The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1882-02-07
PHILADELPHIA 80 CIErY LADIES

THEIR DECLINE IN MORALITY AND
GROWING HABITS OF DISSIPATION.
From the Sunday Times.
1t has specifically charged of late
that fashionable people frequently
drink too much wine, and Mr.. Nc.
Vickar, the rector OF Holy Trinity,
one of the fashionable churches, said
lastiThursday that the painful sight
had been witnessed at a lunch in this
city OF '4ady" so intoxicated that
she had to be removed from the room
on stretcher. AS clergymen make
1t rule never to stay at entertain
ments after the dancing and drinking
have begun it is not probable that MIR.
McVickar witnessed the sight himself,
but was told about it by some of the
good sisters of his congregation, and
as the good sisters are very much ops
posed to all such practices they did
not let the incident suffer in recital.
The way in which the Protestant
Episcopal ciergymen in this city, led
by Bishop Stevens, have taken up ag-
gressive measures against intemperr
ance goes to show that the habit must
have become frequent and scandalous
amongst the churches of this form OF
worship, to which the greater number
Of fashionable people belong So-
ciety ia Philadelphia, however, is so
limited in size and SO gregarious, and
in the conservative sway which pre-
walls every one is expected to be SO
proper and is so closely watched, that
few isolated cases of misconduct
may easily be misunderstood as affect
ing the whole community.
The practice of drinking liquor
Is more common among women than
1t was year ago and is making inroads
upon the sex, but it is important to
remember that tho tipplers are mum
bered by the dozens, whilst those ladies
who do not touch liquor at all number
thousands. The number of young
unmarried ladies who drink wine with
gentlemen, although increasing, ia
small by comparison with the number
who do not. When there Is dancing
1t Is considered indiscreet to drink
early in the evening, since ii the lady
falls by accident or has many collisions
she is sure to be accused by all her
enemies-and every one in society has
enemies-of ''taking too much," az
they say. For that reason drinking
is usually deferred until after the
dancing. Strange as it may appear.
the effeotual protection against over
indulgence by young unmarried ladies
upon which society depends is the
homer of the gentlemen. Young
ladies seldom are able to Judge how
much wine they ought to drink, and
some wines have more intoxicating
effect than others. A gentleman whe
would persuade or deceive lady into
drinking more wine than is good fol-
her would be almost sure to forfeit
her esteem ever afterwards, and il
any event would Incur the strong dis
pleasure of her relatives if they founC
it cut. This is one of the reasons
why sometimes, in taking a young
lady home, the gentleman has the dri
yer 60 mile or SO out of the way IN
order to get little fresh air. A grea
deal has been said about the extent tt
which the most intelligent and refineC
men in Philadelphia drink, aud tn
assertion has bean made that sine
the introduction of Appollinaris waite
on dinner tables there has been les
vino consumed. Whether this b
true or not very suggestive fact bear
ing upon the subject has come +
light. At the banquet given to AttUt
ney-General Brewster, where two hun
bred and fifty of the most importan
legal minds of the city, including al
most all the Judges, were present
over five hundred quart bottles G
champagne were drunk, an average G
over two bottles to every man-an
there was some very little men anon
them.