Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-09-22
THE LIVERPOOL CUP.

| LILY LII EUIll UUu Jul /.
There are those said my friend
Br0wnton, with his most senteItiOus
air. who effect to perceive the Drinci-
pies OF eternal fitness and propriety
underlying all the chances and occur
rences of this mortal life. 1t is hardly
necessary for me to point out to so
sensible man as yourself that such
persons are in hopeless error
Wherefore that sapient pronounce
.ment?' is inquired, laughing.
You may jest, if you please, Fan
shave; but you ought rather to weep.
II IS, in truth, a sad fact to contem-
plate, that SO far from fitness and pro-
priety being the rule of things mum
dane, unftness and improperly are
everywhere rampant
Here, for instance?
Here, for instance"
1T is difficult" | remarked. as [ gazed
around ne on the gay and brilliant
scene which the famous Liverpool race
course presented on that sunny July
afternoon. 1T is difficult for a man
who has lunched well and is smoking q
good cigar, the while he basks in this
jolly sunshine and feasts his eyes on SO
radiant an array of fair faces and charm
ing millinery, for a man, moreover, who
got on TO the favorite when the odds
were long and now sees an almost GER
tain chance of landing the oof; it is diff
fcult, | repeat, for this individual to de-
tect either the unftness or the impro-
priety to which you allude. Will you be
kind enough to indicate the same, my
Downtown
= will. You see old Ursino there
the South African Croesus? You OBJ
serve his fair companion? Well, she is
n WALKING Il1nSfp9 tjnY1 of 6iat1I11 -
Lady Gertie Grosmont? She is lit
tie fast and tiighty, no doubt. But it is
4 strong order to accuse her Of impro-
priety."
I said nothing about the propriety or
improperly of Lady Gertie. What
referred to was the improperly of Prov
idence III its dealings with that young
person
I scarcely apprehend you
No? Then let me explain. Lady
afertie is young and lovely. Lady Gertie
is also undeniably fast. Lady Gertie IS
frequently placing herself in the most
dangerous situations, and exposing her
self to the risk of the most damaging
demonstrations. But, for all that Lady
8Eertie. has never yet been compromised.
Why is this?"
i presume it is because Lady Gertic
has the nous to keep on the right side
OF the line
All; you think so? Well, 1 join is
sue. The line of which you speak is ut
terry mythical. 1t has no existence.
And 1t 1t has, there is no right or wrong
side OF 1t, but what is the right side
for one person is the wrong side for
another. On this account l arraign the
pTopriety of Providence
Still / fail to follow YOU
You are something less actue than
usual L fear you must have lunched
away your wits. Let me put it in this
transparent form. Providence evinces
TIE utter improperly and unftness of
her designs IN permitting the young
and lovely Lady Gertie to do, almost
daily, with impunity, much more than
thar tor which many another young
and lovely girl has been visited with So
-cial ostracism. Is it not sou
Do you allude to her lovely lady
SHIPS betting propensities?'
Not so much to these. which are in
themselves venial; but 10 her incorri-
SIDie habit of allowing, nay, expecting,
her gentlemen friends to pay her bets
for her"
You do not consider that venial?'
have my opinion on that point But
l am not at present dealing with It.
What | am dwelling upon is the unfair
ness of Providence in allowing some
young and lovely girls to be socially dis
from men, while it permits others-LaIy
t1ertie, for example-to do this same
thing daily, without suffering the small
est discredit"
But Lady Gertie does not receive
money presents from men,"
They pay her losses for her What
else can you call t?"
A minute ago, my dear Brownt0n, You
accused me of having lunched away Ely
wits. Now I will not stoop to a III
ruoque, which is vulgar. l will merely
remark that your intellect seems, fc1
some reason or other. to be temporarily
dulled You have entirely missed the
distinction between paying money to q
girl and paying money for a girl"
Umph! a distinction without diff
ference"
Pardon me- A distinction with q
great difference. When you take girl
TO tea at q cafe. for example, you natur-
ally pay for what she consumes This is
not merely excusable. it is obligatory
But it would be a widely different thing
amounting even to an outrageous Insult,
r you paid the damsel the price of her
tea in hard cash, wouldn't it p
POOH Not a parallel case. Besides,
il is too hot to argue" (This came
rather we'll from BroWnton, who was sole
ly responsible for the discussion) ''The
fact remains that Lady Gertie's behavior
is distinctly scandalous. Hilloa. Here
comes Edmondson. Let us take Ed
Ynondson's opinion. We'll met, you sleek
sinner. We have an important question
10 ask YOU"
''To name the winner of the cup?"