New-York tribune., 1868-05-13

tro6Hce his wife or his daughters, and ia which
the pleasures Of the table could be socially
enjoyed at moderate cost. Il is sery bad FOR
men to be much together. AS they grow
gregarious they ARE apt to grow coarse, anc 10
be satisfied with low standard of convef.
sation. They talk horse they talk dog. cher
talk wine and they talk worse, they tell broad
stories, and they crack broad jokes they try
to get away from commercial topics or politics
aud lamentably fail they hnd each other inex.
pressibly stupid, and mudde themselves In ths
desperate effort TO be sociable. We do not
want to write platitudes, but it Is fact that
the presence of women does have an ennObIins
and vivifying effect upon US all. This truth IA
recognized as to tho evening party, and the
domestic dinner party, and why may it not bs
justly applied to life and enjoyment at The
clubs3 No doubt the presence Of ladies thers
would be a restraint, but it would be whole.
some and decent restraint from which we have
no right to wish to escape. ~
The only real advantages of an ordinary
club are its cheapness, i. O.. the comparatiys
elegance which it affords at moderate cost
and its opportunities for social intercourse.
ALI the other features Of club-cards, vino
in excess, gormandizing. smoking Except In
the attic), " free and easy talk and manners
might be dispensed WITH and still leave every
thing to be desired. Some clubs are stupid.
and women would enllven them; some arc
coarse, and women would refine them; some
are given to high play. but that, In the pres
ence Of ladies' is impossible, except at Baden
Baden, and il man must play high he had
better have his wife's eye upon him. Now here
are q plenty of clubable men who want the
presence and society Of women, and here are
a plenty Of women who want club; and ono
party goes off to one place and the other parry
TO another. doubling the expenses and denying
themselves the pleasure and profit of each
others society. Arc we never 10 have any
common sense In our social arrangementsf
Thus much Of mons clubs aud of womens
clubs In general. We should, however, DO
great injustice to the organization which We
are considering Il we failed 10 notice that IL
has undertaken nobler work than that OF
mere social enjoyment These are earnestly
set forth In the speech Of Miss Alice Cary. 1t
is proposed to teach women ITO think for
themselves, TO make them less dependent
and less burdensomey to lift them out Of
"difidence into womanly self-rospect and
" acknowledge" ."to enter Its protest
"against all idle gossip, against ell de-
inoraliEing waste of time against The
"follies and tyrannies Of fashion" These sen
tences sufficiently indicate high moral and
social purpose, to which we fear most of the
clubs Of mankind are strangers. "The Womans
"Club," therefore, as We understand. 10 half
social and bali refOrmstOry and proposes ?
certain distinct and necessary work. which
must be done, sooner or later. by somebody
There is o gravity in this enterprise which,
while 1t is not inconsistent with much social
enjoyment, will elevate the new association
above the rank Of d mere club, and certainly
should win for Il the best wishes Of all Al
any rate, when we read tho speech OF Miss
Alice Cary, we feel that we may fully eonhds
in the good sense, As weIl ss ln the usefulness,
of The Womal's Clubs s1~s