The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-01-14

you lind all newspapers and magazines.
On that side there is library where
you find all books, from hermeneutics to
the fairy tale. Coming in and out there
are gentlemen, some Of whom stay ten
minutes, other stay many hours. Some
of these are from luxurious homes, and
they have excused themselves for awhile
from the domestic circle that they may
enjoy the larger sociability of the club
house. These are from dismembered
households, and they have plain lodg-
ing somewhere, but they come to this
clubroom to have their chief enjoyment.
One blackball amid ten votes will de.
feat mans becoming member. For
rowdyism, for drunkenness, for gam
bling, for any kind of misdemeanor,
member is dropped out, Brilliant club
house from top to bottom-the chande-
Tiers, the plate, the furniture, the COM
partnership, the literature, the social
prestige, complete enchantment.
Bad Clubs.
But the evening is passing on, and SO
we hasten through the hall and down
the steps and into the street, and from
block to block until we come to another
style of clubhouse. Opening the door,
we find the fumes of strong drink and
tobacco something almost intolerable
These young men at this table, it is easy
to understand what they are at, from
the flushed cheek, the intent look, the
almost angry way of tossing the dice or
of moving the Chips. They are gam
bling. At another table are men who
are telling vile stories They are three
fourths intoxicated and between II and
O'Clock they will 60 staggering, boot
ing, swearing, shouting on their way
home. That is an only son. On him all
Kindness all care, all culture has been
bestowed. He is paying his parents in
this way for their kindness. That is a
young married man who, only few
months ago, at the altar, made promises
of kindness and fidelity, every one of
which he has broken. Walk through
and see for yourself. Here are all the
implements of dissipation and Of quick
death AS the hours of the night go
away the conversation becomes imbeclle
and more debasing. Now it is time to
shut up. Those who are able to stand
will get out on the pavement and bal
ance themselves against the lamppost
or against the ratings of the fence The
young man who is not able to stand will
have a bed improvised for him in the
clubhouse, or two not quite so overcome
with liquor will conduct him to his IA
theirs house, and they will ring the
I II x.vt1l
the two imbecile escorts will introduce
into the hallway the ghastliest and most
hellish spectacle that ever enters front
door-a drunken son. II the dissipatlng
clubhouses of this country would make
a contract with the inferno to provide 1T
10, 900 men year and for 20 years on
the condition that no more should be
asked of them, the clubhouses could af-
ford to make that contract, for they
would save homesteads, save fortunes
save bodies, minds and souls. The~1O,-
900 men who would be sacrificed by
that contract would be but small part
of the multitude sacrificed without the
contract But | make vast difference
between clubs. have belonged to four
clubs-a theological club, ball club
and two literary clubs. | got from them
physical regeneration and moral health.
What shall be the principle? If God
will help me, will lay down three
principles by which you may judge
whether the club where you are men,
Der or the club to which you have been
invited lisa legitimate or an illegitimate
clubhouse.
Club Influence.
First of all | want you to test the
club by its influences on home, if you
have a home. l have been told by
prominent gentleman in club life that
three fourths of the members OF the
great clubs of these cities are married
men. That wife soon loses her influence
over her husband who nervously and
foolishly looks upon all evening absence
as an assault on domesticity. How are
the great enterprises of art and Htera-
ture and beneficence and public; veal to
be carried Oh if every man is to have
his world bounded on one side by his
front doorstep and on the other side by
his back window, knowing nothing
higher than his own attic or nothing
lower than his own cellar? That wife
who becomes jealous of her husbands
attention to art or literature or religion
or charity is breaking her own scepter
of conjugal power. know an instance
where a wife thought that her hGs-
band was giving too many nights to
| Christian service, to charitable service,
to prayer meetings and to religious con-
vocation. She Systematically decoyed
him away until now he attends no
church and is on rapid way to de-
struction, his morals gone, his money
gone and, fear, his soul gone. Let any
Christian wife rejoice when her husband
consecrates evenings to the service of
God or to charity or to art or to any
thing elevated, but let not men sacrifice
home lif y club life. | can point out
to you great many names of men who
are guilty of this sacrilege. They are as
genial as angels at the clubhouse and as
ugly as sin at home. They are generous
On all subjects of wine suppers, yachts
and fast horses, but they are stingy
about the wife's dress and the children's
shoes. That man has made that which