Now there are several Feminine Clubs which are successfully existing in London already. But they all have something to be said in their disfavour as well as in their favour. The Pioneer Club is more nearly like New York's brilliant Sorosis Club than any of the others. But it has very many narrownesses about it. The founder, the late Mrs. Massingberd, was a faddist.' She had many sterling qualities of heart and head, but she was rather given to trying to make over her own sex, on different lines. These lines were not any better than the old order of things. And much of her work was handicapped of dress. "She dot herself up as nearly like by her own personality in the matter
man as possible, yet she was in no senso masculine woman in her nature. People were -often put off the Club in any idea of membership, because they had an impression that the members like the President were danish in appearance and in mental attitude. This is a great mistake. Above all else my sex owes its chiefest charm to femininity. Men sneer at women who try to ape them in dress and manners. They talk to such women, but only very poor spirited specimens of men ever marry them. And then Mrs, Massingberd would not allow a bottle of even the lightest claret to be served at a dinner. You asked a gentleman friend to dine, and you compelled him willy-nilly to drink cold water, or hot water with a slice of lemon as a wild debauch. Then after dinner you sent him out to the sidewalk to smoke his cigar or cigarette. True, yor his hostess, might retire to the ladies' sine ing-room for your cigarette, but woe betide you if you invited a masculine to share the privilege! To excludea bottle of light wine, yet keep a smoking-room on hand at a ladies' Club seems incongruous. But imaginable. the smoking woman and the masculine clad woman are twins. Mrs. Massingberd made a will, by which her rigid views on temperance are to be continued in the fature conduct of the Club, else her money is to be drawn out at once. In these days when the occupations of women are becoming more and more wide in their scope, when they are painters, authors, wood-carvers, journalists, ete., etc., they often are obliged to cut adrift from the home.cirele if they have one, and live 4 la bachelor in chambers, or modest furni ished lodgings. Tt is not always possible task a gentleman to dinner in their own "diggings," even did Mrs. Grundy approve.
remains then that the hostess must be-ong toa Club where she can entertain in quiet dignified way, yet retain her femininity. No one temperance workers more than I do; but I value freedom still more, and although I may elect to drink hot water, that is no reason to force it ona guest at_my dinner table., I hope Mrs. Wynford Phillips, who is a clever and ing woman of the world, will not carry Pioneer Club ideas into her own and Sir Walter Besant's new Club scheme.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.