Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-30

N--s1A-s8 "iu eoihc VI uIclT DIVERSIONS 1Or
:, the enlightenment of English readers.
She starts off with an account of an afternoon
progressive euchre party thus:
it was the funniest affair possible The
invitations were issued for o'clock, and at
q O'Clock punctually stream of smart ladies'
eh'ered the house. The door was opened by
darkey butler, and the visitors were ushered
upstairs to take off their cloaks.
The chrysalis unfurled, and out came the
FEMININE butterfly in all her glory Light silks,
wnlte toulards and painted muslins on an Oc-
tooer day were made transparently open at the
neck Light hats and white plumes nodded from
every head; veritable garden party attire all
these women wore, and wondrous smart they
looked Every blind in the house was drawn
down at z o'clock, and all the electric lights
were turned on Whether this was because
aFtlhclal light was considered more becoming
OF not remains mystery, or whether it was
thought more respectable to begin card playing
IN an illumination which anyway savored of the
evening. t7-
lhe party was progressive euchres Six Ia
bles, OF six women each, meant thirty-sx ladies,
TO say nothing of the handful of onlookers. They
were small square tables, made on trestles ex-
pressy Tor the purpose, and the chairs were
narrow, evidently part of the requirements of
the game. On every table, covered with it's
tightly stretched white linen cloth, dish of
American candies reposed, and before the after
noon was through our Western sisters
would say, the candies had all disappeared.
Ihat euchre party was quite serious affair.
liable 1 was the high table, and when its oc-
cupants rang bell every one began. When these
said occupants of the high table had scored
S2, every one stopped at the tinkle of another
bell. Typed rules were on every table and
scoring card was presented to each player.
Every woman attached one of these little
cards by its pink ribbon to her bodice and
had her score punched upon it after each game,
when the winners all moved up table nearer
the high table
For nearly two hours the game proceeded
played in most serious manner; then darky
walters came in, cleared the cards and the
glasses OF orange punch that had been served.
and laid the tablecloths for other and more
substantial refreshments.
Chicken salad at O'Clock, with hot but
tered rolls and cups of coffee, was followed
by ice cream and cakes. Then the scores were
totaled up, among much amusement and good
natured chah, and then the three prizes were
given, with almost much formality as at a
school function.
"The women all seemed to be in the best
of tempers were all good friends, and took as
much trouble to amuse one another as though
each woman was flirting with man. Our Amer
lean sisters are delightful. They take so much
pains to be nice to one another wear their
smartest clothes at these women functions and
arrive determined to enjoy themselves and make
everyone they come in contact with do the same
They have pretty hands, and the fine single-stone
rings many Americans wear show off their
hands as they shuttle the cards or pick up their
candies. They are light-hearted and gay at these
card parties, which sometimes begin at II in the
morning
Reference is also made to the extent of the
club movement and the critic continues:
american women strive after culture: cul.
self-improvement it is really sad to see how few
women have risen to acknowledged prominence
in art, science, literature or music in comparison
with Europe. But America is young vet and
is growing older and more matured rapidly There
are crowds of smart women in the States, but
few really brilliant ones.
eyes they are clever and they are charming;
they lay themselves out to be charming MANY
have no ancestry, no traditions that they are
the descendants Of So-andso to live on; they have
lust themselves, and as themselves stand or
fall They cannot afford to dress badly or be
cross because they are Soand-so, and Consequent
" they dress well and smile and hold their
own, trusting to themselves and their own in
dividuality. But, in spite of their charm, they
seem to make the most unhappy marriages, and
divorce stories thicken the air. large pro-
norton of Americans seems TO be divorced, and
the other half to have had appendictis They
revel in both, and do not seem particularly NOV
ed by either, Both lead to certain amount
of gossip, and gossip becomes feature of life.
Every State has different divorce law, and
really il seems easy to get free as it is to
be married,
among American women today Golf and motor
ing are the fashion among the men who have
time TO enoy ANYTHING outside dollar making"