The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-18
They Play Bridge After Din
ner and Permit Women TO
Entertain Themselves.
ANSWER is SOUGHT
BY SOUTHERN BRIDE
She Says That Western Men Have
the MatrimOny Habit, and ER-
plains Her Reasons 10 Party.

A Southern woman, a Colorado woman,
and three Eastern women were discuss
ing the eternal question Of the attrac-
ton OF the sexes, one evening. Outside,
on the balcony, four men played bridge,
obLvious Of the wOuen-s presence
"Iu aa- South. said the Southern WON
an, .LEis situation could not exist: the
men would hurry 20 the women when
they had smoked their after-diuner
cigar and they would be making love.
or pretending 90: and we vould be lis
ten-ng 20 them, and making believe we
took them seriously"
I'm the West" said the Colorado
woman. the men would be proposing
10 US ia a serious manner Why. COX
az me, I am a Era1dmother at thirty
eiglt-Just because went 10 Colorado
20 live when I was fifteen And 7 have
been a widow twice "a real widow. not
a dIvorcee): and I am a bride now, for
the third time Western men have the
marrying habit
elm the East" said one Of the New
York women. men have the bridge and
club habit They dine al the club to-
gether then they 60 in fours 10 the
theater- and after the theater they go
back 10 the club and play bridge Till
dawn"
And what DO the women do?" asked
the SOUtherner.
Give Suppers.
why, they give suppers and card
parties 10 one another" replied the New
Yorker Sometimes they. too make
party Of three Of four and 90 10 the
rleater. and sometimes they lassO a
stray man VINO viii consent 10 act as
escort FOR a quartet Of women and come
in for supper afterWard- They honize
such a man, however ordinary he may
be- and he accepts their homage as his
rightfuI due, knowing how valuable an
individual ne is in an Eastern commun-
ity"
And This state Of things is getting
more marked every day" said another
Eastern woman 1T is all the same
whether women are single OF married;
they are obliged 10 plan their own pleas
ures ana nh their evenings as best they
may, nj, out expecting any assistance
from the men"
Now, what has led 10 such sirua-
zion?
Nowhere else in the civilized world
can a similar condition be found n so
c.ery. What peculiar characteristics
Of the New York and New England
man and woman have brought about
such a situariOn2 Is IL the money
mania which has made the men so Oh
IiviOus O g.. OF Indifferent TO. their Oblga-
riOus as fathers. husbands. brothers
and IOverS2 is Il the eXLrava gance OF
woman which has driven men away into
herds, where each pays his own snare
Of expenses, al the club dinner and the
theaCer, instead Of paying for the cost
" pleasure Of woman society
Il is DePlOTable-
Whatever may be the cause, Il IS 8
dopIorabIe and unnatural state OF
things.
OF course. the woman is the greater
sufferer from this social separation OF
the sexes. With all her newly acquired
rights. woman is still deprived OF many
privileges enjoyed by men Women
clubs are not enjoyable evening resorts
restaurants and hotel Hobbies. where
men meet and talk and play cards. are
virtually inaccessible 10 their women
friends. and even the theaCe- can be
but an occasional pleasure TO her with
out the escort OF an agreeable man
The excitement Of bridge. played for
money in private homes, IS almost her
only resource. unless she Is q woman
with a profession or an absorbing &C
cOmpliShment like music. which dis
tracts her mind and fills her evenings.
or is a worker in the world Of charities.