Year: 1877

We have many reasons, in the direct
testimonials that have come to us, for
believing that an article which we pub
lished in this department year or two
since, on "Winter Amusements,n was
remarkably suggestive and stimulating
in the establishment of clubs for culture
and recreation. We spoke specially of
reading clubs, "Shakspere clubs,n etc.
The project was entered upon in a great
many towns throughout the length and
breadth of the land, and great good has
come of it. To open still wider field
of intellectual recreation and instruc-
ton is the object of this article.


In certain country town, which we
need not name, there was established
last year ''Rome Club" A consider
able number of intelligent ladies, moved
thereto by the existence of a literary
club among their husbands and brothers,
gathered together and formed a club
among themselves for the study of his
torical cities. Rome was chosen as the
first city to be investigated-its pagan
history, its Christian history, its art in
various departments, its relations to the
world at various epochs, etc., etc. Sub
divisions of the larger topics were made,
and each woman was given a branch to
study, with the duty to write out her
conclusions and results, and to read
them at the weekly meetings of the
club. 1t is declared to us by one who
watched the developments OF the enter
prise that, as the result of that winters
most interesting work, this town con-
tains the largest number of women who
know everything about Rome that any
town in the United States can boast.
Every available library was ransacked
for material, books were overhauled
that were black with the undisturbed
dust of a century, knowledge was or
ganized, put into form, and communi-
Gated and when the winter closed, the
women found not only that they had
been immensely interested, but that
their field of knowledge had been very
much enlarged.


This year, this same club will take
up another city. Whether it will be
London, or Paris, or Jerusalem, or
Athens, or Venice, we do not know, aud
it does not matter. But what a mine
of interest and instruction lies before
them in any of these How very small
do the ordinary amusements of town
look by the side of the employments of
such club as this What cure for
gossip and neighborhood twaddle is
contained in such club! What an
enlargement of the sphere of thought
comes of such amusements and employ
ments How the whole world, through
all its ages and among all its scenes and
peoples, becomes illuminated with
marvellous human interest, to women
who study it together, and with GER
tain degree of competition, in this way !!
| Of course, enterprises of this kind are
not necessarily confined to the study of
cities. Countries may be studied with
the same ge,-perhaps even
with greater advantage. A special topic
may be taken up. At this time much
is written upon art. 1t is practically
new topic in this country. We, as a
nation, are now making our beginning
in art. The greatest sculptors and
painters America has produced are liv-
ing men to-day. Art has no history
here. Art, historically, then,-art in
its relations to civilization-art in its
influence upon personal character-art
as an outgrowth of life and a power
upon life-furnishes subject that may
well interest a group of women for a
winter, not only, but for many years.
We know of girls who are as much in
terested in works of political economy
as if they were novels. We can hardly
imagine anything more interesting to
club of bright girls who have left school
than winter in political economy.
The subject may be pursued, simply as
matter of social reading and discus
sion; or each may be charged with
gathering the distinguishing views of
given writer's, and presenting them in
brief.-J. G. Holland Scribner for NoU.


VILE DRINK.-The Louisville Courier
Journal, which lives in state where
whiskey ought to be good if any
where, indorses the statement that
probably nine hundred and ninety mine
gallons out of every thousand that are
sold as brandy are made from a vile
compound of whiskey swill, distilled
spirits and chemical abominations, and