SOROSIS ORIGIN AND HISTORY .;K\‘ir'.' •fhyl; ,' LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 374.3 C87s I The person charging this material is re- 1 sponsible for its return to the library from I which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/sorosisitsoriginOOcrol X SOROSIS Its Origin and History MRS. CROLY NEW YORK PRESS OF J, J. LITTLE & CO. 1886 3 7 VO 7V-/-7U>' /^y r.c^ c,/^. ^^Z* ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 13 On this occasion Mrs. Croly had to preside, Miss Alice Cary not being present, but Miss Kate Field was there, and she had come determined to get rid of the name Sorosis, and substitute the ^‘Woman’s League.'' With her was Mrs. James T. Field, of Boston, and in the then weak and inchoate condition of the club mem- bership, she managed to carry so much weight, as to have the name set aside, and the ‘‘Woman’s League” adopted. The change was at last acquiesced in, because a considerable majority seemed to be in favor of it, in- cluding Miss Phebe Cary, and others of equal promi- nence, but it was soon found to have been a mistake, even by some who had urged it. The more they thought of “Woman's League ” the less they liked it, and at the next meeting (in May), Mrs. Ella Clymer, who had voted for it, brought in a resolution of reconsideration, which cleared the way for a second ballot, and Sorosis was restored by an overwhelming vote. This action cost the Club the co-operation of Miss Field, Mrs. Longstreet (then Mrs. Gildersleeve), and Mrs. Gibbons, who left the room, and the Club, in disgust. Alice Cary presided at this meeting, and read her inaugural address, but the conflict of opinions agitated her, her nervous system was not equal to the strain, and she resigned the following week from the presidency, though continuing her mem- bership, as did also her sister, Phebe. But notwithstanding these inevitable commotions, the Club was happy, its membership from less than fifteen had increased to fifty, it began to see the uses of its ex- istence, and enjoy its life. On Monday, June i, 1868, it met, and found an immense circular basket of roses, with center of white carnations, and upon this, “ Soro- sis ” in violets. Who sent it no one seemed to know, but 14 soROsis : the roses were arranged for distribution, and the center as a permanent decoration for the table, and as the mem- bers came in, and saw it, they clasped hands, and tears stood in many eyes. They had battled for their name ; they had planted it, and now they watered it, and felt that it would grow. Probably not more than one beside herself ever knew that the roses and the christening were the work of Mme. E. L. Demorest. There were many incidents about those early days, which are interesting, at least to those who recall them, but time nor space do not admit of their recapitulation, nor are they perhaps of sufficient general interest to warrant dwelling upon them to the exclusion of circumstances which exerted a more potent influence. One thing, however, should be said for the benefit of recent members, and it is this : to Mrs. Wilbour we owe the Pledge. I should not, myself,'* said Mrs. Croly in her recent address, have introduced that into our assumption of obligations, it did not seem to me that we needed it, but the Pledge has now grown dear to us all ; it has become a tie, it seems to bind us together, and sometimes it is a needed reminder of what we owe to each other.** A Woman's Club was naturally the object of many gibes and sneers, much ridicule, and cheap attempts at wit, during the first months of its existence. An editor of one of the New York dailies prophesied its early death, and said many men would have to recant their opinions in regard to women, if it lived out a year. The young members of to-day will wonder why all this fuss could have been made about a merd society of women. But they must remember that eighteen years ago social and secular organization among women did not exist. There were no State Aid Societies, no Women's Ex- ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 15 changes, no Kitchen Garden Associations, or Industrial Unions, or Workingwomen’s Clubs, no Church or Mis- sionary Societies officered and carried on exclusively by women. No purely women’s societies at all, outside of the sewing circle, and even in these men had a share ; and it was doubted, by many good men and women, whether a secular society of women, of different tastes, habits and pursuits, and with no special object to bind them, could hang together for any length of time. The following, which was copied into the World about this time, will give an idea of the general sentiment, and it also includes a letter addressed to a male applicant for admission to Sorosis, which became famous, and which it has been requested should be preserved in this veritable history. {From the World"' of June y 1868.) “ The London Queen^ the leading English ladies’ paper, is quite exercised over the doings of our New York Sorosis. It quotes all it can find about that famous Club from the Worlds and comments upon the reports freely. We find the following in its issue of June I 2 th : ‘“The “ Sorosis,” the women’s club. which exists in New York, has been brought before the readers of the Queen on more than one occasion lately. It is a society of women, many of them literary, meeting for the sake of mutual improvement and pleasant social intercourse. Men are invited to be present at the entertainments given by the members of Sorosis, but they are entirely in the subordinate position of guests and listeners. The toast of “ The Gentlemen ” was given at one of their parties by a lady, and re- sponded to on behalf of the “ weaker brethren,” by another lady. “ ‘A good deal of head shaking and holding up of hands in wonder, at the proceedings of the Sorosis, have been indulged in on our side of the Atlantic, and certainly it would be very difficult to conceive a body of English ladies, even of those who have the most i6 soROSis : advanced views as to women’s rights and who are most accustomed to addressing the public, acting quite as the members of Sorosis have done. The idea is a ludicrous one ; but what would be the feelings of the British public if some fine morning it were announced in the Times that a number of ladies — say Mme. Bodichon, Miss Emily Davies, Miss Garrett, the authors of Adam Bede and yohn Halifax and other well-known writers, and women whose names are much before the public — had invited the members of a literary club to dinner, and had made speeches and proposed toasts? No one would believe it — the whole account would be treated as a hoax. “ ‘But Sorosis and its doings are facts in New York, and some- what prominent facts, too. We must say that, though the whole of the proceedings are very un-English, we have seen, with much amusement, not entirely unmingled with mild satisfaction, the very decided position which the members of Sorosis have taken with regard to the right of women to have a society composed exclusively of members of their own sex, if they so desire it ; and we hope that Sorosis may be able to hold well together, if only to prove that women are not destitute of the power of acting harmoniously to- gether when they choose to do so. “ ‘A letter, written by Mrs. Croly, the president of Sorosis, to a gentleman who applied for admission to membership in the club, is thoroughly amusing, as exemplifying how rules of exclusion from societies, on the simple grounds of the sex of the applicant, can be made to work both ways. It is not a little droll to observe, applied to a man, the little courtesies and the utter rejection which women have been made to experience, when they have presumed to request admission to societies of men. There is the same complacent ex- pression of superiority arising from assured position, and there are the same patronizing airs which are so pleasant to exercise, and so unpleasant to encounter. There is the same softening of the rejec- tion by the assurance of personal esteem, and there is a similar end- ing up with a hint of consideration in the indefinite future which promises nothing, but tones down the harshness of entire denial. Altogether, we have not, for a long time, seen anything more amus- ing in many ways than the following letter to a gentleman, from the president of Sorosis : ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY : 17 ‘ “Dear Sir : Your proposition to become a member of the Sorosis was laid before the Executive Committee, and subsequently before the Club. I regret to say the decision was not in your favor. The reasons, it is only fair to state, were not those of character, position, or personal merit, but consisted solely of society restric- tions as to sex. Personally, you have been found very agreeable by several members of Sorosis. Reputation and position are alike unexceptionable ; but the unfortunate fact of your being a man outweighs these and all other claims to membership. “ ‘ “We willingly admit, of course, that the accident of your sex is on your part a misfortune, and not a fault. Nor do we wish to arrogate anything to ourselves because we had the good fortune to be born women. We sympathize most truly and heartily with you and the entire male creation, in their present and prospective desola- tion and unhappiness ; but this is all we can do. Sorosis is too young for the society of gentlemen, and must be allowed time to grow. By and by, when it has reached a proper age, say twenty-one, it may ally itself with the Press Club, or some other male organiza- tion of good character and standing ; but for years to come its reply to all male suitors must be, ‘ Principles, not men.* “ ‘ “Jennie June Croly, “ ‘ “ President of Sorosis. “ ‘ “Mr. R. B. Roosevelt.” ’ ** The allusions in the preceding were to a series of enter- tainments, the first one of which was offered as an amende honorable on the part of the New York Press Club, and consisted of a Breakfast,” to which the Press Club invited Sorosis, but did not invite it to speak, or do any- thing but sit still, and eat, and be talked and sung to. The second was a “ Tea” given by Sorosis to the Press Club, at which it did all the talking, allowing the gentle- men no chance to speak, not even to respond to their own toast. The third of these was a “ Dinner,” the brightest and best of the whole, at which ladies and gentlemen each paid their own way and shared equally the honors and responsibilities. Very lengthy reports i8 soROsis : were given of these affairs, from one of which the fol- lowing extract is made : ‘‘ The entire afifair was decidedly one of the most delightful events of the season, and will long be held in pleasantest memory by all who had the honor to participate in it. We believe we violate no secret when we say that the gentlemen were most agreeably surprised to find their rival club composed of charming women, representing the best aristocracy of the metropolis — the aristocracy of sterling good sense, earnest thought, aspiration, and progressive intellect, with no perceptible taint of the traditional strong-mindedness. The members of the ‘ Sorosis * were distinguished by a badge worn upon the left shoulder, consisting of a rosette of white lace, pinned with a gold enamel monogram ‘ S ’ inscribed with the word ‘ Sorosis ’ in Greek characters. The display of jewels would have done credit to our most fashionable assemblies, and there were many rich and ele- gant costumes well worthy description ; but the prevailing element was unostentatious good taste. The event cannot but prove one of great significance, as giving impulse and direction to the genuinely worthy progressive tendencies of the day, and the New York Press Club may well pride itself upon having been the first to establish such a precedent. ” It will perhaps not be out of place to give Alice Cary’s speech (in rhyme), on this occasion : “You know, my friends, through whose good graces We meet around this board to-day ; It has been said that man embraces Woman : but, with your leave, I say. This rather holds in special cases Than in a general way. * ‘ We women have been coaxed and vaunted. Fawned on and flattered every way ; But the high-honored place we wanted Is ours in sober truth to-day ; For with the equal set is granted The equal right to pay ! ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 19 “ Pardon the mention of the shilling — (You see ’twas thrown so in my way), And think not that I speak as chilling Your courtesies, or courtship, pray ; For each of us, our Barkis willing, Would name the happy day ! “ We mean to prove your praise no fable. And while for that good end we pray. Let lightning, harnessed to the Cable, Trample old ocean into spray With news that women sit at table Above the salt to-day ! ” It would not be worth while to make these extracts or give importance to these merely social events did they not mark a new departure in our social life, and consti- tute an actual social revolution achieved very quietly, almost without the knowledge of the agents, but none the less certainly and permanently. In one of the speeches made at the dinner referred to it was said that ‘‘ Sorosis was building better than it knew,’' and nothing could be more true, for it was working by instinct rather than by knowledge ; yet no act was performed by those which laid the foundations of its future that was not the result of anxious thought and conscientious conviction. It was the movements, the first acts of the club and its individual members during the first years of life that struck the key-note of its future, and made the vital im- pression upon the public mind. It was at the November meeting of 1868 that Mrs. Celia Burleigh read the papev upon Womanhood,” which suggested her possibilities as lecturer and preacher, and which was afterward enlarged into the first effort which she made for the public lecture field. In it she 20 soROsis : spoke eloquently of the royal nature of the woman, of her munificence and love of giving, of the narrowing cir- cumstances that dwarfed her noblest instincts, and made her slave and subject where she should reign queen. She demanded that woman should by her own efforts emancipate herself from dependence, and learn to give royally instead of receiving abjectly. At that meeting Mrs. Burleigh, as corresponding secretary, read a letter from Paulina Wright Davis, one of the best known workers and highly cultured women of Rhode Island, from which the following is a brief extract : My Dear Madame : An enthusiastic letter about Sorosis, just received from a friend, recalls my promise to write you a word of encouragement. I do so with diffidence, for I have lived so many years in retirement that I almost feel as if the world had gone on and left me, and I had become a mere fossil. I regret not having been able to accept your invitation to attend a meeting of your club, that I might personally have congratulated your members upon being the first to inaugurate a movement that promises so much for woman. It is an auspicious hour ; we are reorganizing as a nation, socially, politically, and morally, and subjects of vital interest are coming under the careful consideration of the best minds. Among these the relations of the sexes hold an important place, and that they may be more clearly understood in the future than they have been in the past, is felt to be indispensable to the well-being of the race. To your and kindred organizations — to the patient thought and investi- gation of noble men and women must society look for help and direc- tion.” The following series of resolutions were also presented by Mrs. Croly, and adopted unanimously : Resolved^ That what women want most of all is freedom — free- dom to do and to be — that at present they are born slaves to habit, to custom, to prejudice, to fashion, and finally to laws, which are made to govern the woman, but not the human being. ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 21 Resolvedy That as one step, we advocate freedom in dress, not necessarily a reform, not at all a uniform, but freedom to wear the useful, the convenient, or the beautiful, as taste and inclination dic- tate, without reference to whether the style is of yesterday or last year. Resolved^ That we neither condemn fashion nor ignore it, but use it if it suits us, or act independently of it if that suits us better. “ Resolved, That a committee be formed to take up the question of dress, discuss it, and prepare a paper upon it, to be read at the next regular club meeting.” During the first year of club life Sorosis had no presi- dent after Alice Cary's resignation, it having been de- cided, pursuant to a resolution presented by Mrs. Wilbour, and supported by Mrs. Croly, to elect a chairman at every meeting, and thus “ educate " the members gen- erally for the business of presiding officer. But this was found impracticable ; the choice always fell upon the same persons, and the Club lost the benefit derived from recognized guardianship and guidance. The same cause had operated to prevent the adoption of any regular plan or system of work, and a determination was arrived at to elect a president at the close of the year and settle down to some organized plan of work. In December, 1868, a charter was obtained by Mrs. Agnes Noble, Chairman of Executive Committee, in place of Miss Phebe Cary, who resigned her office when her sister Alice resigned hers ; and the Club became an incorpo- rated society, capable of receiving bequests, a privilege of which, however, no one has yet seen fit to avail themselves. In March, 1869, Mrs. Croly was elected president by acclamation, and in May presented her plan of a 22 soROSis : “Woman's Parliament." This was intended as a perma- nent work for Sorosis, the Club to act as the center of a great united womanhood, whose branches should extend all over the country, that these should be representative^ elect their own officers, send delegates to an annua) session, having its permanent home in New York, and its representative organ. From a printed letter written by “ Burleigh," a New York correspondent, the following is quoted : “ The object of Mrs. Croly’s Parliament is to organize a body of women to represent women upon subjects of vital interest to them- selves and their children. It is designed to make it as permanent an institution as Congress itself, with as well defined a constituency, annual sessions, and definite provision for expenses incurred ; and its functions will be ‘ to crystallize the intelligence and influence of woman into a moral power, which will act definitely upon the varied interests of society.’ The more immediate matters which are ex- pected to command the attention of this ‘ Parliament ’ are those con- nected with Public Education, Prisons and Reformatory Schools^ Hygienic and Sanitary Reforms, Female Labor, The Department of Domestic Economy, Dishonesty in Public Life, etc. Mrs. Croly’s brief suggestions in relation to these several topics show a good degree of familiarity with the facts that illustrate them, and sound views of the various needs which these facts indicate. She believes that the ‘ Woman’s Parliament will at once give to women that voice in public affairs which is theirs by virtue of their humanity.’ ‘ It offers to them the privilege of the vote, without the humiliation of asking for it from those who have no right to withhold it,’ and * i'' affords them the opportunity of showing that their desire is for the benefit and elevation of mankind at large, and not a personal striving after place and power.’ ” The measure was defeated in the Club by the absence of one vote, the member supposing that she could leave and vote by proxy, and the opposition of two others who ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 23 believed that Sorosis should exist for social purposes purely, and took advantage of the absence of the member to challenge the quorum, which was then much larger in proportion than now. Some of the members were, how- ever, strongly in favor of it, notably Mrs. Celia Burleigh, Dr. Anna Dinsmore French, then Dr. Anna Dinsmore, Mme. E. L. Demorest, and others. From the published notices Mrs. Horace Mann, Miss Elizabeth Peabody, and Mrs. Charles Pierce, then of Cambridge, now of New York, became interested, and the two latter came from Boston to attend a session pursuant to a public Call,** at which Miss Catharine Sedgewick was also present, and at which the following resolutions were adopted : “ Whereas, We consider duties more important than claims and the dearest rights generally involved in the performance of the most sacred duty, therefore "^Resolved, That we organize a body to be called ‘The Women’s Council of New York City,’ as a part of a great general organization of women to be called ‘ The Woman’s Parliament.’ Resolved, That this Parliament, and all the Council represented in it, be composed of women only, and that its principal object shall be, the moral, intellectual and social elevation of women through their own efforts. ''Resolved, That Union is Strength, and that instead of the small, weak and isolated work heretofore performed by individuals, or at most by societies, for the removal of evils, we propose to bring the moral force of all good women to bear in given directions, and thus secure for our suggestions and recommendations the respect and authority due to the collective public (?) opinion of the sex. "Resolved, That self-help is the best help ; and that the elevation of women must come from within and not from without. "Resolved, That charities, however extensive, are only palliatives, not cures, of social disease, and that having learned how to work in the ‘ small things ’ of their own churches and communities, women must now turn to the ‘ greater things ’ of the world itself, and bring 24 SOROSIS : their experience and their energies to the task of a thorough social regeneration.” During the three days’ session, papers were read by Miss Peabody (Mrs. Charles Pierce), giving in detail her plan of co-operative house-keeping; one from Mrs. Horace Mann on Education,” which years afterward Dr. Mary Putnam- Jacobi characterized in the Atlantic Monthly as the best paper ever given in this country on the sub- ject ; one from Mrs. Croly on the Distribution of the Income in the Family,” a paper on ‘‘Prison Reform,” and the legal status of women in regard to property, and other important topics. The bearing this movement had upon the history of Sorosis is this, that its ideas were those which in one way or another have been incor- porated in the life of Sorosis, and subsequently formed the starting point of the “Woman’s Congress.” During this year of 1869 the Club made rapid strides toward settled forms of life, and systematized work. Standing committees were organized, and the aim of the Club to represent the active interests of women became more clearly defined. At a meeting in May of this year Mrs. Wilbur offered the following resolution : “To promote one of the objects of Sorosis, viz., render women helpful to each other, I move, Mrs. President, that we appoint at each meeting a Committee on Criti- cism, to be composed of three persons, who shall report upon all violations of business, order, incorrect speech, faulty manners, and whatever would be improved by faithful, intelligent, and benevolent criticism.” The reso- lution was supported by the President, but objected to by others, some of whom thought it a good thing, but that Sorosis was hardly ready for it yet. ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 25 Early in the year a committee was formed for the in- vestigation and discussion of Foundling Asylums in re- lation to infant mortality. At that time no foundling hospital existed in New York City, and the subject had received no attention from the public. The committee consisted of Mrs. Celia Burleigh, Mme. E. L. Demorest, Mrs. Mary C. Owen, Mrs. Horace Greeley, Mrs. J. C. Croly, and Dr. Anna Dinsmore, the active mover of the resolution. Dr. Dinsmore (Dr. Anna D. French) put herself in communication with the representatives of numerous institutions of the kind, abroad and at home, and collected an astonishing array of facts, which were presented to the Club, and published in the World news- paper, June, 1869. The Press took up the subject, a Protestant foundling asylum was shortly instituted, and subsequently one by the Roman Catholics. The following extracts from published reports of the officers made March 21st, at the second anniversary meeting, will show what was thought to have been ac- complished at the close of the second year. During that year Mrs. Celia Burleigh had started the Woman’s Club of Brooklyn, of which she became the president, and from her closing report as corresponding secretary of Sorosis the following words are copied which will show what the influence of the Club was felt to be on its members when it had only been two years in existence. She said : <<* * * The suggestion of a Woman’s Club ex- cited a degree of interest unlooked for and unprecedented. It was caricatured, criticised, and misrepresented, while from women all over the country came eager questioning of its aims, methods, and possibilities. This handful of women had undertaken to do what seemed to them a very simple thing — provide for a want which they in common 26 soROSis : with many other women felt, and they suddenly found themselves the subjects of sneering comment or vulgar would-be wit on the part of the men, and eager hope and expectation from women from one end of the country to the other. But the central idea of Sorosis was vital, and would neither consent to die nor be suppressed. The originator of the movement, though lacking experience, uncertain of the material that could be brought together, brought to the work an earnestness of purpose, a faith in woman, and an invincibility of determination which could not fail of success. I believe I express the sentiment of every one who has been for any length of time a member of Sorosis when I say that the debt we owe it is beyond our power to estimate. Probably we have not all been equally benefited, for our needs are various as our power of receiving help, but for myself I should be guilty of in- gratitude if I allowed my official connection to cease without saying how much I am its debtor. Among the schools to which I have been sent, I reckon Sorosis the most valuable, and I trust I shall be pardoned if I mention the special good which I have received at its hands. One of the greatest needs of women is motive for mental activ- ity — an hospitable entertainment of their thought. For me Sorosis met precisely this want ; it afforded me an atmosphere so genial, an appreciation so prompt, a faith so generous, that every possibility of my nature seemed intensified, and all its latent powers quickened into life. If in the years to come I do any worthy work, speak any word that has power to help a despondent soul, shed any gleam of light on the dark and dreary ways that so many women are called upon to tread, it will be to Sorosis that it will be due in large measure — to this school where I have been educated to better hopes, to nobler aspirations, ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 27 and a larger life. As the society’s secretary I have been the medium of communication between it and many noble and gifted women, not only in our own but in other lands, and I congratulate Sorosis on these relations, so honor- able to itself, so helpful to women at large.” The London Queen of April i6th, copies what it calls a long and curious ” account of the second anniversary of the New York Woman’s Club, remarking that it is all of interest, and some of it worthy of serious ” considera- tion. It quotes a part of Mrs. Burleigh’s address just given, and the following from the address of the retiring president, Mrs. Croly : “We have found self-education very necessary, and a woman's club a wonderful school as well as most exact test of genuine quality. Some have found in Sorosis a stepping-stone to a public career, others a resting-place from labor and anxiety — the pleasant shadow of a green tree in a weary land. But we begin to realize the want of a motive, apart from ourselves, to quicken us into permanent and useful activity. We have been aware that partial, personal, and selfish organizations never achieve a great success, or sustain more than a brief existence. But women have difficulties in forming plans and achieving results that do not exist for men. In the first place, they are without means ; in the second place, without freedom. Very few women have money of their own, . and the few that have dare not use it. Their growth, therefore, in any direction, must be very slow, especially if they refuse to adopt the tricks which societies and society countenance for obtaining money and palming off upon the world a false and baseless reputation. We have to congratulate ourselves, at any rate, upon not having done this. If we have not borrowed or built a club-house, neither have we borrowed or begged money to do it with. If we have not founded asylums for helpless women, we have done our best to make them helpful, and thus do away with the necessity for such institutions. Moreover, from the first, it was not our intention to give ourselves to any small, partial, individual or specific work. We wished rather to infuse new, higher and truer ideas into the life of women, and thus become the 28 SOROSIS : source and inspiration of a thousand active, beneficent influences, which would help to lessen the causes of the evils under which the world groans and labors. And, again, my own favorite idea has been that women’s clubs should form the basis of a universal and united womanhood — an order distinctive as that of the knights of the olden time, composed of women able to command, but willing to serve ; women devoted to the cultivation of whatever is noble and true and good in womanhood ; women willing to labor and to wait, so far as they themselves are concerned, but jealous for the honor, anxious for the reputation of their sex, and more ready to honor than to re- ceive it. Is this a very Utopian idea? I think not. There are plenty of such women, but they are busy in the church, in the sewing society, or in the nursery, and they are fenced in by a high wall of prejudice which they themselves cannot look over, much less step over, and, if they could, the pressure from behind and from before, the tyranny of social and domestic influence, would prevent it. ” She expressed the opinion that ‘ ‘ the great error of a republican form of government is that it makes no provision for the employment and in- corporation of women in some department or other of State and national affairs. Monarchies recognize the female right of succession, and create a privileged class — the honors, emoluments, and duties of which women share. A republic is the only form of government which does not in any way recognize the existence of women, except as a creature to be punished.” She went on at considerable length to enumerate the disabilities of women in America, and to state what Sorosis proposed toward their removal or mitigation. The con- clusion of her spirited address was as follows: “You are known abroad as well as at home, and from all quarters comes the cry, * Only continue to live — your life is our hope.’ We shall live — live to see the Woman’s Club the conservator of public morals, the up- rooter of social evils, the defender of women against women as well* as against men, the preserver of the sanctities of domestic life, the synonym of the brave, true, and noble in women. This is the mis- sion of the Woman’s Club, this is the mission of Sorosis. I pledge your future, ladies, only from your past. ” At the close of the year 1869 the membership of Soro- sis had increased from the fourteen with which the actual ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 29 organization began, to nearly a hundred, and much had been done toward arranging and perfecting the basis upon which the Club, with slight modifications, has con- tinued to exist. Standing committees on literature, art, music and the drama had been formed, and the office of Custodian,” afterward enlarged to Custodia,” created and filled. The idea of this was to furnish a sort of in- itiatory experience to the younger members of the Club, to give them charge of the properties, and make them supervisors and assistants of the attendants at lunch, especially with reference to guests. The plan has worked well, and the Custodia ” are a valued part of the organization of to-day. At the close of the year Mrs. Croly declined a re- nomination, and the choice for president fell upon Mrs. Charlotte B. Wilbour, a lady of exceptional ability, asso- ciated with Mrs. Croly in the founding and early work of the Club, and admirably well fitted, by personal quali- fications and the possession of leisure, for the position of leader of a still young and struggling society. Mrs. Wilbour instituted a series of lectures on Health and Dress Reform for Women, to be given by medical women in various halls and in the vestries of churches, which were well attended, and did much toward arousing the interest of women in physiological questions. She assisted many women in their efforts to obtain the recog- nition of the public, and gave an impetus to worthy work, in and out of Sorosis, which has left a lasting im- press. Mrs. Wilbour was elected President for five suc- cessive years, and, besides instituting entertainments in behalf of needy individuals and for literary and social purposes, gave a series of “ Valentine ” evenings, at her own house, on the Fourteenth of February of three sue- 30 soROSis : cessive years, to which each member and guest was in- vited to contribute ; the contributions, many of them of a highly respectable literary character, being afterward collected and printed in book form for presentation to the participants. Her crowning work was the revival of the idea of the Congress,” as proposed by Mrs. Paulina Wright Davis, and the Woman’s Parliament,” as pro- posed by Mrs. Croly, and the fusion of both these in a scheme which resulted in the movement known as the Association for the Advancement of Women.” At a business meeting of Sorosis on June 2, 1873, the President (Mrs. C. B. Wilbour) stated her desire that Sorosis should develop upon a broader basis. She thought some more positive action might be taken to lead others. The Club was often asked to co-operate with individuals in enterprises that had previously sug- gested themselves to the minds of some of its members ; why should not Sorosis itself inaugurate a movement that would cover the ground and unite these interests ? She then spoke of a Congress,” and proposed that Sorosis, through its able Secretary, Miss Alice Fletcher, should address a letter to representative women everywhere, as far as they were known and it was practicable, asking their co-operation in a work which could not fail to be of lasting importance, and urged on the part of every mem- ber a strong personal effort to make the movement a worthy one, its object the highest good of women. It tvas accordingly voted that a Call ” should be issued (which was done in July, 1873) for a convention of women, to be held in the autumn of that year, to discuss and specify the nature and object of the association to be formed. A further notice, called a Messenger,” signed by the officers of Sorosis, was sent to women in different ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 31 parts of the country who have conquered an honorable place in reform work, inviting them to give their names for a ‘‘Call ” to a “Woman’s Congress.” On August 23, at a meeting of the Executive Committee of Sorosis at the house of the president, a mass of correspondence was read, giving a voluminous and hearty response to the “ Messenger.” A “ Call ” was accordingly prepared and sent out, signed by nearly a hundred and fifty of the best known women of the day. In this “Call” it was declared that “ At the conference we hope to found an association, at the annual gathering of which shall be presented the best ideas and the most advantageous methods of the foremost thinkers and writers. Therefore we solicit the presence or responsive word of all accordant associations of women, and of women teachers, preachers, professors, physicians, artists, editors, leading capitalists, and practi- cal philanthropists.” In the deliberations at the preliminary meetings it was decided that the object was “ not to secure an enlarged membership, but to gather the earnest few who should constitute a deliberative assembly upon the best interests of their sex,” and it was also resolved “that no one sub- ject should receive undue attention.” Letters of inquiry and encouragement poured in to the committee having the matter in charge, and upward of sixteen hundred letters and circulars were sent to prominent women in this country and Europe. On the evening previous to the first session of the future “ Congress,” a meeting was held of all the signers of the “Call ” then in New York, at which the order of exercises was indicated ; and on the morning of October 16, 1873, a large assemblage of women met at the Union League Theatre, in New York, and proceeded to organize. Mrs. Wilbour declining to 32 SOROSIS : act as president, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore and other offi- cers were then balloted for, a list of which is too long for insertion here and not essential to this brief record. A three days' meeting then followed, ladies only ad- mitted during the day, but both sexes in. the evening. The meetings increased in interest, and elicited great and growing enthusiasm. The following is the list of papers read at the first ‘^Congress": “How Can Women Best Associate?” Julia Ward Howe. “ Enlightened Motherhood.” Augusta Cooper Bristol. “ The Inviolable Home.” C. B. Wilbour. “ The Co-Education of the Sexes.” Mrs. E. C. Stanton, “A Collegiate Education for Women.” Caroline A. Soule. “ No Home and the No Home Influences.” Laura M. Bronson. “ The Higher Education of Women.” Prof. Maria Mitchell. “ Normal Higher Education.” Miss Frances E. Wil- lard. “Woman’s Work in the Pulpit and Church.” Rev. Augusta J. Chapin, and Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford. “ The Relation of Woman to Her Dress.” Mrs. Abba G. Woolson. “ Woman’s Place in Government.” Mary F. Eastman. “ The Enfranchisement of Woman.” Isabella Beecher Hooker. “ The Relation of Woman to the Temperance Cause.” Elizabeth K. Churchill. “Practical Culture.” Emma Marnsedel. ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 33 Kindergarten.” Miss E. P. Peabody. “ Temperance.” Harriet N. H. Goff. “ Endowments for Women's Colleges.” Catharine E* Beecher. “ Of the Needs and Claims of Women Teachers.'’ Catharine E. Beecher. On the Cheering Prospects of Women.” Mrs. Stowe and Miss Beecher. “ Women in the Medical Profession.” Mary Putnam- Jacobi. “ The Relation of Woman’s Work in the Household to the Work Outside.” Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell. Woman in the Legal Profession.” Phebe A. Cousins. There were also letters read from the Crown Princess of Germany, Jean Ingelow, Frances Power Cobbe, Emily Faithful, Alice B. Lee Geyt, Arethusa Hall, M. Mere- wether, Catharine M. Johnston, Rev. Ada C. Bowles, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, C. M. Severance, Catharine A. F. Stebbins, Lina B. Burned of Lausanne, and the ‘‘ Corneclee ” of Florence, Italy. This Association for the Advancement of Women has held an annual Congress ” every year since, in various cities of the North and West, and has done an incalculable work in arousing and stimulating women of various sec- tions to intellectual life and activity. In the spring of 1874 Mrs. Wllbour went abroad, leaving the First Vice-President, Rev. Phebe Hanaford, to fill the presidential chair, which she did with marked ability, contributing many valuable papers to the literary work of the Club, and impressing the strength of her conscience and convictions upon the general tone and spirit of the membership in a very high degree. 34 soRosis : In 1875 Mrs. Croly was re-elected president, a posi- tion she continued to fill up to March, 1886. In May, 1875, a “May Festivar' was held, notable for the num- ber of distinguished men and women it brought to- gether, and also for the presence of the famous jour- nalist and editor who had said in a leading editorial, in 1868, that if a Woman’s Club held together for one year, a good many people would find it necessary to revise their opinion of women. Called upon to retract hi^s opinion, he did so in a complete, honorable, and manly manner. It was in the great banqueting hall at Del- monico’s, on the corner of Fourteenth Street and Fifth Avenue, before the up-town house was built, that the festival was held ; and it was draped with the flags of all nations, while among the guests were Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, of the Woman’s Club of Boston, and leading representatives of all the higher fields of labor in which women are engaged. On this occasion Mrs. Julia Ward Howe told how little she had expected, and how much she had received, of benefit, from her association with a woman’s club. Miss Anna C. Brackett made a memora- ble speech on behalf of teachers and their work ; and brilliant addresses were made by such well known gen- tlemen as Colonel Thomas Knox, Hon. John Russel Young, John Swinton, and others. An extract from the brief address of the president will show the con- structive basis upon which the work of the Club was projected. ‘‘We have invited you here to improve our mutual acquaintance, to extend to you the right hand of fellowship, and to eat with you the salt that represents good will and fraternity. We know that ignorance is the creator of prejudice, and that the more we know the more we can tolerate ; perhaps we have thought that closer ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 35 acquaintance would make those who knew and liked us a little, like us better, and prove to those who have not known us at all, that a Woman’s Club is nothing monstrous or unnatural. Having you here we intend to embrace the opportunity to tell you in a very few words what the principal object of Sorosis is, and of what elements it is composed, and then you can judge in what we are better or worse than the average male club of the period. Our membership is divided up into Committees, the work of which is to keep en rapport with whatever belongs to their department, especially when it relates , to the doings of their own sex ; and in bringing the results to the social meetings of the Club — presenting summaries of the facts, and discussing the questions that grow out of them, so that the knowl- edge of one and the opportunities of one in any direction shall, in a certain sense, become the knowledge and opportunities of all. More- over, properly systematized and understood, the work of the Club will become the history of what is being done by and for women, as well as a record of new events in the world of intelligent activity. We do not paint pictures, perhaps, but we want to know all about those who do, and if it is a woman, what kind of pictures she paints, and if she gets more money than she would for making a shirt or dress. As a club we do not get up dramatic entertainments, but we want to know how the drama affects the interests and welfare of women, socially, mentally, morally, physically and pecuniarily, and whether we want to train our daughters in that direction for a liveli- hood. We are not even much to boast of in the way of philanthropy, for we prefer to find out what have been the results of other people’s giving to giving ourselves, unless it is a case that unmistakably appeals to human sympathy and can’t wait for the discussion of the ‘ question.’ This, gentlemen and ladies, will give you an idea of how we contrive to pass our time shut out from the intellectual masculine occupations of smoking, drinking, and playing cards,” During that year the Committee on Education '' was substituted for Committee on Higher Education, and Committee on House and Home for Sanitary Com- mittee ; a Standing Committee on Journalism was cre- ated, which has since been resolved into the office of 3 ^ soROsis : Journalist/' In November, 1876, a petition was pre- pared and presented by Sorosis to the two great educa- tional institutions of New York City, viz., the University of the City of New York and Columbia College, praying that Test Examinations be organized for women on the basis of those offered by Harvard, and that, further, these schools should grant the advantages of their cur- ricula to young women as well as to young men. It further stated that the step had been taken with a full knowledge of all that a new departure like this involves, and from an earnest conviction that the time had arrived when opportunities should be as freely offered to young women as to young men. It was urged that First — The immediate and obvious advantage of the carrying out of this movement will be, first, to raise the standard of education in our already excellent private schools, and furnish a test of their efficiency, and the character of the work done, of which the public can judge, and which will confer an inestimable benefit upon successful competitors, in the effort to obtain honorable recognition and pecuniary reward." Secondly — This effort is beyond measure important, as being the first in the metropolis which extends that recognition to women already accorded in Boston ; in Ann Arbor, Michigan ; in Syracuse, and other parts of the United States ; and the tardy justice having been done, it ought to be made complete, and worthy of its source, and of New York itself." Thirdly — ‘Tt is beyond question that the city of New York offers the most varied opportunities for the cultiva- tion by women of the arts and the professions ; and it is essentially desirable that its standard of education should be the highest, its provisions the most liberal ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 37 and perfect for preparation for an active or studious career.'’ The proposition was subsequently seconded by a de- termined effort on the part of a large number of the most influential ladies and gentlemen of New York City, and by the strong and earnest co-operation of Dr. Bar- nard, the able president of Columbia College ; but it was not successful. The club life of Sorosis is naturally restricted by its avoidance of the expensive responsibility of a club- house, but its enjoyment has been greatly enhanced by its fortunate and permanent choice of quarters — their agreeable and refined character, and their possession of all needed provision, while imposing only an equal and moderate responsibility. Regular meetings are held twice in every month, on the first and third Mondays ; the first for social purposes — music, the reading of papers and discussion, preceded by a lunch. This is known as social ” day, and to these meetings guests may be invited by members. The third Monday is business ” day. The meetings on these days are sim- ply for the transaction of Club business. They are usually short ; begin at 1 1 a.m., and terminate with, in- stead of being preceded by a lunch. Each social day is under the auspices of a standing committee, which furnishes the literary part of the pro- gramme. I do not use the word entertainment for the reason that these exercises are more for the development and exercise of the talent of the membership than for the mere purpose of amusing an audience. But this very fact, together with the diversity and suggestive- ness, if not decided originality, of the papers and discussions, never fails of exciting interest among in- 38 soROsis : telligent and discriminating women, whether guests or members. As an evidence of the sentiment cherished by absent members, I give a little poem, sent from England for an anniversary occasion, by Ella Dietz Clymer : A SONG FOR SOROSIS. Sweetheart over the sea, What shall I send to thee ? What shall I send to the queen of June? An English rose, or a spring-like tune ? A red, red rose of the summer time Hid 'neath the snows of a winter's rhyme ? Sweetheart over the sea. This would I send to thee — A plaintive song that should make thee sad, A sweet wild rose that should make thee glad. For until thou hast gazed on sorrow’s face Thou never canst know the rose’s grace. Sweetheart over the sea. This would I send to thee — A song that should echo every cry From suffering hearts beneath the sky ; Strong words that might wake thee to hear and know The depth of this world’s wild sob of woe. Sweetheart over the sea. This would I send to thee — A mystic rose whose power should prove That the answer to every grief is love ; Though the thorn may pierce, and the red wound smart. The healing balm lies within the heart. ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 39 Sweetheart over the sea, A rose and a song for thee, But ’neath the snow the blossom lies. And the song is cold as the dull gray skies ; When the clear bright blue shall fortell the spring, The bud will bloom and the bird take wing. Ella Dietz. London, 26, 1876. In the month of March the annual election of officers takes place, and the third Monday of that month instead of being devoted to business is set apart for the An- niversary ” dinner. This is usually a brilliant occasion. The ladies invite guests, and come arrayed, as for a dinner-party, in handsome toilets, and wearing flowers. The tables, too, are adorned with flowers ; and as every member is invited to contribute something — speech, song, toast or story, the after-dinner result is varied and original. Once a year, too, on the third Thursday in January, Sorosis gives a reception and dinner at Delmonico’s, to which gentlemen are invited, and in the exercises of which they participate. The dinner given by Sorosis, and the then ‘‘Press” Club of New York, unitedly, seventeen years ago, was the first great public dinner at which women ever sat down upon equal terms with men, paying their own way and sharing the honors and the exercises ; and the dinners given by Sorosis, upon which occasions the gentlemen have been the guests of the ladies, have been the largest ever given by any associa- tive body in New York City, testing the capacity of the great banqueting hall beyond reasonable limits, and gathering men, as well as women, distinguished in every walk of life. 40 soROSis : One of the functions of Sorosis and kindred societies is the recognition of good work accomplished by women, as some offset to the social marks of distinction bestowed by men upon men. Miss Emily Faithfull was honored by such a reception at the hands of Sorosis on her first visit to this country, and while Mrs. Wilbour was presi- dent ; and almost every woman of eminence who has visited this country, or is known here, has been a guest of the Club, the president, or some one of the members during the past ten years. A memorable occasion was that of a complimentary reception tendered to Mrs. Martha J. Lamb on the completion of her admirable History of the City of New York, a work involving the patient labor and research of more than ten years. Foremost representatives of the histrionic profession have also been thus recognized, while a larger number of well known women in the different professions are enrolled in the membership. Sorosis has never claimed to be a philanthropic or charitable organization ; in fact, it persistently disclaims any benevolent object in its existence, except the general one of collective elevation and advancement. The aim of its philanthropic committee is not so much the execu- tion of philanthropic schemes or the forwarding of in- dividual enterprises, as inquiry and investigation into causes and conditions, with a view to individual en- lightenment, into methods best suited to reduce the amount of evil and suffering, and advance the sum total of right-doing and happiness. Previous to the formation of the Committee on Philanthropy ” as a standing com- mittee, an “Emma Willard Fund '' had been instituted, named for an honorary member of Sorosis and famous educator, the object of which was to provide scholarships ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 41 in some good educational institution, for poor but de- serving girls. One was obtained and given, but some time after the formation of the committee before men- tioned, the remainder of the fund, amounting to a very- few dollars, was transferred to a fund created and held by the philanthropic committee for special purposes. Between 1878 and 1884 there was given by this com- mittee, under the chairmanship of Mrs. Henry Herzman, fifty dollars (1878-9) to the Fruit and Flower Mission free passes to Europe for a consumptive woman and newly-born child ; also a supply of clothing for mother and baby ; fifty dollars by the Club, through the com- mittee, for the yellow fever sufferers at Memphis ; a beautiful floral gift to the West Point Soldiers’ Burial Ground. In May of 1879, a large box of well-assorted clothing was sent to the Mayor of Milton, Penn., for the relief of sufferers by fire in that town. The following autumn six entertainments were projected and carried out by the chairman and her Committee, designed to furnish funds to fit up club-rooms, but the Club, as a whole, not wishing to change its quarters, the proceeds, amounting to seven hundred dollars over and above expenses, were paid over to the treasurer of Sorosis to increase its fund ; at the same time the Emma Willard Fund ” was merged in the “ Committee on Philanthropy,” and the small sum remaining to its credit (four dollars and eleven cents) was increased by the chairman from her private purse to one hundred dollars and made the nucleus of a Philanthropic Fund,” from which fifty dollars was given to the Working Women’s Protective Union.” In 1881, three entertainments were given by the philanthropic committee, the proceeds of which (over expenses) were three hundred and fifty dollars, to 42 soROSis : which Mrs. Pendleton Higgins added a donation of two hundred and fifty dollars. Of the whole amount, two hundred and eighty-one dollars were disbursed on behalf of the Club to needy persons. During the same year a large package of clothing was sent to Michigan, also a large trunkful of garments to the Woman’s National Relief Association, for use at life-saving stations. In 1882 a benefit was projected for the mission church of which the Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford was the then pas- tor, and a lecture, in response to request, kindly given by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, at the residence of the chairman, which netted two hundred and seventy-four dollars, after all expenses were paid. To increase the “Philanthropic Fund,” impaired by liberal donations, the chairman gave at her residence in 1883 an entertainment, the literary part of which consisted of an illustrated lecture on Japan, by the Rev. Mr. Cooper, and the social part, as usual, of a subsequent reception, and collation, of a most enjoy- able character. In December of that year the Club voted one hundred dollars as a Christmas gift to be divided between two charities, the two decided upon being the Children’s Aid and Charity Organization Societies. The same year was given one hundred dollars to a widow as a loan, and one hundred dollars to a member. Ten dol- lars also to a young woman worker in a type foundry, disabled by illness, and the only support of an invalid father. In 1884 and beginning of 1885, one hundred dollars was disbursed, in sums of twenty-five dollars each, to a needy woman artist; twenty-five dollars each to two stu- dents of a technical school, through Dr. Anna Dinsmore French, and one hundred dollars for the funeral expenses of a destitute teacher of elocution. Sorosis also on one ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 43 occasion conducted the funeral exercises of one of its members, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford preaching the funeral sermon, two others. Miss Clara E. Stutsman and Mrs. Clementine Lazar Studwell singing the beautiful hymns, “ Nearer, My God, to Thee,'’ and one of Phebe Cary's. Sorosis also took care, till she died, of a destitute woman, who had been a public reader, and paid a part of her funeral expenses. In the spring of 1885 Mrs. Herzman resigned her chairmanship of the Committee on Philan- thropy, having furnished, each year, excellent papers for discussion on her social day," and leaving, after all the outlay, a balance in bank of three hundred and fifty-three dollars. The following, among the questions discussed, will show the experience and grasp of subject brought to bear upon the philanthropic idea : Does the present system of philanthropy, as adminis- tered by public charity and private benefaction, operate to the best interests of the poor ? " (1883) Resolved^ “That it is more truly philanthropic to furnish the children of the poor instruction in indus- trial arts than in the higher branches of the schools." Resolved^ “ That it is not charity the feeble and imper- fect need so much as aid and opportunity for exercise and development. The results of individual benevolence must always be temporary and partial, since it is a law that everything thrives in proportion to the development of its own powers. While, therefore, we may resort to charity as palliative of existing evils, we must rely on the spread of education, and the knowledge of better prin- ciples, to produce a growth, and public opinion that may permanently remove them." It would be impossible to give even a summary of the club work done in Sorosis 44 SOROSIS : ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. by individual members, but among the public work must be mentioned a series of “ People’s Lectures,” instituted by Miss Sarah E. Fuller, and given principally by mem- bers of Sorosis — Mrs. Prof. Bronson, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, and Dr. Anna Dinsmore French being among the number, in the chapel of Rev, Heber Newton’s church. Mrs. Erminie Smith, when chairman of the Science Committee, also invited participation in a course of studies in Natural History, which received the valu- able aid of Prof. Bickmore, of the Museum of Natural History, and proved highly interesting and instructive. In summing up the work accomplished by women’s clubs, the most important is this : They have opened the door to women everywhere — there are no social activities now from which they are excluded. One can only realize the difference by recalling society as it existed twenty years ago, before the first woman’s club was founded, and women had not yet been admitted, as Alice Cary ex- pressed it, above the salt.” It may also be said in regard to Sorosis that its growth has been steady, the last social meeting of the present club year, February (1886), having been the largest and one of the most successful in its history ; while a request on behalf of the chapters of two Universities, to be per- mitted to organize an ‘‘ Inter-collegiate Sorosis,” taking the name and insignia, is evidence of the intellectual po- sition it has acquired among the educated and aspiring young women of the country.