The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-03
FUN, FOR SASSIETY.
IN SOME ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSES
DULL CARE HAS NO PLACE.

A Loudou journal UnsympatheticalIy De
picts the Gay Doings of Fortunes Ia
vorites-"BiIliard pur." Tea Tray. To
boGganing aud Other Mild Amuse me nts
1t is n sign of the times nowadays thai
country house parties often culminate IN
mere rompipg Under the old dispense
tlon, when the fair ones were looked upon
as intrudors, who were a4nitted TO shoot
ing parties on suffernnce and were expected
to refrain from the high crime and misde
meanor OF worrying the men when they
returned to the house after fatiguing
day, the evenings were short. dull and
slumberous. The new regime. however,
has altered all this The ladies are
there on an equality, and they expect to
be amused. They still permit the men to
go out shooting, because they do not quite
see their way to changing that at present
But they follow about lunchtime and do
their best after lunch to spoil the rest of
tho afternoons shoot in favor of Irritation
under pretense of marking" However
tagged, moreover, the men may be with
the days tramp, that is no excuse for be-
ing dull in the evening. The ladies are to
be amused, and the least the men can do,
say the fair ones. after enjoying them
selves in their "odd way all day is to be
lively and entertaining in the evening.
From this point Of view music and con-
versation have no lasting power. Both are
excellent in their way, but 1t is impossi
bic to spend evening after evening with
only this kind of amusement and not be
bored by it. Then there are cards. But
IL is impossible for smart people to play
cards without gambling, and many host
esses will not allow this accessory, not be-
cause they object by any means to the
principle Of the thing, but because they
are determined that no scandals, no quar-
reling over money or losing more than can
bc fforded shall happen In their houses.
The result is that at last somebody pro-
poses drawing room games, which sooner
or later must end in mere romping and
sometimes in bad accidents Billiard buff,
for instance, Is favorite amusement in
lively circles, and as 1t consists In rapid
chase Of lady by man, both blindfold
ed, over, under or around q billiard table,
until at last, breathless and heated, they
tumble by accident into each other arms,
1t may easily be imagined that such Incl
dents as one of the performers rolling by
mistake off the billiard table and aligbt-
Ing on an easily injured part of the body
or knocking the head violently against
some unsympathetic portion of the table
In the excitemento of the chase are all quite
possible and have been known to lay the
victim up for the rest of the visit.
For these sufferers one would feel more
were it not that it is their
own rampant folly which is to blame for
their misfortune. Another joyful sport
which Is usually included In an indoor
gymkhana is that of tobogganing down
the great staircase on tea trays For this
purpose solid oak or marble staircase is
very convenient, and IL 1t should be pro-
vided about half way down with sharp
bend, which will give the competitors an
BIS. with the alternative of being bumped
rather violently against the wall II they
fail to negotiate the difficulty, SO much
the better.
The most scientific method of playing
his game is to use big dinner tray and
send the performers down in pairs of both
sexes. This plan has the advantage that
t doubles the difficulty of steering, and
therefore insures number of spills. The
spectacle Of a pretty young woman and
Ter masculine escort rolling out and head
over heels and over enc another and COM
Dleting tho descent in that impromptu
manner Is regarded as quite triumph Of
irt and humor, not to mention good taste.
Perhapsit is not surprising that this sport,
100, has sometimes resulted in broken
limbs and severe contusions. 1t would
really rot bo very astounding If 1t occa-
sionally led to a broken engagement as
we'll, for some men are $50 odd,' and
however amusing they may think this
kind OF sport when carried on by other
mems "girls," they might draw the line
1T participation on the part of their own
iancees.
Football is a pastime which presents
vast possibilities OF enjoyment. What can
DO fairer than tho simple arrangement
that tho ladies should be permitted to hack
)r trip at pleasure, and that the men
should only be allowed to collar the
ladies', in the Rugby sense Of the word,
and what more calculated to enhance the
manly feeling of respect for the dignity Of
1t Is advisable, moreover,
where possible, that this game should be
played up stairs in long corridor termi-
mating In two staircases. The latter will
be very convenient for goals, ond, more
over, will afford fine opportunity for real
ievotees Of the game, after sharp run up
10 goal and q hot pursuit on the other
side, to fall headlong from top to bottom,
,lasped In each others arms.
On the other hand, there is tho bally rag
puro and simple. 1t may be urged that
tho difference between the sports men
toned above and the bally rag must re-
quire an experienced eye to detect. But
the fact is that the essence of the bally
rag Is that it should be the outcome OF the
moment and be governed by no rules
1t may take the primitive
form of cushion fight 1t may develop
into war dances, wherein the high kick
ing praoticed at tho "halls' may be deftly
blended with the reels % dear to the
" gatherings" "Applepie beds" and
"booby traps may be another expression