, 1881-01-02

The Boston Radical Club,-1nore often In
late years called the Chestnut Street Club
Of which AIRS Sargent has recently pub
1ished her interesting ''Sketches and Remin-
iscences,'' has for the last thirteen or four
teen years been, perhaps, the most famous
in a literary way Of any in this country,
and until the organization of the St Botolph's
in the last year 1t was the one to which
strangers distinguished in philosophy or let
ters were most likely to be invited when
they visited Boston. The Institution Itself:
however, is modern both in its entity and In
the reason tor its existence, for we cannot
trace its remote ancestry further back than
to the occasional and almost accidental
assembIages Of forty years ago, to which
Margaret Fuller and DR.. Charming lent the
charm Of their conversation. Many names
which were familiar in what was called the
Transcendental movement among the writers
for the Dial, and in the Brook Farm expert
ment, have been more or less identified with
the Radical Club, such as those Of Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Miss e. P. Peabody, A,
Bronson Alcott, ". Fl. Claiming. James
Freeman Clarke, F. H.. Hedge, G. P.
Cranch, and Charles Brooks; and among
others Of a younger literary generation
we come upon the names of John Weiss,
Julia Ward Howe, T. ". Higgiuson, DR..
Holmes, Mrs. E. D. Cheney, o. B. Frothing-
ham, Robert Collyer, T. B. Sanborn, Phillips
Brooks, John Fiske, David A. Wells, and
Mrs. Leonowens. John 6. Whittier has
also been a frequent visitor, with sundry
contributions for those evenings which were
set apart for "Poetical Picn[cs"; Wendell
Phillips is always OH hand to defend Chris
tianity and New England orthodoxy; DR..
Bartol is ready for the discussion Of any sub
ject, from the prayer-gauge to Sara Bern
harlt; Robert Dale Owen was heard there
in his time; Henry James, Sr., read at least
two essays; the late Prof. Benjamin Peirce
discou1sed on 1.-THE Nebular Theory" and
"The Impressible in Mathematics ~; and the
Puritanical Prof. stowe discussed the rela-:
tion Of Jesus to the present age. Prof.
Tynda1l sat ut Mrs. Sargent's supper-tahle,
and Dom Pedro went there to meet hfr.
Whittier, and it was there that he confessed
his surprise that the Boston Frog-Pond con-
tanned no frogs.
Perhaps the Oldest existing club in the
United States is the: Wednesday Evening
Club Of Boston, which John Quincy Adams
said in his diary was the ultimate authority
in all matters pertaining to early
New England history. It was founded
in 1T77 by three lawyers, three doc
tors, and three ministers. To this original
distributions Of the nine memberships, three
merchants were added about seventy years
ago, and again about forty-five years ago
three literary men were let in. Then one
member was added to each of the five classes,
making twenty members in all. and so it re-
manned until in 1872 the boundaries were still
further enlarged so as to admit ten more
members without regard to their profession
or occupation. This club meets weekly at the
houses Of its members, among whom it now
numbers R. c. Winthrop, George T. Bigeiow,
Francis Bartlett, William Spooner, Walter
Channmg. Q. ". Holmes. the Rev. Francis
Parkman, John G. Palfrey, and. Charles
Francis Adams. It is said to have been in
the privacy of this club that Dr. Parkman, in
answer to question, expressed his opinion
of certain gentleman in these words: Con
sidering his mental and moral nature, I
should say he was fool; and speaking after
the manner Of the carnal heart, when refer |
ring to the destiny Of his soul. should say !!
he was damned fool"
Besides the Temple Club, the Suffolk, the
Somerset, st, Botolph's, which has been al
ready mentioned, and numerous others, |
where gastronomy, sociality, and esthetics |
are cultivated with as high success as any
where on the Continent, there is one emf |
nentIy Bostonian organization, named the |
New England Women's Club, OF which Mrs. |
Julia Ward Howe is, OF lately was, the Pres |
ident. It numbers about 400 members, in |
Guiding most of the prominent thinkers aud |
writer's in the female department Of New |
England. Mrs. 4. IL. Diaz, Mrs. Liyermore, |
Miss E. P: Peabody, Mrs. Josiah Quincy, Miss
T.. F. Hale, and Mrs. Abby W. May have |
,een connected with the Club from its foun- |
1aton, and the organization is producing |
7ery satisfactory results in the fields Of So
:iology, literature, and lunches.
4 dozen years ago the "Sorosis'' was Of
,anized in New York, with twelve members. |
1t the residence Of Mrs. stJennie June" Croly, t
md for a time it attracted more attention
han all the rest Of the clubs in the city put |
ogether. The membership has increased to
so, and, mindful Of DR.. Johnson's advice to |
1--WE good dinners if one wishes to bring the
>est society together, the sisters hold their
meetings at DeImonico's, where
,ducation, art; science, music, philanthropy,
he drama, and oysters are discussed, together
With many other subjects and dishes.
The Lotos Club, reception by which
,harIes G. Leland said was reckoned in En-
land one Of the two highest .:nonors that
Americans could bestow upon visitors, was
ounded only ten years ago 'as SORT Of
ommon meeting ground for the younger men
4 art, literature, music, the drama, jour-
aism, and other professions" = The ''younger
aen u have grown somewhat older, but still /
hey meet under the Presidency Of Whitelaw
leid. Besides its monthly art receptions the
.otos has ".ladles' day" each month. on
which occasion the exercises are diversified
= music and recitations. The Union Club, Of
fhich the Hon. ". II. Evarts is President, IS
ociaI in its purpose. and has the honor to be
he oldest existing club in New York. The
Id Century Club grew out Of the Sketching
lub, which was formed about the
ear 1870. and Of which nearly all the artists
,t.own nc /