ancestor generations ago was a poor
slave that cruel white men had stolen
| from her native land?"
1t doesn't sound fair at all. and
wonder at women who profess to be
! Christians bringing up such objections.
1 for one shall be glad to meet these new
friends of yours returned the daughter
sWeetly.
THAT is Just like my own dear little
girl who never opposed me in her life
Now, have arranged for a theater par
| ty with the Dalrymples and you are in
cluded, and l intend to show Kingston
society that 1 am loyal to my convic
lions, and not ashamed of a woman
whom it is delight to honor.
The above sketch shows the stand of
Mrs. Baxter Dare, a prominent club
woman in a prosperous northern town
DalrympleS during her own daughter
absence at an eastern school and now
| proceeded to carry out her plan of a
| closer friendship and protection of those
whom she considered prosecuted
through race prejudice. If the mother
was an equal at her club, the daughter
was fit friend for her own pretty CIR
| lie and they soon became quite intimate
and the two young girls rather prided
themselves on their own warm friend
ship and took delight in parading their
affection by appearing in public togetls-
er as often as an occasion presented it
SELF
Time flew by and the son and brother
from across the sea returned home, and
hon oil oft ha n
| Mrs Dare'S daughter passed into the
keeping of this handsome hero. Indeed
his 1.-THE young form and gentle grace
would have attracted any artistic ma
| tire. but added to that We're pair OF