Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1911-02-17
The HEapEcgED CLUB.



Queer Methods of Queer Society In
- q Lancashire, England.
or all tine queer clubs that exist In
the world you viii tlni some OF the
queerest in Lancashire. England. One
OF these is called the Henpecked club.
As. the title indicates, its memberE art
all males. and you can come across 0
club in almost every Lancashire town
Of any size.
The meetings are held. as a rule, In
some bar parlor. and the discussions
ure about 3nembers ansr often uoIi7
members Who have the reputation q
being heiipecked. When evidence has
been brought to show thnt particular
man mas Allowed hims' to come un-
der his wife'a thumb the5 tax him with
|. Il In. the ptace,of injecting. Tie nresl
dent i delivers 4 ile<ture on the dsnger
OF husband permitting his wife to
usurp his position as MASTER and when
The others have indorsed his remarks
the person 70 whom the speeches are
addressed IS warned that II he con.
( Times to stand the henpecking he will
he made, the subject Of a demonstra-
don.
hesannouncement that "henpeck-
ed't club demonstration is 10 take place
is received in the district Tith mixed
feelings. The men applaud it. and the
local police. recalling similar displays
that led TO trouble. become, little
anxious. On the evening appointed
! the members Of the club meet at a
public house. where they arm them
selves with all kinds of household
ufensiis; chen. led ny concertina play
ers Or tin whistle band they start
out and march along the crowded
streets Of the districf.
/ & One man carries a broom, another a
swab. a third shovel or coal
seuttle or fender or n poker. Fire
tongs, blaekIead brushes, washtubs,
buckets-e everything used in the home.
in fact-is carried shoulder high. As
they march along to the music in front
and the dlscordant changing Of their
baggage they sing snatches of songs
in which the name of the victim oc-
/
The mission Of the verses. which
have been specially composed for the
occasionally local poet, is to hold up
the henpecked one to fidicule, the rea-
son for the demonstrators bearing the
household goods being, Of course. to
remind him ythat, having fallen under
petticoat government, he will quickly
become the slavey.
When they reach the cottage where
their Yictim resides they form circle
10 front of the door and sing and
clang their tenders and coal scuttles
more loudly than. ever.
The man inside is invoked by the
4 president during u halt in the pro-
gram 10 "be q man. and Join his
brethren Sometimes if he looks upon
the affair as more of a Joke than any
thing else he does their bidding, and
they reform and march TO headquar-
ters With HIM at their heid. Usually.
however, his, wife appears instead
with bucket Of s0apy. water, which
she promptly throws over the demon
strators, Or She. quickly causes a clear
ance with a hose Pipe. a1
To the onloolsar 1t is Just an exhibi-
ton for laughter and nothing. more.
but behind the scenes there is general-
ly a lot Of troslhle and hcfFtaching.
A good number Of these ''fiehpeeked'
demonstrations have sequels in police
courts. Sometimes it is an enraged
victim being charged with assaulting
demonstrator. but more often than
not the sequel shows wife appealing
to the magistrate for separation or
der-Lond,n Tit.Bits = s-si -ss