The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-11-25
Social, Married and Club Life in
London.

GEORGE w. HILLARD, of Boston, writes
the following pleasant account OF social,
married and club life in London:
am at No. 81 st. James street, give
you the street and number because wish to
recommend the house l have sitting room,
bed room and dressing room, for which
| pay guinea and half week. They
are in the fourth story; the rate of payment
lessons as you go up, and the same accom-
modations on the second story, on the first
floor would be more than double. Besides
the above amount, pay a shilling day for
attendance. Breakfast and tea are furnished
when l desire very good, at reasonable
rates.
In the same street Horace Walpole once
lived, and Byron before his marriage once
lodged. Out of my window can see the
house in which Gibbon died. A few rods
off is st. James Square, in which George
III. was born, and where the Duke of Rox-
bury lived, and collected that memorable
library, the memory of which is SO precious
to every bibliomaniac. In King street,
which leads from ST. James street to St.
James Square, the Emperor OF the French
lodged when an exile in England. A cab
stand is before the door, postoffice is close
by, the Wellington, one OF the best restau.
rants in London, is nearly opposite; so that
nearly all the wants OF a stranger and
way-faring man are easily supplied.
My way of life is that of hundreds and
thousands of others in London, not merely
sojourners but residents; many of them
men of birth and breeding, but not possessed
OF an income sufficient to enable them to
marry-for marriage here upon small in
come is solemn thing-who have no homes,
or rather houses, Of their own, and pass
their lives in lodgings in London, varied by
excursions upon the continent Or visits to a
friends house. 1t is a manner OF life not
without its dangers, and not very conducive
to the growth of the higher qualities Of the
character its isolation, and the custom OF
living for and by ones self are apt to en-
gender habits of hardenss and selfshness.
But there is one element in tie life of such
a man which have not stated ; he would,
almost invariably, be member of some one
of the many clubs, which are such charac-
teristic of modern London life.
In his club he would find all the material
comforts of the most luxurious home, at a
very moderate expense-a we'll chosen libra
ry, all the leading reviews, magazines an
newspapers, foreign and domestic; pen, ink
and paper the attendance of well trained
servants and besides these he may take all
his meals at the club, and upon any scale Of
expense that be chooses. These clubs are
successful applications OF that principle OF
aggregation or combination which lies at
the bottom of so many of the socialistic
schemes of the present day; the principle is
right, and the only question is how far it
can be carried, any farther than it has been
done IN the London clubs? The principle
is, that which is done can be done more
cheaply, in proportion to the numbers, than
what is done for one YOU can feed or
warm hundred for sum less than q hun
dred times what it takes to warm one. A
thousands persons club together and pay
seventy five dollars each this will erect
and furnish large, handsome building, and
then each Of these persons will pay thirty
dollars year, which will supply an income
to carry it on. Though thousand persons
have right to use club, yet not more
than fifty OR a hundred are actually using it
at one time.