The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-28

1 was talking tho Otncr DAY WIKI a
party who had been down in Eastern
North Carolina and It seemed that IN
one OF tho old towns down there the
ed. Many Northern people had been there.
making their annual visits, and they had
thrown some suggestions as to the diff
ference in the old time South and the
rushing North, and one lady in the party
who had lived always in the Southern
town said that when she was girl they
never heard anything OF these new
tangled women clubs-that they used to
have .'dinings'' and that 1t was very
beautiful custom when the neighbors
came In to spend the day; take dinner
and sew or knit or gossip. 1t was per-
haps something on the order OF the old
quilting parties which at one time held
the boards. Anyway the lady In ques-
tlon was very much opposed to the new
Innovation: she declared that pink teas
and all kind of finch parties and small
talk aggregations did nothing for the
cultivation OF taste: had nothing of an
intellectual blend in them, and IT seemed
to her that It was only an attempt to
get crowd together to show off some
cut glass and get write-up in the pap
ers.
Then another woman-a lady OF refine
ment and culture, said that up to a year
ago she was bitterly opposed to the club
life of women: she believed that it
initiated against the home; that 1T often
caused neglect OF household duties and
she had made a solemn vow never TO mix
in the new and strenuous fads of the
present age. But she said she had gone
down to another town; that her husband
was a travelling man. she saw that all
the other women were attending clubs,
that she received several invitations to
Join, and that ono day in an evil mo-
ment as she yet believed, she allowed
her name to be presented and she WAS
of course unanimously chosn, and she
attended the first meeting and rather
enjoyed 1t. Then she was invited to Join
another club and still another and yet
another and that now she belonged TO
six clubs-and really 1t was a most fas-
cinating existence
I wanted to know. and put the aues-
ton to her frankly. IL she didn't think
that in belonging to so many clubs she
neglected her household duties. If she
Didn't think that the time she spent at
the clubs playing finch. drawing pie
lures, reading books and discussing
numerous things. could be more probably
employed with her children. She said that
perhaps It could-but that It was tho
custom for women to Join; that most
all did have two or three clubs and she
thought rather than be a dolt or appear
cranky on the subject she. too, would
be ono OF them. She said she had read
Mr.. Clevelands articles against club life
for women and really believed that what
he said was true.
And then she wanted to know what
~ Ay,fN 1al n
tell her that the woman question was as
old as creation; that Adam had had his
troubles, and most all men since that
day had been up against the proposition.
I told her that didn't want to appear
selfish; didn't want to say that 1t was
proper for men to have their clubs and
their lodges and spend the evenings away
from home; that understood thoroughly
that what was sauce for the goose was
also sauce for tho gander; that 1t never
did appeal to my sense of duty to see the
wife at home working like slave and
the man out drinking dope of one kind
and another, talking politics, getting
hungry and coming home expecting to
find a good meal on the table. And 1t
Doesn't But what I wanted to know was
what is going to become of the home and
the old traditions OF home ties and home
life If tho woman partner Is going to CAD
about all afternoon and the man part
ner is going to spend his evenings Mt
his club or loaf around talking politics.
I tried to explain that because the hus-
band had taken the Initiative; because he
had first discovered the delights OF spend
ing his time away from home, was no
reason, why the woman should do the
same thing only because the husband did
Then she came back at mo with the
proposition that she presumed I figured
1T in the old masculine way, that the wo-
man was the slave; that sire was expected
to live life merely to wait on her lord
and master; that she was n weallngs
whom he had married for convenience,
and that I supposed that a woman didn't
yearn for companionship. &
told her that presumed nothing of
the kind. But did presume that IL i
We're q married man and had n homo
and tho madame proposed TO do her
part. that u toiled all day and came
home at eventide, hungry and weary, 4
would feel much more pleasaa to he
mot with q smile from tile nresidlng elder.