The San Francisco call., 1896-01-02

sembled for late breakfast, or an early
lunch. Twenty-four small tables, disposed
carelessly about the apartment, shrouded
in spotless linen and glittering with silver
ana crystal, provided ample accommoda-
ton for the guests, by far the greater part
OF whom were mem bers of the club.
While there was no set bill of fare, the
lunch was both delicious and abundant.
The weIl-trained walters seemed rather 20
fly than to run from one table to another,
while the steward saw to it that each guest
had his share OF the good things. Large
platters of salad, roasts done to
turn, dainty TelisheS and side dishes and
rainbow-hued glasses of Roman punch
circulated freely amid rattling tattoo of
popping champagne corks and q flow OF
brilliant conversation.
In one corner sat lawyer of no little
prominence. man well known in polit-
ical circles, and two acknowledged social
leaders. The lawyer was holding forth to
his confreres regarding New Years day
in San Francisco as it is and as it was.
Why, L tell you, gentlemen" he said,
'there is nothing like the old-fashioned
New Years day here now. In the fifties
and sixties this used to be the biggest day
in all the year. Fourth of July was
nothing to it. In those days people used
20 keep better hours than they do now,
and we used to commence making our calls
at 10 or II o'clock in the morning. Some
times we would hire a carriage for three or
four gentlemen and make our calls to-
gether. There was not SO much talk about
hard times then, though everything was
more expensive then than now.
And then, continued the LAWYER medi-
tatively, as he helped himself to liberal
portion of lobster mayonnaise and another
glass of champagne, nothing can be more
charming than the way we were received
at the houses of our friends. II a lady
were indisposed to receive calls, a dainty,
iower-decked basket at the door pro-
claimed the fact, and into this basket our
cards were placed, l suppose those cards
with their roses, forgetme-nots and bril-
liant gliding would he thought in very bad
form now, but then they were considered
quite the thing, and men used to vie with
each other as to who might be able to ex-
hibit the most gorgeously concocted New
Years souvenir.
"If the ladies were at home we were
ushered in with effusive signs of welcome.
The calls usually lasted no longer than ten
minutes, though that depended in a great
measure upon the ladies' some of whom
then, as now, made a man forget that time
was passing.
Before we left it was a cast-iron rule
that at least some little refreshment should
be partaken of. AS these were frequently
OF LIQUID nature it may be readily sur
missed that many OF the gentlemen be-
came somewhat dizzy after making twenty
or thirty calls. But the ladies OF those
days, dear creatures, thought little of
temperance societies, and readily forgaye
little extra iollity on New Years day
1.-The clubs were not so stylish then as
they are now, but we clubmen used to
have grand times, can assure you. Every
thing seemed TO be managed on more
liberal basis than at present, and we never
heard any talk about hard times or finan-
cial stringency. 1t seems to me that this
club is more like the old-fashioned City
least man feels at home here"
The old lawyer had struck the nail on
the head. The great secret of the Union
League Clubs popularity is that it may
with truth be called faithful exponent Of
cordial, old-fashioned Californian hospi-
tality