The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-11-26
LONDON news OF
INTEREST TO WOMEN
Remarkable Project Of a Young
Girl Founding an inter-
national Club.
FOR WOMEN OF LETTERS
Miss Constance Smiley Is the Promoter
Of the scheme-An American Liz
erary Woman Coming to Or
sanize Branch in New York.

pa 5#YHHE #@#E
London special: A unique club for
women has been organized SO quietly
in London that this is practically the
hrst word that has been said about 1t
In print. 1t is to be a big affair, with
international connections, and with
money enough already guaranteed to
enable it to do things on a large scale
from the start.
The object Of the Lyceum club, as 1t
is to be called, is to bring literary
ONE and university women the
world over into touch with one anoth-
ter. Such writer's as Mrs. Humphrey
Ward, John Oliver Hobbies (Mrs. Graf
gie), Flora Annie Steel. Lucas Malet,
Beatrice Harraden, Mrs. Meynell, Mrs.
w. e. Clifford and Miss Rhoda-
Broughton are members of the club
Newman and Girton at Cambridge
are taking up the scheme. 1t is I'M
{ derstood that 150 women with scien-
ttflc degrees will come into the new
Asclub. and the long established Writer'S
club of London, with Its 500 members.
is planning to merge itself in the Ly-
ceum.6
Lady Frances Balfour, sister of the
duke of Argyle, and hence sister-in-
law Of Princess Louise, King Edwards
sister, has heartily given her support
to the Lyceum and will bring with her
alarge element of radical women. Lady
Frances, who does not agree in poll
prime minister of England, is an ar
dent woma suffragist. but, 50 far as
I can discover, the club will have
nothing to do with politics. or any 9TH
er cause. Others actively working are
Lady Battersea (of the Rothschild
family, Mrs. Paget Toynbee, wife Of
he famous Dante authority, and her
self the editor of the Forthcoming
Clarendon Press edition of the Horace
Walpole letters; Miss Elizabeth Mar
bury, the countess di Brazil, formerly
Miss Cora Slocumb of New Orleans,
n Mrs. Alfred Stead, formerly Miss
Elaine Hussey of Indianapolis, daugh-
ter-in-law OF w. T. Stead.
These ladies are to purchase a house
In the heart Of London, with as many
bedrooms as a large hotel, to give
members in all parts of the world a
stopping place in London, and to pro-
vide permanent residence for those
who live in Londo and want to make
the club their home.
In addition, they propose to keep men,
bers in touch with active literary life by
means Of an information bureau which
has been thought out on original lines.
A member of the Lyceu1n who lives, for
instance, in California and wants to sell
a manuscript in London will be advised
as to the best person to send it to. If
she writes a book and wants 1t translated
into French and published in Paris, she
will be given the addresses of translator
and publisher. Museums and libraries all
over the continent VIII cooperate with
the club SO thai through 1T the California
member can get research work done. or
If she wants to come abroad and do it
herself, She will be given the proper in
Productions to curators of institutions
where her study is to be done. This in
formation bureau has been most infinitely
planned and will include such less learned
branches as theaters, concerts, lectures.
shops and current matters.
The Lyeeum, like all English women,s
Clue. has one radical difference from the
American club. Its embe will not
meet! Ihey VIII not discuss-that is. as
a body congregation assembled. They
will merely have a comfortable place to
live in and practical help with such In
teIlectilal practical work as they are en-
gagged m.
The founder of this club is a 23-year-
old girl, Miss Constance Smedley, author
of AN April Princess' and 1.-THE Roudoir
Critic. and of several plays purchased
by Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Miss Snned-
ley was moved with sympathy for the
inniiTleraGla> women wI.,ers of London
who had no really comfortable homes.
It seemed to Miss Smedley that the whole
statussof writing women would be. raised
- - SutS '1S EiRSH IL CAuD as beautiful
and complete as the most fashionable club
nsLondon. little while later. some of
this young lady's rich friends came for
ward and provided her with almost lim-
ttless capital for the forwarding Of her
scheme. The members take no financial
risks whatever. IL is Miss Smedley's de-
Termination to max the club rich enough
for the richest women who may wish 10
live there, and vet by obtaining a large
membership. to make rates cheap enough
for the most modest writer.
X As representative of the English com
mittee Miss Jessie Trimble, as secretary
pro tenn, will sail for America o to
organize the club IN the United States.
Literary and educational women of Amer
lea have already been approached, and a
committee of which they will be members
Is shortly to be anouIced,
Miss Trimble has done newspaperswork
IN London for TIVE years and a half. Be-
Tore coming abroad she was with Chatta-
pessSa and ctssinfiat n papers. and imme-