The San Francisco call., 1903-12-14

The women's clubs have never before
been so busy as at the present hour.
Busy at what?" asks the cynic. Gath
sring gossip" Deluded sir. could you
but drop into a few clubrooms on their
busy days you would be enlightened
upon that score-that is, if you be of
the type Of man that light enlightens.
While il is true that few knockers"
are 10 be found in women's clubs, even
as in your own. you viii find the cheer
ful booster" largely predominating.
Nor are the reasons therefor hard to
run down. The desire for popularity
produceth many reformations, and
since the booster" is better company
infinitely more cheerful and agreeable
II is wiser as we'll as nobIer TO enlist
under the boosters banner. Thus
is the club gossip quite an extinct ami
mal-and here's 20 her passing. May
she rest in peace, And let Us hope that
the society gossip may soon follow in
her winged flight. Since a goodly part
Of society" is connected with clubdom,
il is not a vain hope that the gossip
viii some day be eliminated from the
smart set as z violator OF the precepts
OF good form"
But the reason Of reasons-the pre-
eminent cause OF the passing Of the
gossip-is the fact that the clubs, from
their different careers, offer so many in
teresting topics for thought and speech.
There is the literary cluD. wherein the
social feature figures prominently, such
as the Press, Laurel Hall. Irving, Con
temporary, Mills, Clionian, Wimsdau-
sis. Corona, Century. Sorosis. Forum
and the PhilOmath. Then there are
those wherein the matter Of birth
brings the club into being. These or
ganizations commingle historic interests
with social pleasures, and Of these we
have the Colonial Danes, the Daugh-
ters Of the American Revolution, the
Pioneer Daughters. Daughters of the
Confederscy. and closely allied to them
are the Pioneer Women. they who came
TO California prior TO IS, and the aux
iliary Of Pioneer Women. composed of
the wives Of pioneers. those hardy old
Argonsuts who builded much better
than they knew.
Prominent in a class of clubs repre-
senting a broad and abiding interest
in things here below. and wherein spe-
cial development differentiates it from
others, are the Spinners, Keramic.
Sketch. Twentieth Century and the gay
Papyrus, where wit aboundeth and
the story teller groweth apace.
Then We have a vast array Of clubs
that do things" and at the head
stands the California. So big had il
grown. and so diversified its interests.
that il segregated itself into three de-
artments-education. social science.
and civics - and these were subse-
quently divided into fourteen sec
tions. And thus it became possible for
the smaller bodies TO effect the remark
able work that to-day stands TO the
credit OF the club. To this class also
belongs the California Landmarks
League, the Outdoor Art League, and
the Worthy Settlement Club, and
few others that are working quietly.
And still another group remains,
whose mission is essentially to dispel
sorrow-it is needless to say they find
much to keep them busy. They COM
prise the Doctors Daughters. the aux
iliaries TO the various hospitals, and,
last but not least. the blessed little
Alden Club, whose annals illustrate the
potency Of little tokens and CHEEKY
words TO lift the burdens Of the heavy
laden.
With all these vital things to talk
about, do you wonder that the kneH
Of the gossip has rung? OF course men,
a !. :.