Woman's chronicle., March 03, 1888, Image 1

About Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???

Image provided by: Arkansas State Archives

                
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Vol. I.
WOMAN’S CHRONICLE.
A Weekly Journal, published every Saturday, devoted
to the Interests of Women.
MIBS KATE OUNINGHAM, - - Editor.
<■ Mrs. William Cahoon, Jr., i
Mrs. Mari - B. Brooks, i Associate Edltois.
TERMS: SI.OO PER YEAR IN ADVANCE.
Specimen copies sent on receipt of two-cent stamp. Or the
paper will be sent one m»rth for ten cents.
All remittances should be bv money or postoffice order, and
addressed always to
. WOMAN’S CHRONICLE,
Main St., cor. Second St., Little Rock, Ark.
GREETING.
This little sheet, brand new and bright,
We send, dear friends, to you to-night,
Fraught witli many a wish to cheer;
May you and we live many a year.
May peace, prosperity and wealth.
But, best of all, the blessing health
Be not only yours, bnt ours;
And may the swiftly passing hours
Find us bringing oft to you
Maxims strangely quaint, but true.
Thoughts of others, good and pare, •
Whose lasting Impress shall endure;
Thoughts that will lead the young to choose
The paths of virtue, and refuse
E’er to walk in sins dark ways,
For wisdom gives us length of days.
•Oh, may she guide until we com'’
Safe, sate at last to heaven, our nome.
SALUTATORY.
It is the peculiar province of a newspaper salu
tatory to promise a great many absurd and some
impossible things.
One can generally recognize the article without
a guiding headline by its studied phraseology and
the earnest manner in which the hopeful but im
pecunious editor announces his intention to go
forth presently, sail to the moon, bridle some
stars, pluck some chunks off the universe, and
bring the whole pile unto the feet of the reader,
solely, too, for the reader’s benefit. The idea
that a selfish motive can be connected with the
publication of a newspaper is not to be enter
tained in a salutatory of 1888. So runs the popu
lar brand.
The Woman’s Chronicle, however, announces
now at the very outset that it is radically different
from all other newspapers, and will be published
for purely selfish reasons. The enterprise has
been undertaken with at most but two distinctly
defined motives. The first is to make a little
money; the second is to make a little more
money.
We believe there is a broad field for this paper
and propose to fill the field, whereas it may be
■said that many predecessors have only looked
over the fence. Many weekly papers have been
started and in time ceased to exist, but of all
such, in all probability, there was not one that
deserved to live. The people of Little Rock, and
of Arkansas, will support the first home paper de
voted to the topics of which Woman’s Chronicle
treats.
The name has been selected froiji the fact that
the paper designs to be the reflex of the real life
and spirit of this grand old state; not as an out
sider sees it, but as we see it who are of it. With
this object in view, the topics which will receive
especial attention will be the Woman’s Christian
Temperance Union, Woman’s Exchange, Orphans’
Home, Old Ladies’ Home, Woman’s Auxiliary to
LITTLE ROCK, ARK., MARCH 3, 1888
the Young Men’s Christian Association, and
others pertaining to the elevation of the female
sex, not above their sphere, but in the proper way
—by teaching girls to be self-reliant, self-support
ing. The paper will be devoted to all good
causes, giving both sides to all questions of public
interest, together with an assortment of miscel
laneous matter and smaller topics put together in
a style to attract, “to cheer bnt not inebriate,”
while all manner of hobbies will be carefully
avoided. It is hoped there will be something in
each issue to amuse, instruct and interest every
reader. In order to be fashionable, as news
papers go, the salutatorian had intended to tell a
“gaudy story” about “ our circulation,” but, as
at the moment of writing the ink had not been
purchased for the first issue, it was deemed best
to forego this, the greatest pleasure of a jour
nalist.
In conclusion, Woman’s Chronicle does not at
any time desire to be funny? except in so far as
making a comfortable living constitutes an almost
wild pleasure to a newspaper proprietor.
For all further particulars, please subscribe for
and read our paper, and get your neighbor to do
likewise.
The one enduring word written across the plat
form of Woman’s Chronicle is H-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s.
On the first plank is the letter “H,” for health,
home and humanity, without any one of which
woman’s life is incomplete. “A” represents the
aesthetics of home life and the art of adorning
bomb tha: furnisiits recreati&' from the oft time
monotonous round of duly. “P” means the
power to wield the sceptre in the domestic realm;
to guide the little feet and hands and thoughts in
the right way. It means, again, the perseverance
that is so needful to every effort, and it might
refer to promptness and punctuality, most desir
able of virtues. “I ” means the industry that is
a necessity in the life of a thrifty woman, and re
fers to an idea which may now and then wander
into its columns. “N” represents the nursery,
that little domain of love and anxiety, dear to
every mother’s heart. “E” refers to education;
a broad plank it is, firmly founded and enduring,
as the future will reveal. “S” means the ser
vant question, that perjflexing, soul-harrowing
problem which threatens to engulf woman kind.
It represents, too, the social life, that developer
Os the best in woman’s nature. And now comes
the final “S” ; what means it? can it mean suf
frage ? Is suffrage essential to happiness ? Who
shall decide? who, indeed, — save time? There
are two broad steps that lead to this platform.
On one is written the word “Temperance”;
temperance in everything, it signifies. On the
other step is inscribed in golden letters the word
‘ ‘ Charity. ’ ’ What volumes it bespeaks, and how
entirely al! other virtues are subservient to it, no
one realizes more fully than woman kind.
“ Os making many books there is no end,” and
the same might be said of newspapers, but the
daughters of Arkansas have not, but should have
and take pride in a paper all their own.
The late lamented Mrs. M. W. Loughborough
saw and felt the great want, and, in the face of
many difficulties, undertook and succeeded in
establishing the first woman’s paper in this states
Full many were the trials and tribulations she en
countered, yet through them all she passed with
her strong love and faith for the ultimate success
of the work which she had begun, and which was
relinquished by her only at the Master’s bidding.
At this time there is no paper in the field we
wish to enter, and in making our bow to the pub
lic, we do so feeling that we belong to you, if not
by birth by adoption.
Two of our “ staff ” have seen “ many summers
come and go, many winters wax and wane,” since
they came here to dwell, and although the third
member has been with us but a few years, she is
too well and favorably known to require an intro
duction, having won from the first her place in the.
hearts of young and old.
To the teachers we extend a cordial greeting,
for we have served a number of years in that posi
tion, and one of us is still employed in the school
room. We ask for a warm place in your hearts
and a subscription for Woman’s Chronicle.
“ What are your politics?” is the question put
in reference to this paper. “Do you have suf
frage in your platform?” Suffrage seems to be
the modern stand for the progressive, intelligent
woman to take. Women who have any interest
in politics usually embrace suffrage. But sup
pose, as intelligent women, we enter the arena
tabooing suffrage as we have the tariff, for the
sake of the home women who have no interest in
that direction. Do you remember Helen Hunt
Jackson’s confession, after having been sent to a
wo man’s suffrage meeting to write up a satire for
a leading New York daiiV/ Instead fJf fulfilling
her commission, she confessed to having been en
tirely won over by Lucy Stone’s sweet manner,
and changed her colors forthwith. That was en
tirely a feminine quality in Helen Hunt, and you
will feel inclined to pardon her lack of staunch
ness, even though she adopted the unpopular
heresy.
In this, the initial number, Woman’s Chronicle
makes its bow —its smiling, impartial bow—alike
to encouraging friends, its enemies, if it has any,
and the over-solicitous friends who have mounted
convenient pedestals by the roadway and waved
flaming torches as danger signals to the precipice
beyond. Not easily daunted, Woman’s Chronicle
has pressed on to the beacon light whose bright
rays beam out in the distance and promise success
to courageous and conscientious effort. With the
black flag of this voluntary signal service unfurled
above its head, and with the rain crows shrieking
ever so* defiantly l from the tree tops, Woman’s
Chronicle,.equipped for the storm, still bent upon
its mission, sallies forth to honest purpose, look
ing hopefully to the silver lining that is said to be
the righteous possession of every dark and lower
ing cloud.
We desire to return thanks to the ladies and
gentlemen whose advertising cards appear in this,
our first issue. We are fully sensible of their
kindness and of the confidence reposed in us, and
shall remember them in the future with gratitude,
and always regard them as our Charter Friends.
We shall be perfectly virtuous when there is u»
longer any flesh on our bones.— Margubritb Dk
Valos.
No. 1.