The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-15

Lady Jeunc. the well.known English jour-
nallst. has lately written a bright chatty
article on The Social Tyranny Of Bridge"
for the Fortnightly, which was afterward
republshcd in the LittclrS Living Age of
August y. That these two journals Of
dignity and high standing should publish
an article Of such frivolous tone shows
that the subject treated is attracting wide
spread attention. Bridge. or bridge whist.
Ii seems, is absorbing the social world Of
England to such an extent that Lady
Jeune ssys There is no position SO trying
or humilatmC as that of an outsider
and none feel IL more 0cutply than the un-
happy people that can not play Bridge"
And for those who caE Il seems that life
is made very worth while. quote again
from Lady Jeune; The man too old to
dance and yet TOO young 10 admit that his
best days are over. now finds himself
sought after by the most exclusive sets
because he plays Bridge; the old maid who
had contcntedly settled into the only life
she conceived remained for her Is hurried
from one place to another. and has an en-
gagement list weeks ahead, because she
has mastered the mysteries of the great
game. In fact, there is no man OF woman
too poor, too friendless too unknown, who
can not at one bound achieve all that the
widest dreams Of the mind Of man can
conjure up il they can only play Bridge
with decent success Thus Lady Jeune.
and much more to the same effect, and
what she writes Is paid for and chosen for
reproduction by two of the most dignihed
journals of the world, There must he
something behind TIA very important
hug under the chip'-when such light stuf
as that finds Judgment on those pages. Is
1t that these journals desire to call atten-
tion to the tyranny OF the game in order
10 stir up a revolt OF good sense and
sound Judgment?
The picture given Of a people with SO
high a place in this round world Of ours
as the English people have-peopIe with
a grand record behind them of centuries
filled with heroic deeds and sturdy moral
strength-thus bowling, men and women, to
the charms of game of chance, Is pitiful
Indeed. The fact that bridge is played for
money makes the pictu-e all the darker.
The interest to us lies In the fact that
England lies very close to us In these days
of swift steamers, and that Americans,
especially those of the idle world, are
apt 10 catch any social fevers TINT are
prevalent In English society. ANA bridge
may be looked for, unless a healthy moral
quarantine is established. We have enough
troubles OF our own. have heard IN the
past year of the spread of gambling in sew
eral of the oldest and most dignihed
Southern States, gambling among men and
women Of the very best-or what is con.
sidered the very best-society. | am no
doubt. woman of decidedly old-fashioned
ideas, aud what | say and think on this
subject may be labeled 'out of print" hnt
can not think that playing cards for
money Is right For men Ii Is bad enough
hut when women take TO gambling ii Is
simply horrible. Young women often fake
s,d hani at +, gambling ni game wIthog.
Is fun, and they play. But for Older
women, those who know what they nre
doing what Of that? The purity and
wholesomeness Of the social life Ito ON
tlreIy In the hands Of the Women e ep y,
these hands are soiled by money won M
cards, tainted with the microbes Of evil,
what purity or healN is to be looked foI
part? "''
II has been claimed that playing for
prizes at card party was gambling hut
] DO not 80 so far rs that. | acknowledge
that II encourages and nurses into life the
gambling instinct that is latent In So many
of us, but the prizes are offered glmply for
the sake of making the playing more i'm.
teresting and are often won with an I'm.
nocent pleasure that rohs the winning If
harm But | admit that the tendency of
50 much playing for prizes is very harm
ful and can readily be construed to en-.
courage gambling. For instance: moth.
er In this city demonstrated with her son
lad of ~ or Is, for playing poker for
money. His answer was. Now mother
when you can convince me that there Is
any difference between my PLAYING poker
for money and your playing euchre for
that prize you brought home last week
Will listen to you, What could she saw?
To any one claiming that l so beyond my
province In this plain speaking, / snbm I
the responsibility OF the press. A news