The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-03

The Confessions Of a Club Woman
Copyright. 1904.

grew an intimacy that has done more
for me than any other thing.
have we yet found the true secret of
what constitutes tie real benefcence Of
association'-at least, those of us who
oelong to bewildering number of clubs ?''
asked her one day. Isn't there some
golden mean, some way of ENJOYING the
1east OF good things spread for the IN
tellectual palate of the club woman, with
out reaching the point where assimilation
IS an lmpossibility? Where we gorge and
scramble and rush until we arrive at the
end OF the club season, nervous tagged
out and suffering from a mental indiges-
zion that nearly results in club nausea ?'
THE trouble is" she replied, that we
nave TOO many women who look upon the
CLUB merely as the place where one can
see what other women do, what they are
wearing, what is the latest way of do
ins up the hair, or mayhap, If there will
pe scrap They do not feel
mat the club is real vital in
terest IN their lives, nor that it
entails upon members any responsibility
whatever. And if there be women
VINO take more serious view of things
50 serious, in fact as to lead them to
stand on their feet and fight a wordv war
! LOT their convictions, then these fence
| sltters nave lovely time. And afterward
tney go nome and tell their husbands
all about the scrap between Mrs. A
ana Mrs. b, and he spreads abroad
the idea that womens clubs are only
PAGES where women go to quarrel and
oackplte each other. The club to them
is only series Of good times, when thew
go forth to club functions arrayed in gor
geous attire and in search of amusement
only. They are those who shirk duty by
leaving 1t to those who like work, and
act as club sponges to soak up the waters
OF gladness set running by the untiring
efforts Of Others"
There should be a new beatitude," I
SAID. Blessed be the woman who be-
longs to one active club only, for to her
accrueth the benefits Of association with
out multitude Of distractions. In Eu-
rope there are retreats where the oye--
worked and over-entreated can retire for
contemplation and real repose. No call
ers are allowed to see the fugitives who
!, place themselves in retreat. Thew are
not disturbed by bills, death notices, in
v1tat1ons or demands of any kind. It Is
as good as being dead without the uncer-
tatnty regarding that state or its irrevoc-
ableness. Your ideal clubwoman would
be worth knowing" added. I'D like
to meet her.
new Madonna Of the Chair.
There are SUCH" she said, INV idea,
looks upon life calmly and with a large
ness of vision incomprehensible to those
, who are pleased to think of themselye:
as so sensitive Social sights, domes
tic Whirlw1nds, snubs and stings which
: keep other women in constant agitation
:: are met with smiling 1mperturbability
that Is wonderful. Some of us are con
tent to call her a saint, others thinl
her a whitened sepulchre of deceit anc
tho, fr0vH bod
: we do not realize what it means to b,
lifted from or to grow out of that sensi
tiveness which is too often self1shness
!, The truth u.s. she has the secret Of grace.
, full living. She has learned to close hel
r eyes to unpleasant things that cannot b,
Il helped; to close her ears to words tina
, insidiously steal away ones peace O
r mind. Outside influences are not above,
to canker her soul or disturb the serenit,
, of everyday life; she is habitually a
, peace with herself. Consequently, he
mind keeps its healthy tone, her attitud.
t is calm and benefcent, her eye is clear
and her skin is free from wrinkles. sh
4 has discovered how to grow old grace
J fully, and so she keeps young
There might be classes established
for the teaching Of self-poise to all tn,
j wrangling women, all the sensitive wo
r men, all the over-ambitious women, al
} the selfish women in the clubs.'
r laughed. II am sure I would join" Blu
. she did not even smile.
I 1--WE all go cropping and stumbling along
jostling roughly against the very one
we fain would help, If we only realized
how" she said. There are souls clos,
beside us crying out in the dark for tn
= very help we can give, but we seldom
g heed them; and these self same souls hav
some message for us which we as con
l stantly miss. The singing together of tn
y morning stars is not a fable, not parable
i. but statement Of fact, of the harmoni
:. Gus unity, Of the Wilderness Of the divin
. creative plan. The al1-around perfec
;, club woman is, after all, only the all
= around perfectly developed woman"
~ 1.-THE End