The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-26
SOCIETY
WoMAll.s cLla MEETINo.
TaiIys ~ Mrs Sarah Plat Decker q,
the old Woman and the

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opened Is. the Woman's Club Of chaai
tauaus wednesday morning with an
address by Mrs. Sarah Plat Decker
president Of the General Federation Of
Women,s clubs Of America, who at the
conclusion Of her talk on The Old
Woman and the New Club introduced
several general feds arion oficers;
Mrs Brumhsll, chairman Of the library
committee Of the general federation;
Miss Louise Graham, editor Of Club
Notes and a member Of the literary
committee Of the federation; and Mrs
w. B. Orr Of Ohio member of the
board Of directors and trustee Of the
western College of Oxford, Ohio.
Mrs. Buchwalter. president Of the.
Ohio federation, and Mrs. Robert Alex:
ander, regeA. Of the chautauqua chai:I
ter Of the D. A. R., were also intro
duced.
In her address, Mrs. Decker discus.-
ed the ideals presented to women 3y
the club and its value as a mental and
spiritual tonic, Illustrating her re:
marks with many felicitous stories.
at always feel like an lmposter when
I get up to make public speech" she
said in opening. az am like the dar.
key preacher that had been prach-
ing for a number of years but refused
TO be ordained and when asked why
would say:
az amt a preacher. Use a exhor-
ter. A preacher he have to TAX tex
and stick pretty close to it. But a
exhorter he kin branch"
However Mrs. Decker did stick
pretty close to her text which was
that the woman's club of to-day is Of
inestimable advantage to society, and
to the individual woman both in her
Independent life and in her relation to
the family, the State, and the nation.
She expressed her belief in the un-
changeabillty of woman's nature and
said that the time would never come
when the Importance of her home du.
ties would be undervalued because Of
her club work. Club life, she said,
would bring no change in the marriage
relation except in charging the out
look of the wife and placing her on
the same mental plane with her hus.
band, making their interests identi.
cal rather than dlssimilar. "Motner.
hood she said, as called womans
best ideal" but should IT be her only
ideal? Woman is capable Of being not
only mother but much more than
mother and when her children are
no longer children it is sad If she mas
lost the power to be the companion
of her husband, sons, and brothers.
My hope Of the, goth century women
is that she viii learn to look on home
as men do, not centerlng in 1t ner ex.
elusive interest but regarding the fam.
lily as part of the larger life of the ma.
ton.
The dinner table, she said, should
be sort of Chautauqua Home Circle
for the discussion of topics of inter
est to the world and not confined TO
complaints about domestic mishaps.
A strong plea against absorption in
triyalties was made, quoting Edmund
Russell's saying that he had often
gone down town on the car with a wo.
man VINO had piece of broken china
in her face and that he had longed to
remove the smashed teacup.
In the opportunity 1t gives for
knowledge Of life, for interest in hu,
mainly. and wider view of social con.
ditions, the club affords escape from
the narrow details of domestic life
and gives new food for thought and
conversation. The accusation that
women's clubs are centers of gossip,
Mrs. Decker declared to be unjust.
1--WE don't have time to gossip" sae
said. 81 made the statement at fed
Grafton meeting in Georgia" she con.
tinued, that had yet to hear an TN.
kind word of another woman or a bit
of gossip at a woman's club, and anil
old lady who didn't approve of clubs
replied, Then Il is because all the
women you have associated with are
DONE
"There is no such thing as the new
woman about whom we hear so much "
said Mrs: Decker, "but the old NO.
man has learned the way Of fife
through the new club. 1t has made
possible between women that camara.
derIe that mas always existed among
men. Through it we have learned to
know each other and it has become q
means for unity in good work and up
lifting service. 1t brings only this
change in the home life that it draws
us nearer to our husbands, sons, AMI
brothers. Not that we wish to take