The Summerville news. (Summerville, Chattooga County, Ga.) 1896-current, October 14, 1896, Image 3

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Woman’s Page. Q Women Librarians. The prospective candidacy of Miss Ellen Dortch for the office of state librarian makes interesting all facts pertaining to the success of women as librarians. If appointed she will be the youngest womuu in the coterie of brilliant women occupying the same position in the various states and will doubtless prove her usual ability to succeed in any position she undertakes. Mississippi "was the first southern st ite to recognize the capacity of women as librarians, and Mrs Mary Morancy, of that state, was the first woman distinguished by the appointment. Under the old constitution oi the state of Missis sippi a woman was not eligible to the office of state librarian, as is the present case in the constitution of Georgia. When the democratic party came into power in 1870, through the magnanimity and generosity of the men in power, Mrs. M >rancy was appointed and enjoyed the honor of being the pioneer woman librarian of the southern states. When she assumed the responsi bilities of the office she found the library incomplete, unsystematic in catalogue and overcome with worthless matter. With remarka ble tact and energy she entered into the work of reorganization, and through her management the Mississippi state library assumed a standard second only to that of Massachusetts. She made a study of her department set In order the tattered volumes of value, studied the catalogues of all other state li braries, and offered in exchange any superfluous volumes she dis covered. In mere exchanges she is said to have added many hun dred valuable books, and to have exerted every means to elevate the rank of her \brary to that of any * countiyl The law department is said to be especially complete. In IS9O the law was formally established in Mississippi, making it legal for women to hold the of fice, when the following bill was introduced and passed upon: ‘‘There shall be a state librarian, to be chosen by the legislature on joint vote of the two houses, to serve for four years, whose duties and compensation shall be prescrib ed by law. Any woman a resident of the state, and who has attained the age of twenty years, shall be eligible to said office.” In 1890 Miss Rose Lee Tucker, a young woman of culture and re finement., succeeded Mrs. Morancy. She occupied the position ably for six years, when the present effi cient officer, Mrs. Helen D. Bell, was appointed. She is the young est surviving daughter of the Hon Wesley Drane, who was one of the most prominent men of Mississip pi. While still young, Mrs. Bell was left a widow with the respon sibilities of a family. She was the first woman in the state to take the civil service examination and re ceiving a very high grade was ap pointed to a position of responsi bility in the Jackson post ftice. Not long afterwards she was ap pointed state librarian, her ap pointment meeting with the wildest enthusiasm in the house of repre sentatives. Mrs. Bell is a woman of unusual literary attainments, and wonder ful business qua'ifications She is beloved socially and universally popular officially. Among the many women throughout the country occupying positions of state librarian are: Mrs. Jai.e Ingram, of Nashville, Tenn ; Miss Susie E Dorsey. Car son City, Neb.; Mrs. L. C. Creigh ton, Des Moines, la.; Mrs. Helen M. Nixon, Denver. Col.; Mrs M C. Taylor, New Orleans. La.; Mrs Mary C. Spencer, Lansing. Mich.; Mrs. M. B. R Day. Frankfort, Ky ; Mrs. May L. Wood, Boies City, I daho. “MAYBE A SERMON— MAYBE A SONG.” This is a time of the year when wo men are planning and thinking a great deal about new clothes. The woman who has devoted most of the summer to serious work or study, and who is counted an “advanced” woman is not ! open to the charge of being unwomanly if, when the leaves begin to turn, her thoughts also begin to turn to new at tire. Many a fair head is gravely bent in some sunny corner these autumn days, and one wonders what serious problem is occupying the space behind the smooth white brow and thoughtful eyes. It is quite likely that a ways and means committee of busy little plans for dainty clothes are gathered there. She is going to have one sim ple black frock because she knows it makes her soft throat and fresh face almost dazzling. How does she know? V'hy, Jack told her she looked well in black, and his eyes said much more. And she smiles and pictures the pretty frock, and beneath it her daintily shod feet on the hearth some winter’s eve ning; and beside them a distinctly masculine pair of feet-Jack’s, of course. We all smile this time. People smile at women’s weakness for pretty clothes as if it were a real weakness. I regard it in another light, whatever may be the views of the man who pays the bills. Since, for climatic and other reasons, we must wear clothes they should be as charming as possible. You remember in ‘-Hamlet” Polonius advises his son, Laertes, in regard to his clothes: “Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy: rich not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man.”— and much more the woman. It is true that many brilliant women are careless about dress, but these are exceptional, and one feels instinctively that charm ing and tasteful attire is a sort of index to attractive mental qualities of the wearer. Doubtless most women have long since discovered by actual exper ience, that a reasonable amount of time spent on dress was not time wasted, at least so far as immediate results are concerned. Men are al ways appreciative. I should want to live in the country always where I couldn’t sec many people if nobody paid any attention to clothes. 1 should think that love was dead and people were no longer inter ested in each other. In this connec tion one might mention the notable fact that in all the kingdom of animals, with the sole exception of mankind, the male displays more brilliant ..nd marked coloring than does the female, where there is any difference In color ing at all. There would seem then, to be something contrary to nature's in tentions in the extravagant coloring and fashion of woman's attire as con trasted with the plainness of men’s. Among the various reasons for it the following will do, as well as any, to mention here. In the comparatively early days of our race men and women dressed alike according to the prece dent established in the Garden by that unlucky first pair. Then the men went to war with each other—they did that from the start, but when they be gan to own anything less bulky than land aud cattle, the victors came home from battle laden with barbarous orna ments of gold and fine cloth stuffs. Having no other safe place to keep them they loaded their women with thesi valuables. And that was how it :.11 began, ages and ages ago. How it will end nobody kuows, but it is easy to see the present drift of dress. Straws—and bloomers—show which way the wind blows. You might have guessed this would end up with bloomers. A contemplation of woman's dress naturally suggests a re form. True, I began by extolling frills and the feminine love of them, but a charming and tasteful dress does not always mean the fashionable dress; ;ind in the love of pretty things I only see that innate longing tor tbe beauti ful that all of us possess to a greater or less degree. The ideal dress is one that fulfils its only reason for existing that of protecting the body, and allows free play for the limbs and a perfect development of the body. That is why we need dress reform. The needs of mankind in the matter of clothes and food are very simple, indeed, and when we go beyond our actual needs in these things and burden our bodies for pleasure or display, degeneration begins. This is one of the drawbacks of civ il-’zatiun, I suppose. You will observe that wardrobes dwindle in proportion to the lack of civilization, until the South Sea islander considers a necklace of teeth and a string of fringe quite good enough for any social func tion which he may attend. Then, representing the other extreme, is our effete civilization, and our women so swathed with skirts and stays that they do not know what freedom of body means. It is true that the aver age woman knows nothing of the de light of unrestricted motion; of walk ing, riding and swimming for miles, aud drinking in barrels of pure, fresh air, instead of the tea and tonics she l usually imbibes. What wc need is original and daring women—women who think—women who know what to wear and how to wear it, who are independent enough to do what they know, The cranks and “queer” peo ple of today are the pioneers of fifty years hence. But in the case of some pioneer it would take a distance of about fifty years to lend any sort of enchantment to them. I remember seeing an old picture of the original Mrs. Bloomer in the original pair of the garment that bears her name. She was no doubt a very excellent woman; she had the right idea about the need of reform and she possessed courage suf ficient to carry it out, but she made a dreadful guy of herself. But she was a pioneer in a good cause and the bloomer girl of today, if she thinks of her at all, should venerate her memo ry.—Oh, no! I am not advising the adoption of bloomers as regulation at tire. I believe in dressing as the sea son and one’s occupation requires, so that the body will be perfectly free to perform its duties and functions with ease and strength. And believe me, mes dames, a healthy body means a healthy mind, and these are far more beautiful than the trappings of fashionable modesty. The whirligig of time brings many changes, and in this case 1 think the whirligig is a bicycle and it will bring a change to healthier notions about dress. To speak in the fashion of an allegory, not many years hence all of the women will come forth from the tents of slothfulness, where they grow fat and narrow-minded for want of ex ercise, and will convert the barbarous gold the men bring home from the modern commercial battles into bicy cles. And they will make the fine cloth into bicycle costumes, and they will no longer worship the golden calves of mammon but will prefer those of good bone and muscle, that stand one in good stead. And they will go about in the evening looking like Greek goddesse with their beautiful, straight bodies and clinging draperies. Then will civilization have succeeded in making both ends meet . E. C. The Rome Georgian’s recent anni versary edition is noteworthy as being one of the brightest and most readable issues of that bright paper. The Georgian is one year old and has lost the awkardness of a new comer, wearing instead, the air of one whose place is assured in the journalistic world, and whose merit is established. The paper is essentially a woman's pa per and gives more space to the inter ests of women generally than it does to politics from a feminine spandpoint. The editor. Mrs. Beaulah S. Mosely, is a charming woman and allows her individuality full play in all depart ments of her paper. For this reason it possesses a very pleasant personal flavor. I admire the paper and its ed itor because both are womanly, and are living proofs of the fact that a wo man can “do something” and still be womanly and charming—two things that women can ill afford not to be. Mr. Dabney Dougherty, of Rome, who is a student in the school here, and Mr. W. G. Raoul, of Atlanta, ran a race on Main street here Monday morning, in which Mr. Raoul was beaten rather badly. The latter rode his bicycle and Dougherty ran on foot. Many of the spectators thought Mr. Raoul’s defeat due to the unlucky slip ping of one of his tires which gave way when he sprang on the wheel, and rendered high speed impossible. But for this ill luck the race might have ended differently, and would certainly have been closer. Mr. Dougherty has quite a reputation as a sprinter, hav ing won all the races he has been in here, besides winning in Rome on sev eral occasions. Our specialties —three distinct and superior lines —Dress Goods, Clothing and Shoes. You cannot afford to miss either. Hollis & Hinton. Memoriam. Upon the stilled air of the sultry August is borne to me the sad in telligence that once again the sil ver chord has been loosed and the pitcher broken at the fountain— that the pure, unselfish spirit of Miss Viola Gilmer has returned to the God who gave it. A shadow falls across the sunshine, the odor ous breezes lose their sweetness, and from the sorrow in my heart rises the instinctive desire to pay loving tribute to her memory. Four winters have come and gone since we became friends, and each succeeding one, I have watched with no ordinary interest and pleasure the development of this noble char acter into the true character which is builded only by the divine aid of our blessed Master. The fifth winter will feel strange ly sad without the cheerful letters, and vain will be the longing “for the touch of a vanished hand, and the sound of a voice that is still.” But the angels keep better watch than I, and with them she dwells forevermore from all earthly care and pain; and though vain will be the longing for her bright face here, her loved ones are made to rejoice in the thought that they will meet her beyond the river. Modest in disposition, gentle and kind in spirit, true to every principle of right, hers was a char acter whose beauty will live not only in this world, but throughout the cycles of eternity. In the gar den of her youth there were no un sightly tares to hide the golden grains of an abiding love —no clouds to obscure the faith that gave her strength for all disap pointments. She has gone from the little city among the mountains, with its material charms, to one more beau tiful and enduring, even the crSy ■ of gold, whose turrets gleam with ! precious stones, and whose flowers are the blossoms of immor tality, bedewed with the crystal waters of everlasting life. She has gone from the hearthstone of her kindred to the mansion “whose builder and maker is God.” Her anthems of praise will never again be heard in the church among the stately oaks, but she sings a paean of celestial triumph amidst the groves of Paradise. On the hearts of those who loved her there is and will be a sadness that only the consolation of the Redeemer can remove, for He him self hath promised to wipe our tears away. None but those who have been similarly bereft can fully understand and appreciate the utter sense of loneliness that must have been the portion of her family when they realized that the charmed circle of home was again broken. My warmest sympathies goes out to them with the prayer that they may find the roses of mercy intertwining the rod of be reavement. May her friends learn well the beautiful lesson of her life, and when each pilgrim shall have lain his burden down, “Lord Jesus grant us a place with thee at home in heaven.” Allie Ozmer. Lithonia, Ga. Dalton District. Nove über Quarterly conference ; will be held at Subligna Friday before ! the first Sunday. Summerville circuit at Raccoon mills Ist Saturday and Sunday. Trion station, first Sunday night and Monday night. Spring Place, at Spring Place Friday before second Sunday. Murray circuit, at McCamy’s second Saturday and Sunday. Broomtown, at Macedonia third Sat urday’ and Sunday. Kensington, at .Liberty Tuesday af ter. Tunnel Hill circuit, at Tunnel Hill Thursday after. Ringgold circuit, at Bethel Friday. LaFayette and Chickamauga at La- Fayette fourth Saturday aud Sun lay. Annual conference at Dalton Novem ber "25. Trustees will present written reports Stewards will press collections. Pas tors will expect brethren to respond liberally to collections to be made by them. This is my fourth and last year. Let us make it the best. H. J. Adams, P. E. sg gStg®®®® h LOVEMAN’S. | Finest Dressmakiiig in the Seuth. | J Exquisite Millinery, Jackets and Capes, g & —lmmense Carpet Department. | g —o — & H w F,NE jk % DRESS GOODS, M \ SILKS, RIBBONS, H $ LACES, GLOVES, | . CORSETS, ETC.S | It l • ALSO A & ’ ART DEPARTMENT. § A EM BROIDERY, SILKS,& & j S - STAMPED PIECES, ® g ZEPHYRS, ■■ —o — & Write for Catalogue. gR | D. B. LOVEM/VN go. S ® CHATTANOOGA, TENN. gi®®®®®® »B®®®®®i®®®®®®i®®®®®®j® WHEN IN ROME Do As Romans Do —TRADE WITH — F. J. ME & CO. The Largest Stock of New Goods. The Best Assorted Stock. Many Things Away Under Price! All Wool Filling Jeans 12 i=2C. 9oz “ “ “ •Gc 4=4 AAA Sheetings 4 and 4 I=2C Best 27 in Cotton Plaids 5c $1.50 Climax Shoes at only SI.OO Turkey Red Prints 3 «=2C Boys’ Knee Pants Suits 90c Bed Blankets, only 20c Mens’ Under Shirts 15c Ladies’ Winter Vests 10c These are a few of our prices and it will pay you to look here before you buy. Come to Rome, goods cheaper than ever before. Hake our place your head= quarters. We want to see you. F. J. KANE & CO., 248 Broad Street, Rome, Ga. RIP-AN’S ul - The modern stand- ard Family Medi- * cine: Cures the “ common every-day - ills of humanity. I ® | I «£ Scientifio American L& Agency rU _ AVEATS, I B- * trade marks, DESIGN PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, etc. For Information and free Handbook write to MUNN <c CO., 3€l Broadway, New Yobk. Oldest bureau for securing patents fn Amertca- Bvery patent taken out by us is brought before the public by a notice given free of charge in th© tdartific jtottrirau Largest cirenictfon of any scientific paper In the world. Splendidly illustrated. No intelligent man should be without Ik Weekly, 83.00 a year; tl JO six months. Address, MUNN * CO., FvauanxM, SOI Broadway, New York City.