Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-09-22
SMART SOCIETY FROM INSIDE.
Not as Bad as Painted, but Bridge is
Dreadful Bore.


Mrs. George Cornwallis-W West in the
osmopolitan.-Lately certain critics
have been much exercised over the
manners and habits of what they
choose to call smart society,"" and
they have launched fiery philippics in
the magazines and papers on the sub
ject. But to criticise from the outside
must be rather difficult and somewhat
inaccurate. This section of society
is supposed to be made up of mothers
who neglect their children and their
husbands, who live in round of gay
ETY., who think of nothing but their
clothes, who read nothing and Know
nothing, whose conversation is emp
ty and frivolous, not to say vulgar:
who drink and gamble and squander
their money and their existence. Burt
men and women of that type have
existed since the world began, and
are not confined to one class of soci-
ETY. or to one country
The fashionable world is often oc-
cupied in a manner which would as
tcnish their detractors and also past
generations. One has only to con-
/ slider the enterprises of all kinds in
| which society women of the present
day are interested. not to mention
political and literary work, to realize
how much must be done by them.
The more prominent the woman the
more she is called upon to do, and 1t
IS often subject of admiration
abroad what an Englishwoman or an
an American can and does accomplish.
One of the great features of both
country and town life is the playing
OF the popular game of bridge, which
has taken hold of society in a most
extraordinary fashion, to the exclu-
sion of all other games of cards.
A great deal of nonsence as to its
gambling evils has been said. even
from the pulpit, burt from that point
of view it is innocence itself compared
to the baccarat and poker-playing of
ten years ago. not to speak OF the
games of hazard in the early Victorian
era, when thousands were lost nightly
il private London houses.
Gambling at cards has existed ever
since their invention, but since The
introduction of bridge it has certainly
never been for such low stakes in
England. The points lpayed in most
houses range from a penny to a shil-
ling.
From a hostess's point of view
bridge is great boon; an easy way
of disposing of and occupying a num-
Der of guests, who in the course of a
week may find the time dragging.
On the other hand. like everything
else in this world, there is a revers
de la medaille and If INDUCED in too
; much its evils will undoubtly bring
about a reaction.
Gambling is certainly not the worst
aspect of bridge. 1t is slowly but
surely destroying all after-dinner con-
versation of any kind.
This is a curious phase, and when
carried to excess has certainly a de-
teriorating effect, not only on the in
tellect, but on the character. Art,
literature, music, one seldom hears
discUssed-politics sometimes-and
the people who indulge in them are
soon voted bores and secretly thought
to be taking up valuable time from
the beloved tables.
The regular bridge player becomes
very selfish, sacrificing everything
which interferes with his game His
tanners, too, suffer, and he will not
attempt 70 restrain his temper, If he
is cursed with one; he snarls,
wrangles and falls, metaphorically
speaking, on his wretched partner
who has made some mistake until
IL she be woman, he has reduced
her to the verge of tears, or II man
to wanting pistols for two and cof-
fee for one-and this is supposed to
be a pleasant and profitable way Of
spending an evening!