half-hour every day in
looking over a newspaper.

"I have heard intelligent gentlemen complain of the ignorance of women
about the ordinary public life.

"'They will talk to you,' they say, 'about housekeeping and servants:
they grow eloquent over their children, and sometimes their husbands;
but take them out of the region of home, and they are dull company.'

"The exceptions of those who are up in the literary, political,
scientific, and socialistic world is infinitely small, and all--all
because they will not take the trouble to make themselves intelligent
on the great questions of the day, by reading newspapers."

To go on, however, with what women are doing.

"The New Women's Propylaeum, in Indianapolis, Indiana, is now
completed, and was dedicated January 27.

"This building bears the distinction of being the first one erected by
women not associated as a club or society. Primarily, its use is for
purely business purposes, and secondly, with an educational object in
view. Six or seven women, with Mrs. May Wright Sewall at the head,
have raised the money and carried out the project. It seemed at first
to the public generally like a wild scheme, but the women who had the
matter in hand knew just what they wanted, and made every effort to
carry out their plans successfully. The board of managers is made up
of fifteen women.

"Mrs. Sewall says, 'The building of the Propylaeum has been to all of
us a valuable experience. We have been obliged to meet business men,
and to familiarize ourselves with business methods, and have thus
acquired an education unusual to women. The lot has a frontage of
seventy-five feet, and a depth of sixty-seven feet. The building
contains twenty-one rooms, there being two stories above an English
basement. The lot cost $5,500, and the building complete $22,500,
making a total of $28,000; and $2,000 has been put into furniture. The
front of the Propylaeum is of ashlar and rock-face work, and it is
pronounced a very beautiful structure. The women take special pride in
the kitchen, which is complete in every respect. In the front basement
are two sets of doctors' offices, both of which were rented long ago;
one set to Dr. Maria Gates, and the other to Dr. Mary Smith. Dr. Gates
is a graduate of the Chicago Medical College, and Dr. Smith of the
Michigan University. The latter is physician at the female prison and
reformatory.

"'The east parlor is rented by the Woman's Club, the Matinee