Culture and Women's Clubs 105 



However, in giving principal attention to art and lit- 

 erature, to things of beauty and refinement, Sorosis was 

 criticised as lacking interest in things of present value, 

 was dubbed dilettantish; in short, impractical. 



The same charge is brought against women's clubs 

 to-day, as against many another institution founded for 

 purposes largely ideal or esthetic. It is said that schools 

 and colleges and universities fail to keep up with the 

 times; remain less practical. 



The word practical has a Greek origin and is indeed a 

 vigorous word. It refers to things that ought to be 

 done, that have value when done, or in their doing. 

 Practical things are do-able, directly serviceable ; and 

 practical, so far, stands for activity, for visible action. 



Practical things are good. A moment's reflection suf- 

 fices to show that such are, in our human experience, 

 basic. We must act, we must do something, or we per- 

 ish. The animals act ; actions proceed by instinct even ; 

 at least we shall all agree that action without knowledge 

 is a matter of experience all too frequent. Action is 

 easy; everybody goes in for doing something; we are 

 nothing these days if not practical. We glory in our 

 wireless telegraphs and telephones as practical triumphs ; 

 our auto-cars have transformed not only locomotion but 

 our whole social fabric. People who before had never 

 thought of leaving home now traverse the continent. 



This is Lincoln's birthday, and, careless in the midst 

 of splendor, we contrast the peril that was his ; admire, 

 perhaps, his noble spirit, and then congratulate ourselves 

 that we are free from tasks like his. But surely we are 

 mistaken. All this splendor of modern life, all this 



