Club Minutes: Mutual Improvement Association, 1905-1909

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of many birds and animals, so that primeval man declared he could neither live with or without her. S.F. W. also told us of a remarkable pre-historic mine in Indiana, near the town of Anderson. It is in the shape of a vast ampitheatre with a tunnel 150 yds long, leading to a spring.

Alice Tyson amazed us with an illustrated article on the newly discovered rival to the mammoth cave in Kentucky, Colossal Cave. The two are within a few miles of each other and the latter has one avenue 6 miles in length and a chamber with a dome 174 feet high. It is said to be more extensive and far more beautiful than the Mammoth Cave, which we can testify has been fearfully despoiled and smoked by torches, beyond belief, except by those who have seen it. Mary E. Gilpin had some pretty verses, "My Mothers' Garden," and Elizabeth Iddings a plea for the happy, dirty little urchin who can soon be turned into a clean defiant boy, by an enforced bath, and suit of fresh clothes. Mary T. Bond proposed, that as several of our members rarely attend, and from different causes, we do not have one full meeting of members in five years, we do institute a waiting list, and the names of Martha T Farquhar, Mrs. Anabella Page, and Elizabeth Willson were placed upon it by an affirmative vote. The Secretary read a pleasant letter she had receinved from Governor Warfield accepting an invitation to give an address of welcome to the coming Woman Suffrage

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Convention, she then gave a cute poem, "The Incubator Craze," from the ready pen of Hallie J. Bentley, and showed the Association the timetable of a fully equipped railroad in Central Africa, which takes tourists within reach of the famous Victoria Falls, the last stage being 10 miles by post east, and the charge some $30.00 each day.

There was a deep undertone of sadness at this meeting from the recent decease of our dearly loved friend Susannah L. Thomas, and the last offering had reference to this, and shall be given in full.

"When grief shall come to thee, think not to flee, For grief with steady pace, will win the race. Nor crowd her forth with mirth, for at thy hearth, When mirth is tired and gone, will grief sit on; But make her thy friend and in the end, Her counsels will grow sweet, and with swift feet Three lovelier than she, shall come to thee Calm, Patience, Courage strong, and Hope 'ere long."

Adjourned to the home of Mary E. Gilpin.

Mary Bentley Thomas

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Mary E. Gilpin received "The Association" on 2.22.1906. Several members were absent but our numbers were augmented by Sarah A. Bond - India Downey - Sophia Robinson - Sarah E. Kirk - Florence Wetherald - Annie Frost Brown - Mary P. T. Jackson - and Miss Cross.

The sentiment of our hostess was entitled "Abundant Life - how shall I use it?"

"Scatter thy life as the summer showers pouring, What if no blossoms look upward adoring! Give as the heart gives whose fetters are breaking, Soon Heaven's river thy soul-fever slaking. Thou shalt know God and the gift that he gave."

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them."

Mary T. Bond gave a definition of "Success" which we thought too good to lose: - "He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem or rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given the best he had; whose life was inspiration, whose memory a benediction."

Mary E. Moore was asked to tell us something of her recent visit to Swarthmore, but she said she believed we had all been there and was surprised to find only nine were ever inside the enclosure; she had attended a meeting of the Evangelists Torrey and Alexander in Phila., 6,000 being present and half as many turned away because the hall was full. Louisa T. Brooke supplemented this with the story of a saloon keeper whose recent change of heart had taken the practical form of requesting to have his license revoked. Virginia Sheer read of a social settlement in Chicago for millionaires some who are too often sad failures as men and as citizens. In allowing dead money to become a

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live agent for good, the favor was thought to be to the rich instead of from them.

Florence Wetherald told of rather curious conditions in Southern Delaware where schoolhouses had no Bibles nor flags and school teachers were not always acquainted with the useful acts of reading and writing. She also read of work among the children of the slums of Chicago. Beginning with music one reform after another was instituted with gratifying results. Mary P. T. Jackson brought in an essay by Prof. Griggs upon the "Moral Education of our Childrens." She thought intellectual training was a means to an end - real education is in reality a training of character. This cannot be tacked on to a curriculum for half an hour at a time, but it goes through life. It is a duty to spend some porition of the day in the open air. The people who believe themselves good because they do nothing bad, belong to the class which Dante placed outside of Heaven & Hades.

Martha Holland gave an incident in the life of the great merchant - Marshall Field - testing a young clerk in the doll department of his store, who did not know Mr. Field, and was so pleased with the boy's courteous endeavor to sell him a doll, he ultimately aided the former to receive an education. India Downey kindly gave information with regard to her method of making her hens lay in winter. She gives wheat bran mash and whole oats. Sarah E. Stabler's good selection was upon the importance of constant supervision of our daily acts, especially our intercourse with those around us, which seeks what manner of man or woman we are.

Harriet I. Lea shared with us an interesting letter from Frank T. Lea who is engaged in work among the Digger Indians of Arizona and Yuma California where he has built himself a house. The thermometer was 117 in the shade and the earth was parched and cracked open, yet with irrigation was made to yield well. The Indians

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of the vicinity are said to be among the lowest of the low subsisting largely on roots and grubs (hence their name) and, since when a member of the fafmily dies, the hut or tepee is always burned with its contents, they make no effort to accumulate property or comforts of any kind.

Eliza N. Moore - by request - told us some of her many curious and entertaining experiences in Sicily and Italy. The liquorice crop is an important one in Southern Italy and there were miles of olive orchards. The Palermo Cathedral is only excelled by St. Marks in the beauty and finish of its mozaics; it was begun by the Moors and designed for a heathen temple. Girghenti another city, is said to contain the most remarkable Grecian ruins in the world; there are columns with flutes so deep a man can conceal himself in them and one statue 90ft. long was lying on the ground. The finest sulphur is found in Sicily and it is mined extensively. Etna with snow upon it is always smoking. Near the old walled city of Syracuse, which once contained, it is supposed 500.000 inhabitants, and was seventy miles around, are limestone quarries, 25ft or more in depth.

Sarah A. Bond had a short practical clipping on the "Guest room" and Louisa T. Brooke introduced a wonderful Phila. Church which had received the prize medal as the ideal religious organisation in this country, and probably in any other. There is none its equal in scope or usefulness. In the basement is a store where coal and groceries are sold at wholesale prices to those who belong to the church the salesmen & women being young members thereof. There is a comfortable room where homeless men may meet socially, or read and enjoy music making an admirable rival of the saloon; a cooking school, a maternity society, one to gave outings to poor mothers and we believe a restaurant was mentioned too.