Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-21
WoMEN,S Frs
AS AFFECTED IN ENGLAND By
woMEN's CLUBS.
The Amazing Spread Of the women's
Club Idea and Its Immediate
Influence.


Lady Violet Grevlile. in London Chronicle
Precisely at the moment when mems
clubs are going to decay, when palatial
mansions are closing, subscriptions falling
of and members resigning, womens clubs
are springing up In every direction with
mushreom-like velocity and iGxuriance. 1t
is too early yet to predict the result on
social life of these ventures of their ulti-
mate and enduring success. but at any rate.
they have already effected vast revolution
in woman's existence.
Almost every girl in the middle and upper
classes belongs to some club. either festive,
frivolous. artistic, literary or professional,
Working girls and lazy ladies each have
their club. 1t is difficult nowadays to find
a friend sitting by her fireslde-she is re.
ceiving people at her club, playing bridge
there or visiting her acquaintances. No one
dreams or passing a quiet evening alone;
why, indeed, should they, when they can
read the magazines. talk of other human
beings. play billiards. listen to a pleasans
little orchestra or smoke-in company?
Popularity Of Clubs.
The popularity of clubs increases daily.
and ever new ones are started under more
or less favorable auspices. Some of these
flourish, like the lilies OF the field, for a
brief period only, some go bankrupt, while
others remain rooted steadfastly In favor
able soil. OF these, that handsome edifice
(Which excites the curiosity and amusement
OF the bus driver and his load as they
drive by, and behold weil-dressed women
loiiing In the bow windows in delightful
insouciance) shows the most ffourishing de-
veiopment The premises are costly but
the SUBSCRIPTION Is small and the members
many. The club answers to the wants of
working and professional women, and tho
branch founded In Berlin has met with such
hearty reception and approval that 1t has
even oufErOwn the parent home. This ia
easily understood. It is not a club in the
mans sense OF the word Indeed, 1 doubt
whether any mans club exactly appeals to
women), 1t Is rather glcrifed institute q
meeting place for artists and literary
women, where exhibitions of pictures and
statuary are held. dinners and lunches,
given to celebrated people where concerts
take place, and each member speaks, corre-
spends and associates with the other The
privacy. the quiet, the almost unsocability
Of many mems clubs disappear: a perpetual
va-et-vient. feverish energy. which char-
acteriZes most OF women's work. a constant
strain after novelty and excitement reign
in this club of advanced opinions, and give
an interest to all its doings. Ladies' from
America, Germany and France are well
coined and entertained, and a kind of INTEL
lectual freemaSonr-y encouraged. The club
has a definite aim. and. like any one who
knows what he wants and pursues 1t stead-
iiy, IL IidS dClllcfGu Tie utSlTSu SuCCtSS.
Aim Of Clubs.
Other cubs have other aims or none at
all, but the measure of their success lies
with the definiteness of their object In one,
bridge playing, dining orchestras and gos-
sip play a considerable part, in another,
more serious tastes prevail lectures, reci-
tations and music form the attraction,
others, again, are merely cheap and con-
venient resorts for country folk wishing
to deposit parcels and receive letters. One
club is decidedly religious in it's tendencies,
and holds prayer meetings periodically, an
other is confined to motoring members. and
SO on. Only few of the clubs are finan-
ciaIly prosperous but these seem destined
to remain permanently.
When asks, What is the effect on
womenS characters of these new inStitu-
tfons? one is almost puzzled to answer.
That they have practically destroyed home
life Is, / think, pretty certain The aver
age womans mind, from habit and educa-
ton, Is not as well balanced as that of a
man who has undergone the ordeal of the
public school, and whereas club life, ex-
cept In the case of the idle old bachelor,
only fills small part of a mans existence,
1t bids fair with women TO monopolize all
their spare time. There exist women who
lounge all day in their club, pick up FASH
ion paper for a few minutes, read line or
two then drop 1t; who sit at the card
table from luncheon till dinner, from din
ner till bedtime Gin some clubs the closing
told her friend that she never tired OF
bridge. and could play all day, but if by
chance game was not TO be had, she
would go to one of the big stores and find
her pleasure In strolling about and looking
at dress and finery. What an existence
for an intelligent human beingi
Gossip.
Some women write all their letters in
the public room, which is an economy, but
leads to great waste of note paper; some
gossip freely about everything and every
body, finding permanent amusement In
criticising the members and their ways.
Club life encourages gossip, often lima
tured idleness, selfshness and want or
order 1t is extraordinary to see the habits
OF well-bred and delicatey nurtured women
who pitch newspapers on to the floor when
they have done with them, sit on them,
crushed up under the sofa cushions, chuck
their torn-up letters on the table instead
of into the waste-paper basket, lie about
on sofas with their feet up talk In the sl-
lence room, and secure, whenever they can,
the best armchair or the cosiest corner
near the fire place. One hears dark stories.
too, of the want of honor among members
of the disappearance of property, FUR boas.
purses or umbrellas left unguarded on
chairs and tables, of petty spite and lima
tured behavior. The fact Is women nave
not yet learned the art of cooperation, OF
esprit de corps; each woman llVes TOT hSl
self and her own interests and ignores ths
welfare of the community. Possibly ciuo
life may induce the sense of altrulsm now
wanting, owing perhaps, to the narrow
ness of women's lives, and give them the
yirile qualities of men, but at present theFe
is not much sign of 1t.
Clubs are vehicle for pretty dress, firta"
ton and designations, which can be SO
much more easily arranged there than at
home. 1t gives the stranger someWnat "
shock on his first entrance TO see a
pretty woman paying her male guests bll
and ordering wine and liqueurs for his con,
sumption. Men always appear shy any
consfrained in women's clubs; but no doubt
as time goes ON that timidity Will wear ola
Four Mile-Run Overfiows Banks
Four Mile run. in Alexandria county, Va.'