Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-19
Drawing Room Drinking.
[London TRUTH

Not long since strange scene took
place in pretty garden not hundred
miles from London. The shaded
lawn was scattered over with seats, with
here and there bright-colOred Persian
rug for the special behoOf of any guests
who object to Open-air amusement on ac-
count of the damp grass To some minds
grass is always damp. 1t was early in the
afternoon, and the only tenants of the
garden were the servants, who are ar
ranging refreshments upon some 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 servant who admitted
them goes in search of his mistress, and
soon afterwards 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 mo-
ment another carriage drives up, a gen.
tleman and lady being the occupants.
They too, enter the garden gate, and ad-
vance toward the house across the lawn.
AS they approach the uncertain, swaying
figure of their hostess they look at each
other significantly, and the lady says, in
a low voice, 81 was afraid of this. Where
can Mr.. x be, to allow her to be seen in
this slater" The Interpretation of those
wild looks, that disordered hair and those
meaningless words is that Mrs. 4. was
intoxicated, though not sufficiently so to
be quite helpless. She wanders about
among her guests, her condition, howev-
er, being so palpable, so unmistakable,
that the majority laugh and litter, while
the friendly few pity, though they con-
denim. The painful scene was ended by
the arrival of her husband, whose
look of misery, as he led his wife
through the groups of gAyly- dressed peo-
pie into the house, touched even the
laughers with pity.
This is no exaggeratiOn of facts. 1t is,
unfortunately, scene from real life, and,
I fear, not an uncommon one. The love
of strong drinks appears to be increasing
among the educated women of our day.
During the season just past instances Of
this were so frequent as to lead to the
conjecture that kind OF epidemic OF
drink was pervading those classes OF So
ciety in which culture, position and pos
session of every comfort in life would
appear to be sufficient guarantee against
SO degrading a vice. Society ladies,
in fact, live too much upon the inevitable
reaction. For few months in the year
they endure continued fatigue in tread
ing the society mill, and for the remain
der they are prey to ennui. They try
the first dose of choral as an experiment.
my eyes look so dnll and heavy this
morning. So-and-sO says choral is such
a capital thing; think I'll try it." In
this case, as in that of rouge, it is not
''the first step that costs" 1t is easy
enough. But from an experiment it be-
comes practice, and from practice it
develops into necessity. 1t is no long
er servant, but master My lady has her
half pint Of champagne about an hour
after breakfast, another at luncheon, a
glass of liquor instead of afternoon tea, a
regular sequence of wines at dinner, and
brandy in her post-prandial coffee. Her
choral in her dressing room is as perma-
nent and indispensable an arrangement as
her bath and much sooner missed from
it's usual position than her Bible.