[Letter] March 13,1887,Smth College [to F.H. Giddings]

March 13, 1887, Smith College.

Dear Mr. Giddings,
           Last evening
Mr. Cable, Prof. Pillsbury and I
had a preliminary meeting to
prepare for a more public
meeting the object of which is
to extend the Home Culture
Clubs and to lay out work for
them. I suggested that, as
young men are particularly hard
to hold, and as they would
be greatly interested in economic
subjects we might furnish
an inducement for the
continuance of the work by
putting into the hands of each
circle pursuing economic
study copies enough of Work
and Wages to furnish collateral
readings and keep up the
interest in the club study.
This would be, in a small
way, carrying out the original
plan of making W & W the
organ of the movement.
Perhaps Mr. Bryant could give
us special rates on such as
we should thus distribute, as
we should order them in
gross. Mr. Cable fell in very
heartily with the suggestion.
I think he will be forced
soon to publish his account of
the movement as letters of
inquiry we showering on him.
The plan of distributing them among the
young working men rather strengthens me in
the impression that the sub-title might be
advantageously modified; for I find myself rather
shrinking from offering to these young men
what they may regard as a plea for capital, in
so far as it addresses them, though it is a
plea also for labor, in so far as it addresses their
employers. I would rather have them receive it
as an ordinary economic journal with no
missionary purpose. What do you think? Imagine
the work going on in Springfield in your own personal charge,
and kindly tell me what would then be your impression.

              Yours Very Truly,
                    J. B. Clark

P.S. By having so declared missionary purpose
I do not, of course, mean that the genuine
missionary work should be abandoned, but
simply that that work may be done to
better advantage if the nature of it is not
proclaimed in advance. I once heard an English
preacher say, in a sermon to steerage passengers on a
ship, "we have come down here to try to do you
some good." He certainly could have done more good
by concealing the benevolent intention and speaking as
an ordinary preacher. Excuse all this again. I know
your judgment can be trusted in the matter.