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Show For a Women's Rest Room Loganitcs Might do For Farmers' Wives What Oskaloosa, Kan., is Doing. Oskaloosa, Iowa, has many claims to distinction besides a beautiful name and the official residence of Kissick, Patriotic Instructor of the Grand Army of the Republic, It has what Car-hondale, Car-hondale, Kansas, has noti nnd what every town needs a "rest room" wliero fnrmers' wives may stay while their husbnnds arc indulging in-dulging in man-talk. Mrs. Elin W. Pcnttie, who crowns n successful suc-cessful literary career by painstakingly pains-takingly reading these editorials, thus writes of a glimpse shehad of this beneficent chamber when she happened to he in Oskaloosa one hob spring day: "I wandered wander-ed about 'the town 'for to admire,' ad-mire,' and so chanced to observe that the farm women turned into the basement of tile City Hall. The place was a 'rest room.' I think I went down a step or two into a beautifully clean whitewashed white-washed room. -There wns a rug on the Cement floor, and there were muslin curtains at the window. win-dow. Half n dozen rockers and several other easy chairs were in 'this room; the table was spread with the latest magazines and the local papers; there were a few shelves of books on the wall, and some more than agreeable pictures, pic-tures, and a clock , which was really keeping time. Out of this room opened an apartment supplied sup-plied with three long tables, twenty or more dining chairs, and a sofa. The tables were covered cov-ered with clean newspapers, nnd on them were sprend the luncheons lunch-eons which tho fnrm women had taken from their baskets. Opening Open-ing out of the sitting-room was n Inrge toilet, generously supplied sup-plied with clenn towels, sonp, combs, etc. A motherly woman presided over these rooms, and supplied me with a drink of water; wa-ter; a fan, and some excellent information." in-formation." The Mrcst-room" idea in Oskaloosa Oska-loosa originated with' the -woman's club of the place. A delegation dele-gation had visited, the town council and secured an appropriation appropri-ation and the attractive basement rooms. "I do not know the division di-vision of expense," writes Mrs. Peattie, "but, between the club and the council, the matron had her wage, tho place was heated, supplied with literature, growing plants, and clean linen, and not only the farm women, but the girls from the telephone office, and tho stenographers from the city offices, ond the clerks from the shops, had their placo of meeting. Here they could enjoy that sociability which s needed for the Christian digestion of a meal and refresli themselves. The pictures were reproductions of masterpieces. The boohs were good enough for the best to read. The cradle wns dainty enough for anybody's baby. .It gave me, a sojourner, a very friendly feeling. feel-ing. It not only rested my body, but, what was much more to the point, it warmed the cockles of my heart. I fancy that the women's wo-men's clubs, which have, and realize re-alize that they have, too little connection with reality, often, would be only too glad to have such an honest, disinterested, practical piece of work to do, if only, the idea occurred to them. It's a piece of beneficence of a distinctly feminine order. And any town could have its rest room any town with merchants who want the trade the women bring." Collier's. |
