sagreed; and Harry was only stimulated by her
opposition to his views. The dinner went delightfully to the chatter
of tongues and the light clash of crystal and china, and when it was
over, Harry exclaimed:

"What a charming meal we have had! I had almost forgotten how very
pleasant it is to eat with one's own family!"

"Quite as pleasant as to dine at a club, I should think, Harry," said
Rose.

"Talking of clubs, it is the ladies who run clubs nowadays, Miss Van
Hoosen. Has Rose told you how many she belongs to? Most of the married
men I know have had to resign their memberships; the candle cannot be
burned at both ends, and, of course, the ladies' end must not be put
out."

"Clubs are a new-fangled notion to women yet, Harry. They will soon
tire of their own company. You may be sure of that," said Mrs.
Filmer.

"Not so very 'new-fangled,' mother," continued Harry. "Women's clubs
have existed for centuries in Persia and Turkey. They call them 'The
Bath,' but the 'bath' is only an excuse for getting together to talk
gossip, and eat sweetmeats, and drink coffee. And if you like, I will
lend you Aristophanes, mother, and you may read what came of women
imitating such masculine ideas among those clever old Greeks."

"I have no time to read such ancient books. And they would have to be
very clever Greeks indeed to write anything the New York women of
to-day would care to read. My dear Harry, they are a few thousand
years behind the time."

"Harry forgets," said Rose, softly, "that if one of a family have to
retire from Club pleasures, justice decides against the man. It is not
a matter of courtesy at all; men have had their day. I assure you,
Woman is the Coming Man."

"Oh! I think we may claim club privileges on much higher grounds,"
said Adriana. "Every woman's club has before it the realization of
some high purpose, or the redressing of some wrong. I never heard of a
woman's club in New York on the oriental plan of tattle and gossip and
eating sweetmeats."

"Two of the clubs to which I belong," continued Rose, "have very
important subjects under discussion. One is the _Domestic Symposium_,
and we consider topics relating to Household Economy. At present, we
are trying to solve the Servant Girl Question."

"Oh!" cried Harry, with a hearty laugh, "if you indeed solve that
problem, Rose, men will give you the suffrage, and leave the currency,
and the tariff, and all such small financial and political questions