The Republican journal., 1912-02-01

tainment on the platform. The High
School Boys Orchestra gave US some
fine selections, and eight young ladies
came on the stage dressed in sailor cos
tune, holding their paddles, and sang for
US charming canoe song. There were
also two solos and duet finely rendered.
At nine O'Clock the next morning, the
meeting was formally opened by the
splendid Federation song:
20 Pines of Maine, dear Pines of Maine,"
We listened with deep interest to the
address of welcome by Mrs. Atkins,
president of the Dexter club, to the
response by Mrs. Atwood of Bangor and
to the cordial words of greeting by our
Maine State President, Mrs. Plummer,
who presided with admirable dignity.
Some who were expected to give papers
or addresses were not able to be present,
but their papers were read by others.
One on the Scholarship Fund by our ex-
president, Mrs. Flagg, was of special
interest. Mrs. French of Portland, a
talented woman, spoke with her usual
enthusiasm and power. Mrs. Burnham
gave us an entertaining talk on House
hold Economies, Miss Page on the En-
dowment Fund, and Miss Richardson of
Castine on Education. Mrs. Porter of
Old Town. much to our satisfaction and
at our request, brought before the Fed
GRAFTON thu Girls Home of Belfast. She
spoke in her persuasive inimitable fash
ion of the vast amount of good result
ing from the Home and of Mrs. Brack-
ett's interchangeable labors in its behalf.
Her talk aroused much interest.
Mrs. Todd's address and Mrs. Abbott's
were the special features of this mid
winter Federation meeting. Mrs. Alb
bolt of Saco, to whom our Travellers
club had the pleasure of listening last
Spring in Belfast, is member of the Art
committee of the National Federation of
Womens' Clubs. She is an attractive,
able woman, most fascinating speaker.
After an interesting report of the work
of her committee, she said:
We have not as yet fully realized that
art is really thing of utility, that it is
thing OF practical commercial value. A
thing which enters into the happiness
and Well-being of every one and every
OCCUPATION, and that our highest purpose
should he to make the useful things
beautiful.
The pleasure and culture which art ap-
probation gives are commonly thought
to be obtained only by study OF old
masterpieces of painting and sculpture.
We look longingly to far-off museums
and overlook art treasures near home.
Every neighborhood contains some fine
works of art, for art is no respecter OF
persons, but clothes alike the Parthenon
and the humblest object of daily use
with dignity and beauty. 1t determines
the form of beautiful spoon as well as
that of a Gothic cathedral, and the de-
sign and hues of rug as we'll as OF the
of colors on canvas. The
fact is we have art all about us and every
one APPRECIATES it to some degree in
some form.
The time has passed when the easel
picture in it's gilt frame stood for art.
That line of demarkation between the
arts fine and arts not fine has been
erased. In the old days of the great
guilds there was no such line of distinc-
ton. When Lorenzo Ghiberti competed
with Bruneleschi and his associates for
the bronze doors of the Baptistry at
Florence, he did not lack an interested
audience. In that crowd where stood
young Donatello, were the marble cut |
ters and the cathedral pavement makers,
the jewelers. and the leather toolers, the
fresco painters, the wood-carvers, the
armorers and workers at many other |
crafts. All these were people who ap-
preciated the art displayed. Art to them |
was familiar, something that played a
daily part in their business.
We must learn to take art more seri- |
ously. We still treat it as trivial thing.
Generally our people regard it as bit of
upon the real garment of our
as something that can be
considered sufficiently at odd times.
The beauty that lies about US, both
natural beauty and city beauty, promotes |
n the highest way that patriotism about
which we sing, but to maintain which, !
fear we do not work very hard Justify |
we sing, Il love thy rocks and rills" and
yet allow our rocks to be painted with |
all sorts of hideous advertisements for
patent cure-alls, while our rills too fire.
luently wreak with Accommodations OF
18th.
We are SO apt to forget that it is only
he beauty of home, street, town,
4 country which promotes that love
which is the basis of true patriotism.
1t is through the careful training of
,ur children that we aim to accomplish
much art. 1t has been we'll said many
lines that it is far more important to
rain hundred persons to appreciate
lrt than totrain one artist. Otherwise
he artist has little chance, and it is by
putting the best into the life of this
great body of children who are to be-
,ome the men and women of the future
hat we are to exert the great influence
or art and beauty. The entire object
If true education is to make people not |
'nly do the right things, but enjoy the
light things.
Our special guest Of honor was Mrs.
Mabel Loomis Todd, whose husband is
4 professor at Amherst College and is
me of the chief astronomers of this