CHAPTER VII.
_Some Avenue Clubs in the Early Days_ Some Avenue Clubs in the Early Days--The Invention of the Club--Cato or Dr.Johnson ?--The Judgment of Thackeray--The Union--The Prolific Diedrich Knickerbocker--Omens of 1836--The Century--Its Descent from the Sketch and the Column--Old-Time Austerity--Leaders of the Talk--The Lotos--The Union League--The Manhattan--The First of the College Clubs--The Columbia Yacht--The New York Athletic--Rise and Fall of the Traveller's--The Arcadian.
"Presuming that my dear Bobby would scarcely consider himself to be an accomplished man about town until he had obtained an entrance into a respectable club, I am happy to inform you that you are this day elected a member of the 'Polyanthus,' having been proposed by my friend, Lord Viscount Colchicum, and seconded by your affectionate uncle.

I have settled with Mr.Stiff, the worthy secretary, the preliminary pecuniary arrangements regarding the entrance fee and the first annual subscription--the ensuing payments I shall leave to my worthy nephew.
You were elected, sir, with but two black-balls; and every other man who was put up for ballot had four, with the exception of Tom Harico, who had more black balls than white.

Do not, however, be puffed up by this victory, and fancy yourself more popular than other men.

Indeed, I don't mind telling you (but of course I do not wish it to go any farther) that Captain Slyboots and I, having suspicions of the meeting, popped a couple of adverse balls into the other candidates' boxes; so that, at least, you should, in case of mishap, not be unaccompanied in ill-fortune."-- Thackeray's "Mr.Brown the Elder takes Mr.Brown the Younger to a Club." Very likely there are a few thousand New Yorkers, who like the present writer, not having considered the subject very deeply, have held to the vague idea that the club was an invention of a certain Dr.Samuel Johnson.

Also that it came about in some such way as this.