"MY HOME SHALL BE MY CLUB-HOUSE."
By The Lutheran
THIS was the language of a traveling man, acting as agent for a firm. He was still a young man and unmarried. He had been visiting one of his former friends, who was married, and lived in a pleasant home. Almost the first words the latter spoke as his visitor seated himself in the parlor, was: "I want you to go over with me to see our nice new clubrooms." "But I did not come to see them," was the reply. "I came to see you and your family." "That you can do anyhow," was the response, "so please get ready and we will go over and spend the evening there with a nice lot of friends." Further protest seemed ungracious, so the visitor yielded. Hour after hour passed by, and it was midnight before the visitor could induce his host, who was beginning to feel the effects of a night's drinking and revelry, to accompany him to his home. In the morning, the host, who evidently felt that nothing had transpired at the clubrooms that could be objected to, asked his friend, "Well, what is your opinion of our clubroom accommodations?" "The rooms are very nicely furnished," was the rather evasive reply. "But what I want to know is, How did you enjoy yourself in them?" As further evasion was useless, the guest said: "You are asking me a plain question, and I will answer it frankly. I am a single man and expect soon to get married. If I continue to prosper, I intend to settle down in a comfortable home and spend my evenings with my wife and my children. As for your clubrooms, if I wanted to neglect my family and my business and perhaps go to ruin, I think I could soon bring about that result by spending my evenings in your clubrooms; and I am more resolved than ever that when I am married my home shall be my clubhouse." These are in substance the facts and the language as given by a man who had every opportunity of seeing the snares and pitfalls connected with club life. One of the great dangers that threaten to rob the home life of its pillars is the clubroom; and the age at which to warn against its pernicious effects is that of boyhood. There are many dangers threatening home life and sentiment and feeling, but the greatest of these is the clubroom craze.—The Lutheran.