CLUB. 



151 



rooms. The unsuccessful candidate is thus 

 spared the unpleasant experience of blackball- 

 ing, except in the rare cases when the club re- 

 jects the recommendation of the committee. 



About three fourths of the club-men of New 

 York are married, and more than half of them 

 are men of large professional or business re- 

 sponsibilities. While there are clubs in which 

 various forms of gaming and other dissipations 

 are permitted, yet club membership represents 

 for the most part the best elements of the busi- 

 ness and social life of great cities. The habits 

 that they foster may be described as a cross 

 between domestic life and the life of bachelors. 



The clubs of Europe and America are most- 

 ly composed of men. Women's clubs and mixed 

 clubs have been essayed both in this country 

 and abroad, but have not as a rule been per- 

 manent. The Sorosis, the only woman's club 



in the United States, has had exceptional suc- 

 cess. The Societe de VHarmonie of Antwerp 

 is an old and flourishing mixed club devoted to 

 social and musical purposes. The membership 

 is large, but very carefully guarded ; it includes 

 entire families. The meetings are held at the 

 club-house and garden in the suburbs of the 

 city, where music of the highest class is per- 

 formed by the orchestra of the Eoyal Opera 

 three times a week. The Liederkranz of New 

 York, a German musical club, is also a mixed 

 club, and is strong and successful. It gives 

 admirable private concerts under the best lead- 

 ership, and has a fine club-house and musical 

 library. 



The following table includes some of the 

 more prominent clubs of England, France, 

 and America, and shows the main statistical 

 points in respect to each : 



AMERICAN CLUBS. 



LONDON CLUBS. 



