The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-19
WOMEN AS DRINKERS
HEAVY DRINKING FREQ END
AMONG FASHIONABLE GIRLS

The Tendency Has Been Increasi nss
Rapidly of Late-DrinISing Is "a
Growing Habit in High social Cir
cIes, and 80 Is SmokinE-CuIminat-
ing scenes of Last Seasons Gayety
Were shoekIng-society Mafdens
Intoxicated Much Too often for
Good Manners.
From the New York Press.
What shall / do 20 become popular with
I the menu is a question that is frequently
heard in social circles. II is the plaintive
cry Of the debutante and the implorins
] wall of those young women who, having
| run the gauntlet OF social criticism for
/ several seasons, are pronounced failures
/ failures because they do not possess me
average amount Of good looks or the
/ necessary bank account 10 make them
bellies. Such girls are voted poor, stupid
and homely, and they are Stunned as if
they had the plague At a dance you see
them lined about the walls Of the ball
room. where they sit hour after hour
alone and neglected.
The pretty girl has her retinue of ardent
/ admirers the graceful girl is constantly
surrounded by those anxious to secure her
hand for this or that dance, while the girl
whose mother is cons family entertaining
] IS very seldom IN need OF ALlelLlOu- A1uL
! the unattractive girl, the girl whose mOth-
er Is not naturally bright, sits and looks
on with jealous eyes and says 10 herseE
in anguish: What shall 1 do to become
popular with the men?''
And what does she do? Alas! too often
she breaks down many OF the bars or pro-
priety winch surround her Tor her pro-
lection. She ahandons her maidenly mod
esty, and so far forgets herself as to re-
sort to such unladylike and unfeminine
traits as, in her opinion. will attract TO
.
of the opposite sex. She smokes and
drinksi This is no idle statement; it is
fact. Personal observation during the
past season Of gayety leads to no other
conclusion. There is no denying that the
evil of drinking among the fast set is
growing-indeed it has already become
most alarming.
II is not the purpose of this article to
censure. BY relating a few pointed cases
which have fallen directly under his per-
sOnal observation, the writer trusts that
a sense OF shame will be publicly aroused
that will tend much toward checking this
habit, If il will not ultimately cure il.
There is no doubt but that The innocent
punch bowl which has played such a
prominent part at all dances and recep-
lions during the winter, is the cause of
much of the trouble, and there can be no
doubt but that many distressing
cases have developed from what was at
first considered a little harmless deviltry
on the part of young woman. Witness
the following examples:
AT reception given early in the season
at a prominent house in this city two
large bowls of punch were placed in most
conspicuous places, and throughout the
afternoon received, as was natural, rath-
er marked attention. Among those seat
ed in the dining room, where a most
elaborate collation. was spread, was a
young woman who had gathered about
her several young men, all, judging from
their actions, bent upon the most ungen-
tlemanly mission of persuading the young
woman in question to drink enough punch
to get under its influence. The young
woman thought undoubtedly, that be-
cause she was receiving such marked at
tentlOn from these young men she was
certainly belle, and, being deceived in
the strength of the punch, drank very
readily glass after glass. Finally, how
ever, feeling that she had had enough,
she cried a halt The young men-they
certainly could not be called gentlemen;
in fact, they were but boys, who did not
know any better-were not to be so easily
deprived of their prey. The young wom-
an was affording them too much amuse-
ment. Thereupon one of the young men
was heard TO exclaim: oh come; its
weak. You. certainly can stand one glass
more" The result was that several
glasses more followed. The young wom-
an departed from that house in very
sad condition.
Nor is this all. Matters have grown
worse, until now IL is remarked that this
young woman has grown sadly partial to
the punch bowl at receptions and dances,
and it is said partakes of even stronger
stimuiants The girl IS really charming
young woman, and 1t seems pity that
some friendly counsel cannot warn her
against the dangers which beset her.
Another case is that of a young woman,
a deubtante of a year or two ago, to whom
nature was not as kind as to others of
her sex. Failing to obtain that attention
which she saw constantly laylshed upon
other young women, she decided to adopt
such measures as would accomplish her
ambition; and, throwing to the four winds
all reserve she entered the lists of gay
Young women with the consequence that
she is now travelling in foreign countries
for the benefit of health, which has be-
come much shattered by dissipation. Her
falling is, fortunately, not known gener-
ally, and there is a prospect that in time
with care. she will be restored to health
and happiness.
| Her downward career commenced like
| others, with the innocent glass of punch
| which created a taste for an occasional
| "wee nipple outside, until at length the
| demon had a firm clutch upon her. Mat
| tiers went from bad to worse until at last
| she was constantly and almost continu-
/ ally seized with a craving for stronger
stimulantS, and when these were not OBJ
| tainable she satisfied her desire by imbib-
! ing the contents of the cologne bottles
on her dressing table.
| There are, and it is a grieVouS state
| ment to make. many other cases on a par
4 with these two where charming young
| girls, cultivated educated and intellectual
/ have fallen victims to the liquor habit
/ through the mistaken ideas of those quail
/ tiles that are essential to attract and to
hold the attention OF mankind and the alb
| surd idea the young women of the pres
ent day have formed of the prerogatives
! of the coming woman.
! Bear in mind that the two incidents cited
are extreme cases. and it is far from the
! purpose of the Press to give the impress
/ sion that all women in New York society
/ who occasionally take glass of wine are
confirmed imbibers. The point is that
/ there is entirely too much drinking going
| on among the fair sex. The young women
| in particular do not use sufficient dis
| elimination. They go too far. Many.
many times they may be seen coming away
| from teas and receptions Intoxicated
| slightly and almost imperceptibly it may
| be-by too many glasses of punch.
/ This applies to the dancing classes also
/ and to the balls. 1t was only last winter
! that the extraordinary spectacle was seen
| at dancing class of several fair mem
| bers so far forgetting themselves as to
| slide down the banisters Another case
was that of the young girl who created
i a sensation by drinking champagne from
| the mouth of a bottle, while men stood
around and applauded She imagined, of
| course, that she was being considered in
/ the light of a jolly girl. Still another
! incident Is that of the young woman who
! hlled her slipper with wine and wagered
gallant to drink 1t to the last drop
Nor IS this habit CT INDUCING not wisely
I hut too well confined to the dance and re-
CeptiOn, ii is largely indtilped an Il, O,,t,i,l