The Woman of to-Morrow by Helen M. Winslow

It has been the fashion, and is still with a certain class of people, to disparage the woman's club. They say the club is a place where gossip and backbiting flourish, and the virtues of love and charity and tolerance are chiefly conspicuous by their absence. I have even known a brilliant lecturer, who depends for her audiences on these same women's clubs, to refuse to lend a hand in any active work, saying she "did not believe in women's clubs, because the members are selfish, self-seeking and trivial; because the club women are all envious and uncharitable."

Now, isn't this sweeping accusation rather unjust? When we look about and see what women have accomplished for their own sex since the clubs were established; when we look about and see what the clubs are really doing to-day for their communities; when we count up the libraries, the improved sanitary conditions of towns and cities, the increased educational advantages; when we realize the increased average intelligence of the average woman who belongs to current events classes and literary clubs; when, in short, we note the broadening of character in the average individual club woman, is this a fair statement?