The Woman's Club Again

THE CONTRIBUTORS’ CLUB.

IT was the regular meeting of a Woman’s Club in a college town. Ordinarily an intermission occurred between the programme and the business meeting, and during this intermission all outsiders were supposed to depart. But so many members of the Club took this occasion to depart, too, that it was sometimes difficult to get a quorum for the business meeting. So when a matter of importance was to be acted upon, the ladies fell into the loose habit of bringing it up before the intermission. This was what had been done to-day.

“ I believe,” the President began suavely, “ we were to bring up again a little matter that was talked of at our last meeting ? ”

She paused and looked around appealingly and smiled propitiatingly. She did love to agree with everybody, and the “ little matter ” had caused some sharp discussion at the last meeting.

“ We have been asked to give something toward a memorial for Mrs. Lucy J. Stone, the Founder of Women’s Clubs. Madam Secretary,” shifting the responsibility as soon as possible, “ won’t you please read the communication ? ”

The Secretary rose.
“ Madam President.
“ ‘ To the Woman’s Club of Bainbridge, Mich., —It is desired to found a scholarship at the U. of M. in memory of Mrs. Lucy J. Stone, to which the Federated Clubs of Michigan are asked to contribute. Will you not consider the matter and instruct your delegates to the Convention of Federated Clubs to support the measure ?
Yours in the work,
Miss H. M. BLANKE,
Corresponding Sec’y.’ ”

“ Now,” said the President, “ I think we ought to have an expression of opinion on this matter, and I don’t know how we shall get it unless the ladies are called upon by name. Mrs. Cartwright, we have learned to look to you first for advice, in any matter of importance. Won’t you please tell us just how you feel about this ? ”

Mrs. Cartwright responded vaguely : “ Why, I don’t know, Madam President; it seems to me it would be a nice thing to do if we could do something without burdening ourselves too much; if we could decide on an amount that would n’t be too much so that it would not be too hard work, I think we might perhaps do something pretty good easily enough.”

She grew positively ambitious toward the end.

The President smiled her thanks.

Mrs. Mexford rose.

“ Madam President: ” a punctilious pause, during which the President tardily recognized the speaker.

“ In order to bring this matter before the house, I move that we contribute ten dollars to this fund.”

Her motion was supported.

“ Now they can make remarks, Mrs. President,” said Mrs. Mexford condescendingly.

“ Yes,” said the President, “ now — a ” —

Mrs. Hunt addressed the chair. Mrs. Hunt was one of the delegates to the Convention where the idea of the fund was born, and she was inclined to feel it a personal insult if any one opposed the measure. She spoke in strident tones.

“ Madam President: I think that when we are ‘ in Rome ’ we should ‘ do as the Romans do ; ’ and if we are going to be a Federated Club we ought to contribute to this fund that is being raised by the Federated Clubs of the State in memory of the woman who founded Women’s Clubs. When the Convention was held at X —— the Century Club of that city said they were going to give one hundred dollars, and it is n’t expected that the whole sum will be raised now, — maybe not for five years.”

She sat down, and all could see the chip on her shoulder.

Mrs. Breem obtained the floor.

“ Madam President,” she said softly, “ it is a worthy thing to raise such a memorial to a worthy woman. And if our Club loves the woman and wants to honor her memory, by all means let us subscribe to this fund. But if we simply wish to put some of our money into active educational work, my preference would be to remember our own little College on the hill. We can’t do anything that will make much difference to the great University ; but we could materially benefit our small College. Just now, when they are trying so hard to raise the last ten thousand dollars before January 1, so as to secure Mr. Rockefeller’s gift, a few dollars from the Woman’s Club of their own town would help and encourage them a great deal.”

Mrs. Breem spoke feelingly, for she was a “ Faculty Lady.”

“Mrs. Breem,” — the President spoke sharply, — “ you have n’t lived here very long, or you would know that we are continually being asked for money for our College. We have plenty of chances to contribute to that.”

“ But you asked for our opinions,” murmured Mrs. Breem.

“ Certainly I did,” — the President was all graciousness again, — “ and I ’m sure I thank you very much, Mrs. Breem, for saying frankly just what you did. Mrs. Larned, can’t you say something ? ”

Unfortunately, Mrs. Larned was a Faculty Lady of eighteen years’ residence, and all she cared to say was that “ Mrs. Breem had expressed her views.”

“ Yes, of course ; ” the President began to feel a bit flurried. “ Mrs. Todhunter, what do you think ? ”

“ I cannot add anything to what Mrs. Breem has said.”

The President could only smile mechanically. Then the Secretary offered a suggestion.

“ Now I should think, Madam President, we might give up one of our parties this year, that costs us ten or fifteen dollars, and give that to our College. I’m sure I should be willing to.”

“ Yes,” the President said, “ I’m sure we might do that.” Then catching a whisper near her, “ To be sure,” she said, “ our Social Committee works so hard to get the money for these parties that really I feel as if they had earned it just as much if they had gotten it for themselves, and the rest of us ought not to say a word about how it shall be spent.”

The President was interrupted by a perfect storm of dissent. Mrs. Hunt obtained the floor.

“ Indeed, Madam President, I don’t think the Social Committee do all the work to earn the money. When they served meals to that great Convention last spring, did n’t we all help them and contribute eatables and money ? They could n’t have done anything at all without the rest of us.”

“ Oh yes, to be sure,” said the President ; “ but look how they worked all day long and gave their time, and not very pleasant work either.”

“ But some of the rest of us worked too, and those who could n’t give their time gave money. Did n’t they ask you for a dollar, Madam President ? ”

“ Oh yes, of course,” the President assured them, “ indeed they did ; and I know that a good many of us felt that we did all we could if we did n’t go there and work ; oh yes, to be sure, we all help the Social Committee to earn their money.”

There was an uncertain pause; then the Secretary rose again.

“ Well then, Madam President, there is our janitor; at Christmas time we always give him ten dollars. Now this year we have a new janitor, so perhaps we might take that ten dollars and give it to our College.”

“ Oh now, I really must object to that,” said the President; “ our janitor is in the way to do a good many things for us, and I think we ought to give him his Christmas present. To be sure, he is a now man this year, so perhaps we might give him only five dollars ” —

She paused tentatively, then brightened and went on: —

“ Now I would like to hear some real strong arguments, pro and con.”

The Treasurer addressed the chair.

“ I think it would be a good thing if we saw to it that we had enough money for our working committees, so that they would n’t have to earn all that they have to use, and then not have enough to do what they want to.”

“Yes, that’s so,” commented the President ; “ I do feel, when I ask a lady if she will be chairman of a committee, as if I ought to go on my bended knees, and be oh, very humble. It ’s really a terrible thing to have our committees work so hard as they do.”

Mrs. Hunt rose again.

“ Madam President, we have a Club of eighty members. We own our Club House, and we are entirely out of debt. I don’t suppose there are many Federated Clubs in the state so well able to do something as we are. And we ’ll have five years to pay this in. I call for the previous question.”

“ The previous question is moved,” said the President doubtfully, and turned for a hurried consultation with the Secretary.

“ I think, Madam President,” said the Informal Member without rising, “ that Mrs. Peet said a good thing at the Convention. They wanted to raise five thousand dollars for this scholarship and the Clubs were pledging five and ten dollars apiece. Then finally they called on Mrs. Peet and asked her if she would n’t give something ; and of course you all know who Mrs. Peet is. She said when they got to the last hundred she ’d help them on that. So maybe we might help on the last hundred.”

“ Yes, maybe they won’t raise it at all,” the President agreed. “ Well, ladies,” with an air of renewed confidence, “ shall the previous question be put ? ”

And they voted that it should. After much careful counting, the motion was declared carried.

“ Did I understand,” asked the Secretary, “ that this was ten dollars a year for five years ? ”

“ My motion was that we give them ten dollars,” was the decisive answer.

“ Now,” said the President, “ shall we send this ten dollars to them right away or just pledge it ? Seems to me maybe we ’d better keep it right here with us until they need it.”

“ Well, Madam President,” said Mrs. Hunt, “ it seems to me it ought to be sent so that it can be drawing interest and doing somebody some good.”

“ Oh yes,” said the President uncertainly ; “ then do you mean that we ought to collect the interest on it and send it to them ? ”

“ No, I say the money ought to be sent to them.”

“ Oh yes, I see; I see now what you mean. You mean send them the ten dollars and let them collect the interest on it.”

“ I understood, Madam President,” said the Treasurer, “ that they merely wanted our pledge now. And it might be, you know, that they will not be able to raise the necessary amount.”

“ That’s so,” said the President cheerfully ; “ maybe we ’ll never have to pay it after all.”

And the ladies who had voted for the measure smiled approvingly and reassuringly at one another.