The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-23
BY MARGARET E. sANe@TER.

fcouyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowles,)
 Playing cards for money has be- come a very common occurrence with women of fashion. Whatever the sum hazarded the principle remains the same Gambling has crept in by im- perceptible degrees and has familiariz- Cd itself as society pastime.
 A generation ago. 1t would have been regarded as shocking and dlsreputaole in che extreme for decent and virtuous women, mothers and wives and sisters 4a play at games of chance here in America. People knew that such things were done at Monte Carlo. ana that the feverish lust that Is the tatAt npison of the inveterate gambler some times found its way into the life or woman otherwise moral. Hut, taklhB it all in all it was not supposed that decent women would stoop to card play ing for money or would lend themselyes .s to the excitements that follow Tn it's wake
 Tn Edith wharton's spectacuiar nov. al .erhe House of Mirth," a glimpse is given of the desolation that may come to an individual life when girl nt onee poor. proud and beautiful, sits down at the card table and presently finds herself in the clutches of depts that she cannot pay. There are those who fancy that Lily Bart's predicament sr exaggerated and who have no toi- sration for her temptations. tney u not see that Mrs. Wharton's ooak IS less a work of imagination than sue cesston of photographs, She simply fola in narrative form. that which she had Ben in the society of a biR cos mopclitan city.
 gfnce bridge whist became popular fl has monopolized the attention ana time and formed the chief diversion or elegant women in homes where lnxu- rfea abound and a golden stream tloWs gn a full tide from the pockets or men wrhosa names are potential in Wall street. and in the finances of the world. pyshm money kings make possible the cost Txa anusements of the money queens and the money princesses. When a it- ffa country cousin comes to town TOT the xeason with a trunk filled with nrettv furbelows and the sweet en- chanting grace of youth In her d'npIes aIaa her bright eyes. she Is set down af inc card table, and perhaps 1nno- -ertIv bawins to play, not imagining ehaf losses are to be taken seriously. Sometimes there comes to ner moment oe axtrer1e bitterness when she dts- covers that her losses are so large tnat fo settle them will absorb all that hcr eathar gave her for the winters outht' or that she must apply at home for a ~heaue to save her from disgrace. Vef fhis is better for her as sn experience than to receive a generous sum in the owposfte direction. Winnings are much too apt to turn a youthful head end to lead the fortunate player away from discretion and into greater haz- ards
 A few months ago, a girl visitor at q country house found herself singled out for observation and treated with natronizing insolence and ridicule by fellow guests because she had the cour- are of her convictions and her training and absolutely refused to be partner in any game that was played for mon ey If only young girls and older wom -F an in society would accept the position taken by this conscientious and fear less young woman an enormous amount of misery and suffering would be pre- vented, and the tide of reckless passion in society gambling would be stem med.
 At the root of gambling lies tho EaIsity of trying to get something fol nothing. So long as we pay our mon ay for value received we are in th' right. The gambler is little better thal che thief, and has in rectitude no ad vantage over the latter. except in s' far as his operations are conducted il the open To cheat at cards is regard d as the lowest depth into which civilized human being can sink. Tni