The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-31
Women Drink With Impunity .

cocktails, punches and various other
alluring beverages of the Intoxicating
kind would have been put down at
once as low and depraved. The only
women who dared to drink openly
were those who belonged to ths. half
world which defes public opinion.
To-day the sight of respectable wo-
men drinking intoxicants is such
common one that it has ceased to ex-
cite comment.
In the country and small towns
where the up-to date woman has not
yet made her appearance, the woman
who drinks is still looked down upon;
but in our large cities, especially here
in New York, it is quite the thing for
women to drink any and everything
they fancy; and they are considered
temperance cranks and decidedly old
fashioned if they have any scruplcs
about 80 doing.
Go into any Of our first class restau-
rants and cafes, at almost any hour of
the day, and you will be surprised at
the number Of women there who are
drinking intoxicants in very matter
of fact way. Not only does this ap-
ply to women more or less off color,
but to those of evident respectability.
The truly refined, sweet, modest wo-
man may not be included among those
who thuo opculy challenge criticism,
but it is Tact, none the less, that re-
spectacle women Of good standing
do drink liquors in these public
places.
At one table you will see two wo-
men who have been shopping; tired
out, they have stopped in to rest, get
bite of lunch and something to
stimulate them, before resuming their
attack on the dry goods stores. At
another table will be couple Of fin
de steele girls, we'll to do, perfectly
respectable, but so accustomed to the
use of stimulants that two or three
drinks apiece leave no apparent effects
upon them.
During the day the respectable wo-
men who drink are not usually accom-
panied by men; probably because the
men are busy raking and scraping the
money together which pays for the
drinks; but at night, in the early
evening and after the theatre, it is
the commonest thing imaginable to
see restaurants crowded with men and
their wives and tleir sweethearts or
women acquaintances eating and drink
ing.
PECULIAR IDEAS OF PRoPRIETY.
Such are the peculiar ideas of pro-
priety among Americans that a young
man who escorts young woman to,
the theatre deems it incumbent upon
him to invite her to supper after'the
play and in many cases the young wo-
man orders drink with as much sang
froid as man would. Among the
! better cless of people a young woman
is generally accompanied by chape-
ron, but if the chaperon be up-to date
she also drinks cocktail, cordial or
wine, as the case may be. 1t doesn't
seem quite so bad for a married wo-
man to join her husband in drink or
two at little supper after the theatre,
but it does jar on the nerves some
what to see young girls drinking as if
they considered it eminently proper
and fitting.
What would our grandfathers have
thought of this state of affairs? Can
you imagine our grandmothers coming
to life and ordering gin fiz or creme
Yvette?
True, the woman Of fifteen, twenty
or more years ago may have occasion
ally drunk glass Of wine at dinner
party, but until recent years woman
who drank intoxicants except on such
occasions was looked upon with hor-
ror and spoken of with bated breath
as one who was prancing down the
| way that leads to destruction at very
rapid gait.
If, once in while, woman felt the
need Of stimulant she at least had
the decenoy to drink within the con-
fines Of her own home. She did not
hic herself forth to parade her appe-
tite for liquor before the public.
Social functions have had much to
do with fostering the drink habit in
women. Of late years it has been the
fashion to have hinge bowls Of deli
cious iced punch, etc., at dances and
other social affairs. After g::! has
danced until she is warm and tired it
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