Minutes 29 February 1904
Item
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Title
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Minutes 29 February 1904
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Description
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[Page 1] Our last meeting in February was called to order in Mrs. Martin’s hospitable parlor on Monday, the extra day of this leap year, the preceding Friday; our regular day, having been so inclement as to make a postponement advisable. Only eight members were present, tho our depleted ranks were most pleas antly filled by four guests, we still felt the loss of the absentees. The greatest gap was made by the absence of the secretar &; consequent lack of any minutes of the preceding meeting. Notwithstanding this loss & the Unavoidable omission of several other numbers on the program, our hostess proceeded as usual in making her meeting a delightful one. The unaccustomed secretary was
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[Page 2] continually forgetting her duties & so let slip a number of interesting events items given in answer to roll call. Miss Holt gave a concise report of current events, tho she complained that the papers contained nothing but Russia and Radium. An investigation of the story of Cinderella reveals the fact that there are several hundred versions of this delight of childhood. Montenegro is the only European country whose literature is the poorer for not possessing it. Japan’s interpretation is pronounced the best. The publication of a daily paper on ship in mid-ocean is the latest wonder made possible by wireless telegraphy. The Author for the afternoon was Wm. R.A. Wilson who was born in central Ill., graduated at Williams College
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[Page 3] & later received the degree of M.D. After practicing for several years he abandoned his profession, surely a false step! He has contributed frequently to Munsey & other magazines with poetry & short stories. He claims the distinction of having the largest collection of rejected manuscript in the world! A Rose of Normandy is his first novel-the Ladies hoped it would be the last. It was pronounced so mediocre & unfruitful as a subject of discussion that it was tabled without a dissenting vote, & Mrs. Martin substituted an interesting account of real characters portrayed in fiction. A novelist does not often evolve from his own brain, alone, the characters of his story they are usually a more or less truthful reproduction of people whom he has known, his
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[Page 4] friends perhaps, & often the traits of several are combined in his hero or heroine. Frequently the likeness is easily recognized by friends, or even the person themselves. Mr. Micawber, it is said, is none other than Dickens’ father. Sam Weller is a prominent actor of that day, a familiar figure on the street’s of London. Hawthorne & Byron impersonated themselves, in Miles Coverdale & Childe Harold Dante wrote his enemies in hell. Raphael painted them there. The historical novel, so called, is often more of a hindrance than a help in strengthening one’s knowledge of history. The only safe way to begin such a book is with a pretty accurate idea of the period in history it covers, that we may distinguish the author’s padding from real events. Mrs. Smith
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[Page 5] gave a few thoughts from Hamilton Mabie on “How to Know Good Books” & “What a Novel must be.” Mrs. Dupuy criticized the commercial book making of the day deploring the fact that writing books has become a trade not an art. Schools have even been started to teach novel writing! The refreshments, tho unconstitutionally elaborate, were par excellence; & the offense was condoned, as quite justifiable, when it was learned that the lovely salad set was new.
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Subject
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Women-North Carolina-Davidson-Societies and clubs.
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Books and reading.
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Women-Societies and clubs.
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North Carolina-Davidson.
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Creator
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BookLovers Club
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Publisher
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Davidson College
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Date
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29 February 1904
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Rights
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For permission to reproduce image, contact archives@davidson.edu
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Language
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eng
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Type
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Text
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Identifier
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bl-033
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Coverage
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1904
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4049696
