Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-02-25
CHAPTER XI.


mayor, the eloquent words of the gov
ernor, the more serious ones of the college
professor, but they all went to make up
a draught of intoxicating sweetness to
the woman who loves public recognition.
And | sat entranced through all of it,
like a woman who has entered another
world. | remembered, as one will sud
denly recall irrelevant things, the hight /
had first put on an evening bodice, and
sat aloneIby my fireside, hungering for a
broader life. And again ] whispered to
my secret soul:
"This-this is what I was meant for.
This is woman's real life"
Finally, came the end of it all-the
music, the speeches, the adulation, the
intellectual intoXication. The great crowd
rustled and swayed and broke up amid
hand-clapping and applause.
and the color question has not come
up yet" remarked woman in the next
aisle, leaning across to Mrs. Parsons and
the state president, who smiled back in
scrutably and said nothing. But a mo-
tment later the president of the Nota
Benes whispered to me:
Don't tell her; but the Mormon lady
has withdrawn her claims"
"And the colored club" l asked
Declare they will never give up" she
whispered back. Insist that they stand
for principle, and that their position is
one that affects the whole race
do you blame them ?" | asked
"Sh sh-sh," she answered quickly.
Don't say it. Wait and see how the
majority looks at it. That's the safest
way. Of course" she added, IF you come
40 of .rh4 md
Somebody elbowed her from the other
side, and she turned to answer ques-
ton. And that was as near as l came
to the actual views of Mrs. Theodore
Parsons on this subject.
After that there were meetings and
"overfows," and trips to parks and troll
ley rides and carriage drives, and lunch
cons and receptions and entertainments.
Three sessions a day were crowded with
fair delegates, in spite of the more fes-
tive affairs sandwiched everywhere be-
tween, and 1 attended them ALL Is it any
wonder that lost my head?
At the beginning of each session every
newspaper reporter was at her position
with sharpened pencil, eager for story
ON the colored delegate. But so skillfully
did the president general rightly named)
guide her ship of parliamentary state
that the question never came up on the
floor. Indeed, a casual visitor, could she
have been entirely eliminated from all
outside gatherings, would never have
guessed from the placid business sessions
that great issue was seething there.
Minnie Morrison managed outside to
elicit from me every particle of gossip l
heard, but she was wise enough not to be
seen with me, and as she phrased it.
never gave me away" so that l came
and went with a moderately clear con-
science, having learned few lessons in
the art of concealment.
Isn't Mrs. Tompkins Smith the great
est club president that ever lived? ?"
asked Mrs. Parsons of Mrs. Quincy Pal
grave one noon at the table "See how
skilfully she glides over any point where
controversy might creep in. Tell me a
woman has not sufficient tact to manage
a great convention. Why, she's wonder
full"
YES responded Mrs. Palgrave "The
northern women are just burning to get
that one question before the convention.
From my seat in the boxes it is no end
of fun to watch them
''And so are the southerners." retorted
Mrs. Parsons. But they won't succeed.
We sit here and listen to reports of club
work in Montana and Oregon and New
Hampshire and Texas just as if we had
no further excitement i'll life"
Say, rather" broke in, ''you listen to
the report of club work. 1t is always
one and the same thing, whatever state
it halls from. Nine women read it this
morning, and the tenth when / came
away had just got to The club, as fac
tor in women's existence, has come to
stay. Looking back on the work of the
past year, we are filed with both hope
and regret; hope that the future will
lead us on to still greater progress in our
chosen lines of duty, and regret that we
have not better improved the wonderful
opportunities which have fallen to our
lot in the past. We have come to realize
the truth of the poets lines, "A little
knowledge is a dangerous thing" and we
mean to press boldly on until we can
point out to our garnered sheaves and
say: Behold the child of our labors -"
Both ladies laughed.
BE careful how and where you say
that" added Mrs. PalgTave. you'd be
torn limb from limb if you quoted that
publicly"
But to return TO our mutton do YOU
HoJlce, MIS- faIgTaVe turned back to
Mrs. Parsons, another thing? You've
heard that woman from Wyoming move
the previous question when any sign of
discussion appears on the floorf"
ooh. everybody is talking about that"
put in. "The newspapers, too, are max
ing game of it"
"Weil, just you watch the artful Mrs
Tompl1ins-Smith," Mrs. Palgave went
on, "and you'll see that her handkerchief
goes up to her left cheek just before
Madam Wyoming gets in her parliamen-
tary stop-gag."
Mrs. Parsons eyebrows lifted in
peculiar way she had She was one of
those women who hate to be second in
the requirement of an interesting fact
do you mind calling at the Office to