The sun., 1909-11-07
MRS. BELMONT'S GIRL DREAMS
DAUGHTERS DIDN'T COUNT IN
THOSE PRESUFFRAGE DAYS.

She Planned TO Live In the Reelected Glory
~ Her Husband and Sous-Whlch I
Hope You Don't, she Tells school
girIs-They All EspOuso the Cause.
,,rs. Oliver H. p. Belmont talked TO
the girls OF the Wadleigh High School
Suffrage League yesterday afternoon
IN her reception room at sos Fifth avenue
and made such a deep impression upon
them that they not only gave her half q
dozen rounds OF applause but voted all
sorts Of time and money for the Cause.
Afuer explaining to the youthful fighters
tor franchise that they had received much
kindness from their parents and an edu-
cation from the State and that they ought
70 be grateful for il ell Mrs. Belmont con-
hded to them some facts about her own
girlhood.
when I was about your age" she
said Il used to spend a good deal Of my
time dreaming about what 1 hope you
don't give so much attention to. used
to picture to myself that when I was
really grown up should be tho wife Of
very great man. My future husband
represented to me some powerful per-
sonage who should be leader anon g
men,
Then l thought i should like TO have
nqmIer N S.son q sons One OF xs them ,ed
under his pulpit and listening to his elo-
otent discourse. Another son OF mine,
as planned it all, was to be a great
explorer and discover the north pole.
A third wanted to be a great ply ysician.
II was kmy. ambition that he should dis-
cover a cure for tuberculosis.
Il didn't think anything about having
any daughters In those days women
didn't count for very much In the wor r
Of the world. 1 never thought about
doing anything for humanity myself
or OF writing any books or painting pio-
tures or making myself famous IN any
way. All | wanted in my most am BIZ
tious moments was to bask in the reflected
glory won by my husband and sons.
4 trust girls, went on Mrs. Belmont.
that you haven't any such idea a. that.
You have received as good an education
as have your brothers. IL 10 your duty
10 do all you can for your country. The
time has come for ms American women
to be- great ourselves, Independently Of
our husbands. We must not sit quietly
10y as We used to do. waiting for some man
TO come along and marry us. Every
woman must take upon herself the re-
sponsibility Of citizenship
The girls believed every word she said.
No one who saw the look on their faces
could doubt it for an instant. II any
proof we're needed. however, Il was
furnished by the response which the
president OF the league. Miss Maud Haas.
met with when she told the members
that each one OF them must bring at
least ten articles for the fish pond which
they are to preside over at tho interburban
fair to be held in the Hotel Martha WASH
ngton the latter part OF this month.
But these girls are doing other things
besides working for fairs. They are
going to act as ushers at the mass meeting
in Carnegie Hall on November II. and
they are rehearsins for q suffrsge play
to be produced under their own auspices
some time in February. Mrs. Belmont
smiled upon them as they made and
seconded and amended and passed
motions. Every one Of them might have
taken two or three Of the regular club
woman's courses in parliamentary Law
and not been a bit moro technical In tho
way OF carrying on the business OF the
day.
Mrs. Ida Hustled Harper told them that
the only thing they had to do to win the
suffrage was 20 convince the men that
all the women wanted il. That wasn't
anything compared to what Susan B.
Anthony and the rest Of tho pioneers
had cheerfully done for tho Cause. she
explained. and she hoped that the third
generation OF sunrAgists. as she called
them, would be so devoted that there
wouldn't have to be any fourth genera
tion. Miss Caroline Crossstt also spoke.