The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-12
How Young Buoks Amused ThomsoIveu

How Young BuoI<s Amused Themselves
80 tr-.;' tr-.' m Old Plnes, s,-s.,,s.s,,.. ss~,
Victor Ha an his new novel, "The
Man Who iiSaughs, ?. thus refersito. some
OF the clubs of the young aristocrnoy that
sneceeded the revolutionary clubs under
To the republican had succeeded the
monarohial clubs. They amused. them
selves decently therein. 81 .s
There was the She -Romps Club. They
caught in the e'~eet woman, q. passer-
by, OF the middle class, rs young and as
good-looking as they could get; they
pushed her by force into tine club, and
there made her walk on her hands, her
feet in the air, her face hidden by her
dropping petticoats. IF she took it in
dudgeon, they lashed little with the
riding-whip that part which was not oon-
cealed. The squires Of this order of
horse'breakers called themselves "The
Friskers."
There was sheet-lightning Club, me-
taphorically the Merry-Dancers. Ne.
groes and whites danced here the nicnn.
| les and the hmtirim6ds of Peru, notably
the Mozamala, the doxy's dance, which
has its crowning feature in the dancing
girls sitting down on a heap of meal.
upon which she leaves the imprint of the
Callipyge.
There was the Hell-fre Club, where
they played at being impious. It was a
tournament of sacrilege. He'll was here
set up ut auction to the most blasphe-
nous.
There was the Butting Club, so-called.
because they gave butts to people. They
picked out some porter with an immense
brisket and idiotic look. They offered
him, aud if necessary they forced him to
take, pot of porter for allowing them
to give linn four butts in the breast; and
thereupon they laid their wagers. Once
man, heavy brute of q Welshman,
named Gogangerdd, died at the third
butt. This looked serious. There was
an inquest, and the jury brought in a
verdict "died of expansion of the heart,
caused by excessive drinking" Go
gangerdd had. indeed drunk pot of
porter.
There was the Fun Club. Fun is, like
cant, like humor, an exceptional, un-
translatable word. Fun is to farce what
allspice ls to salt. To enter dwelling,
smash the costly mirrors, slash the fami-
~ portraits, poison the dog, put the cat
In the aviary, this was called s'cuttinp
out piece of fun" To spread false
report of bnd news which should put
people needlessly in mourning, this was
fun. Under James II, a young lord. a
millionaire, who had set fire, at night. to
straw-thatched cottage, filed London
with laughter, and was proclaimed King
OF Fun. The poor devils of the straw
matched cottage escaped in their night
dresses. The members of the Fun Club.
all OF the highest aristocracy, wandered
about London Mt an hour when the citi-
zens were asleep, took the shutters of
their hinges, cut the pipes of the hy-
drants, caused the cisterns to cave in,
took down the signs, laid waste the flow
er-beds, cxtinguished the street lamps,
sawed asunder the main props of houses,
broke the squares of glass in windo VS.
especially in the quarters of the poor. It
was the rich who thus treated The wretch
ed. That was why no complaint was
possible. Besides, there was something
comic in it. These manners have not
yet wholly disappeared. In different
parts OF England, and of the English
possessions-at Guernsey, for example
from time to time, they lay waste your
hour house little at night. break down
your fence, wrench off your door-knock-
er, &c. Ii the offenders were poor, they
would be sent to Jail; but they are esti-
mable young gentlemen.
The most distinguished of the clubs
was presided over by an emperor, who
carried crescent on his forehead. and
was called the "Great Mohock." The
Mohock surpassed the fun. To do harm
for harms sake-such was the pro.
gramme. The Mohock Club had this
noble aim: to be mischievous. For full
filling this duty, all means were good.
On becoming Mohock you were bound
by oath to do mischief. To do mischief
at oil hazards--no matter when, no mat.
ter what, no matter how-was the obi
cation. Every member of the Mohock
Club was expected to have his special
talent. One was dancing MASTER
that is to say, he made clodpolls frisk
about by pricking their calves. with his
sword. Others were skilled in "sweat.
ing"'-that is to say, the getting UP u
circ.e of six or eight gentlemen, rapier
in hand, around some low scamp being
surrounded on all sides, it was innpossi.
bic that the scamp should not turn his
back upon some one of the party:, the