or for whom you have a high regard, a
letter of congratulation is necessary or acceptable. All letters
announcing sad or joyous news should receive an immediate reply.

CHAPTER XV.

THE BACHELOR'S CLUB.

Club life in America is a growth of recent years. It is now so firmly
established, and it is so popular that there is not a village or even a
settlement in the United States which has not at least its casino, or
its little coterie organized for golf, tennis, athletic, or merely
social enjoyment. All of these, from the great metropolitan clubs of the
cities down to the very humblest in the "wilds," are governed by club
laws and are regulated by club etiquette. In New York, now a city of
clubs, this etiquette differs much from that observed in London, Paris,
or any of the large continental centers. In London, a man is identified
with his club. He rarely belongs to more than one, and his membership
there denotes his social standing, his pursuits in life, and, above all,
his politics. English clubs are also very jealous of admittance of
strangers, and are not in the least hospitable to the foreigner. There
are exceptions to this among the literary, theatrical, and Bohemian
organizations, but the Pall Mall clubs are "closed." In New York,
Boston, Chicago, and other American cities there are organizations which
insist upon certain qualifications, such as being a university man, a
lawyer, an author, a physician, or a member of a college fraternity, for
admittance; but then the members also belong to other clubs, where their
social standing, or perhaps the extent of their bank account, is their
passport.

If a man wishes to get on socially, he should belong to at least one
good club. It gives him his standing in the community, and places him.
He is no longer on the list of the unidentified.

When a choice is made of a club which you desire to join, the next step
would be to have two members in good standing to act as your
sponsors--one proposes your name and the other seconds. A good sponsor
is necessary, and you should choose one who has many friends in the
organization of which you desire to become a member. The president,
officers, and the governing committee are debarred from either proposing
or seconding a name for membership. The term of a man's novitiate
depends upon the state of the waiting list. Your proposer will notify
you when your name will be reached, as he himself will be notified in
writing by the