The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-26

lGrly charming woman, and playing close
to ones ribs is to take especial care and
caution, while In fashionable drawing
rooms the Britisher's favorite expression.
20, I say now" begins, ends and fully
pUnctuates every conversation.
If the men have come to object 10 the
word swell, no less do the women protest
against being described as 'chie," and
the enthusiastic danes and damsels
adore all things that arouse their ad-
miration, while they fancy" with a rich
broad a, instead of guessing" or "recl-
oring." The one lingering Gallo adapta-
ton is to speak of ones wearied or un-
tidy condition as "chiffonne."
Cup Jengins."
There really ought to be coined some
polite and gentle form by which to de-
scribe the habit of gambling that is be-
coming too familiar in our young aris-
tocracy, especially in New York, to
pass without note. In one sense very
few men and women in society gamble
at first for the money there is in it.
About ten years ago it was a divertisse-
ment and a polite accomplishment to
play a good game of whist; women earned
incomes teaching the graceful science, and
after everybody had pretty well learned
the art it became fashionable to have a
rubber after a dinner party and win a
prize If possible.
The gay young set seeing that hostesses
were willing to offer really sumptuous
prizes, voted whist too slow a means and
too unexcitingo a process for deciding to
whom the jewel or piece of silver should
fail, and by way of a joke everybody
learned to play poker. Now here are the
beginnings of a revival of an eighteenth
century custom Of winding up every even
ioor will a around.
and crisp bank notes instead of some pref
ty triae as the incentive to success Science
of whist has been replaced by the vulgar
chance of poker and the old Baroness
Bernstein, in Thackery's ''Vrginians,'
was never a shrewder or greedier hand at
the card table than many dignifed New
York dowagers. Very few of the older
women, it is true, play for the prohts or
the game, because most of them are rich
enough to be supremely indifferent IS 70
who opens and wins the jack pot Inc
excitement is what stimulates their inter-
est. and, as they can only find genuine
excitement over heavy stakes, their cara
tables offer tremendous attractions 20 the
young men and women, who ma II us
tinctly worth their while to try and WIN
Though poker has its charms for these
fashionable gamest ers, pinochle is very
nearly as popular, while in a search Ior
variety and skill in games they hdNe -
vived the ancient nursery pastime OF Up
Jenkins" Any child can show you now 10
play it, but for all that the fashioIdple
grown-ups have made 1t worth many hum
dreds an evening to the side that wins IN
the competition at hiding the coin. FIet-
ty young matrons will laughingly relate
how they settled big milliners bill, OF
bought a coveted bonnet by trying tIer
luck at a country house party or am
ner last week. count themselves none tlo
worse for their bit of dissipation ana ue-
ride any serious condemnation OF prlVato
games of chance. For all that, there ID
another and a gloomier side to TINS silud-
ton, and not a few handsome incomes
have been DANA ged beyond repair by
steady play of their feminine owners az -
silly and amusing a little game as W
jenkins" or the opening of a poker pans
Emily Holt.