New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-24
the oRIGINIL BLrE.SrocEING.


from HriTr'frn.
The passion for gambling was 1T this period AZ its
height and m the great worlds II Is called
people seemed to have no other object IN ME than 10
meet every evening to shuttle cards and 10 win or
lose money. Nor war the passion confined to men and
dnWagrr,; young women, mere girls w"rc ~ deeply
infatuated by the vile pursuit q. were trlI elders
No party, ball. or assembly would nave been tnltT-
nica or attended unless accommodation had been
provided for the Indulgence of tins wee; ns an IN
stance IN the Duke of Richmruds house there we're
ALWAYS eighteen card tables -et for the ANUS nrnt
of his guests: the only conversation heard was the
largon of the different games. aud disputes between
partner, and opponents - 60 the correctness or IN
rorTcCtnr~. 90 the play: men would gaWhlr away
their pairmonos and fall from wealth to poverty IN
"A single night and woman would stake her Jewels,
her husband fortune, and even her hnnui upon t'
cut 81 a card. Instead, how Yer. 81 following tl'
fashion Nj. NnuflVu and q f. friends, Miss BoS-
cawru and Mrs. Nr-sy. who like herself were I'M
tainted by this wolilSh passion. resolved I" make u
stand against the universal tyranny oi custom
which nSorhrd the life and leisure of the rich To The
exclusion nf all intellectual enjoy mcnt. AMI borrow
ing the idea from the Partisan salons 81 MN hh
Dcfand. Nine IEspina1-'', AMI tirir rlNal> al I'M.
'tat1rs to found society IN which conversation
should suprrscdc cards. Tins wa- about the year
How these assemblies tr.t cam" 70 bc called
Blues iocliurs" ha, been Sarluusly explained
One ancr,lur relates how Mrs. \c~''N. one oi me
principal ladies Of the Movement. having inrl NJ
S,Iryref nt hath invited him Ia one of these r.
unions thou Just being ,-iahliSicd. M gentle
man " no wa noted f"r the unih.lu"n'hl' chtrl',N
mess Of hs dress, objected thai hr was not III ih'
habit IF appearing IN proper equipment Tor evening
,,nrti. "tIh never mind " SAID thu lady; come ~
,, are I'm your blue ,tochiug- To this, ~ an AL
dcndum wr must add paragraph from boswell
which completes the anccdntc. One ot he most
,nincu members of these -ncietIc- was Nr. Nill
lingrt n grandson of the bishop. who's drrsS va.
remark Ably grave and IN particular ~ was observer
that hr worc blue stocking. such Wa the excel
lrpcc of his conversations aud his ah~'ncc was irlt
sn great q loss that u used Ia he SAN We an 81"
milling without the huc--tncking@. and thus hy
degrees the title was established. forhr@ IN ms
fc of lyraitir" gives similar Derivation 81 thr
titl, and further informs rs that ~ was Adinlril
R,,.rawrn " ho from the circumstance above quoted
first used the term Blue Stacking Surril ana lhal
"a foreigner nf distinction hearing the expression.
tr,t.l,rd n literally }as Blue hy which uamr thrr
meeting, were ever after distinguished. But thih'
a vet more piuhahlc derivation oi th" term j. gwen
IN note 10 Hayward'S Life ami lorrr-p"nd'hrr" i
Nrs Thrnlc - upon. we are told. the anihuillH ~
dauphtrr of adv Grcyillc who was one OF the his-
RIcu When these ns~ruhlIc~ were still IN their IN
fancy Nine de- Polignar. hrlr, IN London, was IN
,iird 10 one. 81 the hrakiIS she w"rr on il' "cci
sion mir of bur sik stockings which fashion Wa
then AN the rngr m Paris; and thcpup"n hrI
Eucli-h friends who. with an their lrdtnlh-.
,,rI,, not above such feminine weakness, adopted
ih. color fnr their neither C1~ngs, u S,'u''
moro probable that the nam" should nave
arisen from ~u popularity OF irmuInr r"StUil
rather thnn from au accident 90 iuilr r'''hlil'lll
Jnhu rmhs. M " Clubs and tmh Ilir. traces the
Bo- Elcu back 10 ancient G;r"rr ho al," quotes
Mills " History ol thlyalry. 20 show td1l tH"N'
wa-c-fahishc1 IN Nrnicr. m tlr uiirrnih century
q literary -ncirty that di,tn1r,hrd lt-rii 10y lt'
stor kings. which wcrr -onrtIinr- "l fhI'd oH'"'
and sometime wholly blue. A. he founders OF ih'
Bur-~tocAiug.." hoWcyci. hIN" l'it %" record oil
t.. origin ct the term. thr reader must tAH' d
choice. among these several rNpl lrtiluu-.