The San Francisco call., 1903-12-30
CLUB WOMEN
ENJOY SATIRE
BY A MEMBER

to affirm that women don't know a joke
have been forcibly hailed before the
California Club yesterday to hear the
clever satire written by member and
produced by members, and then been
hidden to forever hold his peace. And
that satire satirized the very members
of the club. Now, what cleverer thing
than that could a mans club do? And
no one got mad, either.
The play was written by Miss Ruth
Comfort Mitchell to celebrate the sixth
birthday of the club, and the parts
were cleverly taken by Mrs. Arthur
Cornwall, Miss Susanne Patch, Miss
Laura Music, Mrs Horace Coffin, Mrs
w. l. Marion, Mrs. Emil Pohli, Miss
Emile Kalisher' and Miss Rodney Ken
drick.
Now, of that bright galaxy of stars
Mrs. Cornwall as the clinging, confid-
ing wife, and Miss Susanne Patch as
the little but mighty husband made
good"-as the actors say-in a way that
made glad the hearts of those who were
lucky enough to be there.
The programme opened with an ad-
dress of the founders by Mrs. j. j.
Scoville, after which the play that has
been practiced in star chamber session
for weeks became a thing of publicity.
Miss Patch whose tiny frame fitted
deftly into a boys frock coat, assumed
astonishing dignity by the annexation
of a pair of Dundreary whiskers and
a pompous wig; he was loved "horrf-
bly, Gas the smart set say) by his wife,
who was impersonated by Mrs. Corn
wall Now Mrs. Cornwall has never
been classed among the fragile mem
bers of the club and in her clinging
gown and stunning hat looked as
though she might put "Alpheus" in her
hip pocket. But she didn't. She loved
Alpheus dearly and leaned on him fig
uratively-yes and literally. Poor AL
pheus! Alpheus didn't believe in suf-
frage; neither did she, because he
didn't
So proud of Alpheus was his Miner
van mate that she loved to hear him
recite that dainty little poem that
Uncle George Bromley renders so
touchingly, Jingle, Jangle, When the
Cows Come Home
Mrs Rodney Kendrick was the lady
with a bill to get through. Her bill
was a measure for the protection of
larks. She had interviews with several
solons of Sacramento in regard to 1t,
and among them Senator Shortridge
declared outright in favor of the meas
ure-because he liked 'larks;" and the
bill became a law, reading Farmers
are henceforth compelled to plant such
seeds as. will agree with larks"
This is but a sample of the satires
thrust upon the misguided efforts of
the women of the club, and they
brought a merry laugh from those they
hit the hardest.
The play over, the members ad-
journed to the tea room, where dainty
tables were spread, and in quaffs of
thinner things than obtain in mems
clubs many merry toasts were given.
Mrs. George Law Smith, the charming
hostess of the day replied to the toast,
THE Founders" In it she congratu-
lated the twenty-seyen ladies with pos
sessing the prolific progeny of 450 Mrs.
Aaron Schloss responded to Our Pres
ident;" Mrs. Hertz, THE Press" DR..
Minerva Kibbe, our Husbands" Mrs.
Madden, THE Play and Players" Mrs.
Mariner Campbell Music" Mrs. j.
w. Orr, Ourselves"
Mrs. Bates covered herself with glory
as toastmistress, contributing much to
the programme by her clever repartee.
Altogether the affair stands pre-emi-
nently the finest thing ever done by the
California Club, and in consequence a
love feast fittingly followed