Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-23
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THE SMART SET.


THE SMART SET.
Manners of the Gambling Den in Smart
English Society.
New York Tribune.]
Speaking seriously" said matron
with a conscience recently, l think
we ought to pause and consider where
all this card playing and gambling
will evidently carry us. You see,' she
continued, Il include myself, for feel,
altho / never play for high stakes, and
and certainly on bridge field in the
accepted sense of the term. that have
done my share in contributing to the
general laxity, liberation or license
whatever it may be called-which is
becoming constantly more pronounced.
The elastic line which we who are
supposed to be high principled have
drawn is stretched more and more, UNI
til 1 very much fear it will snap, and
there will be no restraint at all. Take
for example, my own family. "A Few
years ago, when bridge first became
the fashion, there was very little caro-
playing in society, and no one l know
played for money. The game was tax
en- up enthusiastically, and became the
vogue. Then the men at my house be-
gan playing for very small stakes. NO
harm in that, they said. No, none at
ALL I acquesced. Next, my daugh-
ters asked If they might put something
up on the game. Every one does II
now they said, and what is the harm!
If Bob and Dick and papa do 1t, why
should not we?' That sounded per-
fectly reasonable. and we all began to
play for money, Everybody who is SO
often quoted as an authority, doing
about the same thing. But, then, this
Everybody who seems to be an occult
power that has no distinct personality,
but yet governs society, began to make
the game subservient to the stakes.
No one cared to play unless
the latter were high enough to excite
interest. So little, by little, and most
unconsciously, on our part, we allowed
Il regular gambling spirit to invade
the social life of our young people.
That we, who are heads Of families are
in a measure responsible for this state
of affairs does not make the problem
any easier of solution. Every parent
knows how impossible it is to curtail
or even direct freedom that has once
been conceded. We can open or keep
shut the door of our authority more
or less as we choose, but once open we
are powerless to close it again. That
thelcraze for gambling, instead of wan
| ing, is greatly on the increase; that the
| amounts played are being constantly
increased: that those who cannot or
/ - e. Ind
society is not particularly desired -
all these are very obvious facts, while
another arguemnt equally serious,
might be made against this universal
card playing, on the score of its stul-
flying influence on the character. 1t
destroys ambition, creates false stand
ards. and develops manners and ways
which would have shocked people a
few years ago, but which are now con-
sidered quite permissible. Apropos OF
the latter effect, some of the stories
told are almost Incredible. A young
American who went out good deal In
London last season, and who certainly
was well enough known to be treated
as a gentleman, was asked by woman
of position to dine and play bridge. The
stakes were much higher than he an
ticipated, and as fortune was against
him the amount of money he had with
him was soon exhausted. He went on
losing and when they stopped playing
he owed quite considerable sum. i
will send my checks the first thing In
the morning" he said. thinking the
whole affair perfectly simple; but he
was astonished to see his proposition
received chilly by his fellow players
while his host flushed angrily: 1--WE al
ways come prepared to meet contin-
gencies, Mr. b." she said sharply
"Kindly write your checks now But
I have not brought check book he
answered. astounded that in a private
house among people he knew, he was
treated as if he were in a gambling
den. II prefer" said Lady NJ, that the
matter should be settled before we
break up. I will give you blank checks
and you can insert the name of your
bank" you can imagine my feelings
as / wrote those checks" said the mar
afterward. "Of course there was moth
ling for me to do but to treat the af-
fair as n matter of course. Anger or
my part would have been misinterpret-
ed, and they would probably have saio
that 1 was nicely caught by Lady Nj
So I thanked the latter for her foresight
with no infection OF sarcasm in my
voice, but I had a bad attack of anglo
phobia when I returned home. Such
thing could only have happened in the
house of a Smart" English hostess.