The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-10-28
A Startling Statement.

Not long ago strange scene took
place in pretty garden not hundred
miles from London. The tree-shaded
lawn was scattered over with seats, with
hero and there Persian rug for the
especial behoof Of any guests who OBJ
ject to open air amusement on account
of the "damp grass. To some minds
grass is always damp. 1t was early in
the afternoon, and the only tenants of
the garden weie the servants, who were
arranging some refreshments on the
tables under the trees They seemed
full Of mods and becks, and whispers Of
apparently mysterious import passed
among them. "A carriage drives up to
the gate, and two ladies entering, look
around for their hostess. The servants
who had admitted them goes in search
Of the mistress, and a few moments
afterward a young and beautifully
dressed woman issues from the house,
her face deeply flushed, her eyes half
closed and her gait uncertain. just at
this moment another carriage drives up,
gentleman and a lady being the occu-
pants. They, too, enter the garden
gate, and advance toward the house
across the lawn. As they approach the
uncertain, swaying figure of their hos
tess they look at each other significant
ly, and the lady says in low voice {:
81 was afraid of this. Where can Mrs.
X. be to allow her to be seen in this
state ?" The Interpretation of these
wild looks that disordered hair, and
those meaningless words is that Mrs. X.
is intoxicated, though not sufficiently so
to be helpless. She wanders about
among her guests, her condition, how
ever, being so palpable, so unmistakable
that the majority laugh and litter, while
the friendly few pity, though they con-
denim her. The painful scene was end
ed by the arrival of her husband, whose
look of misery as he led his wife OH his
arm through the groups of ga;ly dressed
people into the house touched even the
laughers with pity.
This is no exaggeration of facts. It
is, unfortunately, scene from real life,
and, I fear, not an uncommon one. The
love of strong drinks appears to be in
creasing among the educated women of
our day. During the season just passed
instances of this were so frequent as to
lead to the con lecture that kind of
epidemic of drink was pervading those
classes of society in which culture, posi-
ton and possession of every comforti of
life would appear to be sufficient
guarantee against so degrading vice.
''Society' ladies, in fact, live too much
upon excitement not to suffer from the
inevitable reaction. For a few months
in the year they endure continued ia
tigue in treading the social mill, and for
the remainder they are a prey to ennui
They try the first dose Of choral as an
experiment "My eyes look so dull and
heavy this morning So-and-so says
choloral is such capital thing l think
III try it," In this case, as it is in that
of rouge, it Is not "the first step that
costs. 1t is easy enough. But, from
being an experiment it becomes a prac-
tice, and FROM practice it develops into
a necessity. 1t is no longer servant,
but master My lady has her half a
pint of champagne about An hour after
breakfast, another at luncheon, glass
of liqueur instead Of afternoon tea, a
regular sequences of wine at dinner. and
brandy in her post-prandial coffee. Her
chloral in her dressing room is as per.
manent and Indispensable an arrange.
ment as her bath, and much sooner
missed from its usual position than her
Bible