The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-07
A WHIST TEST.
One Club of Women to Which AdHis-
sion Is Difficult.
New York Evening Sun.

New York Evening Sum-
Over in Philadelphia they have 'Wom-
ans Whist Club 1t is not the only one
of it's kind by any means, nor it is the
only one so-called, but it is larger and
more pretentious than it's fellows. 1t IS
quite difficult to gain admission to IT. All
the members look with suspicion if not
open enmity, upon any one not member
The ordeal that the would-be member mas
to go through is nothing short of terrific.
At a stated time she is, with much cere-
mony, summoned to play a test game with
three of the most critical CLUB MEMBERS
players whose very reputation is enough
other critical club members stand around
and express their sentiments while the
hands progress. BY this game does the can
didate stand or fall; it puts her in the bal
ance, and it isn't the fault of the club mem
bers if she is not found wanting. The points
she scores count for nothing; all is gagged
by knowledge of rules. If it be impossible to
trip her up on some technical point the
club members, with comnendable and
first lead is invariably greeted with a
scathing Now what would you make of
such a lead as that?' This remark, ad-
dressed to the general company, has been
Sions. One candidate, in the course of her
ordeal, echoed her partners call for trumps
the fourth trick chorused the Daniels
come to Judgment and everybody nova
days echoes at the third" But said the
candidate, Il have been taught that it was
all right to echo at the fourth The Daniels
looked at each other MY dear Miss
Blank" said one elderly not oversmart
whistler, you must remember that fashions
change in whist as in clothes" Very
true" retorted the candidate with glance
at the whisters big sleeves. But fortu-
nately / am young enough to keep up with
both" What any one wants to JOIN the
club for anyway is ineXplicable. Only the
most frenZied infatuation for the game it
self can account for a woman's belonging
to it. Its sessions are as dreary as an
English comic paper. From to on two
afternoons a week. as the women sit there
a-whisting it in lugubrious silence, not a
sound is heard or a funeral note. The WOm-
who opens her lips to remark upon any
thing short of a long suit is fined almost
as heavily as she who dareS to- absent her
self from the sessions; At > o'clock maid
comes in and solemnly deposits a cup Of
tea at each of the four corners of each
whist table. Funeral brewed beer couldn t
be served with more StatelinesS and less
cheer ''Tea?" asks the maid as she sets
down the cup, and the player is permitted
to nod or shake her head, as the case may
be, no other word or gesture being eX-
changed. The player is, too, only allowed
to sip her tea between tricks. Any woman
who so much as touches a teaspoon before
all four cards lie upon the board is in dan
ger of being expelled from the club. An
interesting possession of the club is a
large case filled with documents signed by
the Daniels in judgment and concerning
order to gain admission to the club. Among
other verdicts here are some, won four
games out of five, but only Signaled seven
times during the afternoon. Rejected
Lost all five games, but her trump signals
averaged six to hand. Accepted" won
all five games. but knows nothing of the
plain suit echo. Says she never heard of
the eleven card rule. Rejected OF all the
many things that Philadelphia has to an
swer for, nothing takes higher rank than
the WOman'S Whist Club.