, 1874-07-12
The Eptccne Club.

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singing, free-nnd-easy club Of artists and Bohe
mlans: the grave, dialectical club OF politicians
aud scholars; tho silent, busineBs-llke clul
where whist is treated as one Of tho important
occupations Of life, and substantial Gums O.
money change hands over the rubber as method
ically al On settling-day in the House; the bust
ling, noisy, betting club where TURTLES discuss
the merits OF tho favoritc in language of strange
construction, and where each member is in c1.
elusive possession Of the " straight tip which
will s'bring him home,'' and warrant his "put.
ting on the pot;" the mere club which is moth
ing but club, "a place for convenient dinners,
for the newspapers and magazines, 3 good ad-
dress for the miserable bachelor, and a safe re-
treat for the barasscd Benedict these arc
al nothing compared to the last new thing pro-
posed; namely,
THE EP1cESE CLUB
where men and women may meet aud receive
their private letters. make appointments of
which NO ono knows but themselves, eat their
mutton-chops, and discuss the affairs OF Europe
together, without fear of Airs. Grundy or sub
mission to the ordinary restraints of the d1aw-
ing-room.
The propoeers Of this new fusion are about to
mako q bold cxperiuscn.,-if indeed they get u
sufficiently large following 20 bo aoie to maize it
at al for we fancy that 1uore beside ourselves are
doubtful OF It's SUCCESS and 1t may be that those
who desire it most orc Just those whose support
is least desired by the promoters It is of course
possible that it may succeed when put in wor1-
ing order. and experience alone can dotormine
how much vitality and feasibility it possesses.
But, viewing it from distance and as impartial
TOT
chances, it ecems to us matter bristing with
difficulties Of all kinds. At the very outset, the
details Of membership will be hard to arrauge,
aud the wcrk OF the Committee will be- We should
think, az pleasant ~ walking over burning plow-
rha.es or dancing among eggs; for the coudl-
tlons Of ineliginiiity must either be so elastic
as to incluio nlany doubtful elements, Or
go rigid H.: to peril the commercial
success Of the scheme by csclusiveuess. T.,
either case, will the majority Of women care to
submit themselves to the chances OF rejection
with the slar that will he assumed to be implied
iii that rejection? Mon arc accustomed 10 this
Kind OF lhlst5 and arc not hurt by it, but women
are not accustomed to it. md are sensitive and
it is scarcely probable that Tho lsdy-,a1didate
for adnlission luto the Epicene Club, *ho las
been blackEGlIed by an overwhelming majority.
will accept her denial with good grace tho
ordinary man in th3 earue Position. She will
feel that it IS somehow
DISGRACE, AN 1MpuTAr1oS, SLIGHT;
and her friends Will feel SO too, and will resent
Aor rejection az al insult. The explanation
that abe is not considered clubable sors Of per-
sou, will carry no roght with it, aud no enc Will
lie able to fall back on the im7orscnal objection
of her profession aud its already redundant rep.
1eacntation in tho Club And, this being eo. VIC
question whether the incest women will caro- to
subject themselves to the VARIOUS proccaEes OF
canyassing, discussion, Inquiry, and possible
10 fttf-
who are no: 80 nice are not so desirable.
Then, arc unmarried women to be admitted
II go, what il to be the lowest age of mornber-
ship2 1t seems scarcely fair to allow tnr I1ar-
abuse, and forbid the said spiuater OF twice hor
age privilege which she would have neither
wish nor the temptation to turn to evil uses.
But, il unmarried Women arc to be members at
all, We cannot see how 1t would work to mako
distinction between them aud the wives, either
in ago or personal appearance. Yet, again, if
girls Of q or 90, young, pretty. and engaging,
are to be MEMBERS there will he little peace left
in the homes Of those lad7-Eenters who own
ight-mindcd lords also members; and the door
which will be opened to jealousy. prylng, scan-
ds and suspicion, will ba serS wide indeed.
Even il d definite age, sounding sato enough,
ia to be yet, ne still do not quite see that
absolute security which Of itself would disarm
all suspicion aud put an end to doubt. Ths
mature siren is as dangerous, all things cousll-
clever, well-constituted woman OF 40 might do
evon more danlage thau q girl Of IS, because,
knowing better the weight OF her metal and how
far it carries. 1t would scarcely do, however, to
make the qualification for spinster-memoership
consist in confessed homeliness for tue sake OF
keeping the peace among the wives, or to enact
that part of the ceremony of admission should
be solemn oath taken against flirting. Yet.
where pretty women and pleasant men are mixed
up together in the sans facon OF club,
as surely 81 there is flirting now under more
difficult conditions. Sex is great fact, let the
new school which wauts to create third gender
say what it Nill and we cannot believe that an
Ericene Club, where Don Juan may meet
bona Julia without the trouble OF arranging
may haye unrestricted association With dlscureire
will be the safest kind OF thing,
looked 1T al1 round. It would be very pleasant,
no doubt it would save the expenditure Of both
wits and falsehood the old trick Of calling at
the pastrvcook's for letters would be unnecessa-
r.; aud meetings that came, AZ it were, Of them
selves, and in the natural order of events, wo21d
excite less suspicion and afford more freedom
Than if they had to bo planned for and precau-
lions taken against discovery. Still. other in-
erests have to lie considered besides these. and
serhaps those arc the interests which would be
most endangered under tho proposed arrange
nent.
Setting aside the obvious uses to which IN
Eplceu6 CluD mlbGL Do turned. anu 10 WHICH
here is no kind OF doubt it would be turned in
many instances, the question remains,
ARE WOMEN, FOB THE MOTT PA1lr. CLuDADLEs
Te think not. Nervous aud irritable, full Of |
strange fancies given to uufouutlcd dislikcs and
.ootlsBs friendships, impatient OF small annoy
.nces, most women have little real command
,ver themselves, and are apt to show their feel
ngs with what would be savage simplicity aud |
lircctnezs but for the tpery Of mind aud body to
sl,cI, they arc giyen- When they dislike each |
,ther,-an where there are dozen women,
here will bo dozen enmltscs,-they have I
n infinite variety Of ways of manifest |
pg their spite; ways unknown to men,
I'd impossible in society Of men, but
ghich would destroy the peace of |
community where there was no recognized |
ead to keep order and settle difficulties
,yeu in boarding houses, family hotels, and tho
Ike, the feminine warfare, always mure or less
aging. makes quiet walking service of doubt
nd danger; aud, in an Ericcne Club. enmities
nd riyal1iea would bo certain to exist on one
lido Of the corridor a. flirting and jealousy on
ho other. the very dress OF women IS non
lubable element. Men may have the ugIcst
[othing in the world, but their costume is so far
en.ocratic that it brings us all on the Same
,yel and prevents the frantic rivalry which dis
.acls the other sex. With them the badly
reseed are desrised by the welI dressed, as poor
Atn-1- ,%r I~1. |