I will now introduce the Quoit Club, or as it is called, THE BARBACUE CLUB,

"Who mixed reason with pleasure, and

Wisdom with mirth."

This club was formed some sixty years ago, and met on Saturdays during the genial season, at Buchanan's Spring, under the oaks of original growth, with no other shelter than the shade they afforded, and an open shed, to protect the dinner table. Quoits was the game, and toddy, punch and mint julep the beverages, to wash down a plain substantial dinner, without wines or dessert.

Among the most skillful in throwing the Discus as he was in discussion, was Judge Marshall, even in advanced years, and it delighted his competitors as much as himself, to see him "ring the meg.' The brother Parsons, Buchanan and Blair, were honorary members of the club, and the latter, though apparently of fragile form, was a practical member with the quoits, and both of them with the jests and good humor that prevailed.

grounds. Soon afterwards in a fit of prodigality, La Fayette Hall fronting the Capitol Square on Tenth, with grounds extending back to Ninth street, was given as a donation, to the Mechanics Association. An injudicious location for their object and a loss to the city, which cannot be replaced in point of locality, for the use of the fire, water and gas departments. These are not the only instances of injudicious management of city property, in the last few years. (1859.)

A list of the members of this club, would comprise many of the most worthy citizens of their day--but are not their names written in the book of the Amicable Society? I will record here, only Jasper Crouch, their mulatto cook, and who officiated at all public dinners; he acquired the gout in this congenial occupation, and also the rotundity of an alderman and fell a victim to the good things of this life. A similar club was formed many years after, and met at Clarke's Spring-near the Hollywood Cemetery-not then established. The two clubs were not rivals, but on the contrary, so cordial an understanding existed between them, that their meetings became alternate at each other's fountains.

I should not omit to mention, that if any bets were made at the meetings of the club, they were forfeited to it, and as such a case occurred now and then, when an interesting game was in progress, these forfeits served to furnish some extra viands for the feast, all which were provided by a committee of caterers, who also acted as masters of ceremony to strangers, etc.; the members serving ́in rotation.

The exercise and recreation, bodily and mental, at the close of the week's labors, were most grateful and invigorating, and the social intercourse was promotive of good fellowship. Respectable strangers, and more especially foreigners who were

invited to the barbacue, as the feast was called, could there see Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, without licentiousness, presumption or demagogueism, and pure Republicanism, represented by some of the distinguished men, who aided in forming the Republic.

The trees still furnish their shade, and the spring its cool stream, and some of the descendants of those that first assembled there, even of the second and third generation, yet partake of them, and pitch their quoits, or crack their jokes there.

The mention of Clarke's Spring, (connected with the Clubs) reminds me of a gentleman connected with Col. Clarke. Major Clarke established a cannon foundry and boring mill on the river, some miles above Richmond, and induced the Federal Government to establish an Arsenal on the land adjoining, which obtained the appropriate name of Bellona Arsenal-and which, like the Navy Yard at- Memphis, was most inappropriately. located.

The unhealthiness of the spot caused the Arsenal to be abandoned, and the Government permitted a gentleman to substitute silk worms for soldiers, and to try whether cocoons could be substituted for cannons. This was about the time that the Morus Multicaulis fever raged so extensively, and to many, so fatally. The Mulberry slips were planted, and the eggs of the silk worms set for

hatching-but unfortunately, the praise-worthy effort, though promising well at first, proved abortive, and the worthy projector had, like his predecessor, to abandon the establishment, and after remaining vacant for several years, it was sold in 1856, including all the extensive buildings, for a few hundred dollars, having cost more than as many thousands-no unusual case where public interests are involved.

"See how the world its veterans rewards,
A youth of folly, an old age of cards."

IN the first decade of the present century, a resource for winter evening's pastime was found, by many of the ton-ish ladies, in a game of Loo. Its attractions were such that few evenings of the week passed without an assemblage at the rooms of one or other of the sporting circle. After discussing a dish of tea (dish was then the word), and another of scandal perhaps, the card-table was introduced and a circle formed around it.

In this enchanted and enchanting circle gentlemen were admitted, and he who played the most. careless and hazardous game was sure to be the most welcome, provided luck did not run too strongly in his favor; but, on these occasions, the gentleman who accompanied their ladies usually amused themselves with a quiet rubber of Whist. Quiet was a term not applicable to the ladies' table, except during the intense excitement created by a large sum on it. The original stake was small, but, by the forfeits of losers and contributions of dealers, the money in "the pool" would sometimes accumulate to a score or two of dollars, and even to three or four score, but this latter rarely occurred.

As the contents of the pool increased, so did the excitement and anxiety of the players (I won't say gamblers). Many a charming face would lose its sweetness, many a rosy cheek its hue; many a bright eye would almost be dimmed by a rising tear, and many an apparently smooth and gentle temper would betray the indications of an approaching storm. Gentle accents would be changed to loud tones, and endearing epithets to harsh and insulting ones; but as duels are the exclusive privilege of gentlemen, or of those claiming that title, no other weapons than those they most exercise and can best wield, were resorted to by the ladies, except now and then in a very extreme case, when a curl might get deranged, or a cap be torn,