The San Francisco call., 1910-01-16

~ RIDGE still reigns supreme in
X the fashionable life of America
Skat and Auction" have
failed as yet to oust il. A book
entitled "The Bridge Fiend." by Arthur
l. Bruce has Just been published by
Monat, Yard & Co. Its 500 pages are
made I'D Of anecdotes and jests and
here and there a serious essay or so
dealing with the delights Of bridge.
With the permission Of the publishers
cer1ain Of these have been selected for
the benefit OF bridge playing readers
Of The Sunday Call
There is so much rubbish talked
about the very high gambling at bridge
among women in society and the evil
effects OF it that we often wonder
where and when all these vast sums
are won and lost According TO the
enemies OF bridge. society is a legalized
gambling hell. with no limit to the
stakes. Everybody is risking a for
tune on the turn Of a card. "Cotillon
leaders" are selling their houses;
prominent society women are commit
ting suicide" wealthy clubmen' are
cheating and being driven out Of coun-
try houses and "the smart set is full
OF wailing and impoverished women
who have lost their fortunes at fash
ionable bridge parties.
But this is not all. Drinking, ac-
cording TO these critics, goes with
bridge. and cigarettes go with drink
ing. The ladies must therefore, be
heavy smokers and drinkers. In short
bridge has ushered in an entirely new
code Of morals. and, solely on account
Of 1t. we have returned TO the follies
and extravagances Of the Roman en-
pire under CaIigula and the dissolute
court at versailles under lie Grand
Monarque.
The pulpit has taken up the scent
and we have been treated TO won
derful series Of sermons on the evils
OF card playing. Doctor Rainsford.
from his pulpit al St. Georges church
New York. was the very first 10 expose
the terrible evil He drew lurid pic
ture Of an impoverished young lady in
New York who was overjoyed because
she had won $500 at bridge in a single
hour. Now. this story is ridiculous on
the face OF Il, as IN order TO accom-
plish this marvel the poor young lady
IN question must have played as high
as dollar stskes-points which poor
young lady would, we think, hardly
venture TO play.
The plain truth about society
bridge IS that people play for what
they can afford Everybody in 1t re-
spects the man or woman who says
frankly: 4 can only afford penny
points" OF cent points, or what
ever the individuals limit may be.
Bridge may be a waste Of time, If may
keep people away from more impor-
tant affairs, but to say that love of
playing bridge for money connotes
anything like lax moral sense is, Of
course. preposterous.
As TO smoking. II is true that
very many women in New York So
ciety-and in that of other cities
smoke cigarettes If they didn't they
would be totally unlike the women
IN English society or in the society
OF Spain, Greece, Italy, Russia, Hun
gary and other European countries.
As TO drinking. There is practi-
cally no drinking among the women
in the smart society of New York.
They may drink a little wine with
their meals, but that Is all. The rea-
son for this is, possibly. that it is
vulgar Added TO which It reddens
the nose and ruins the figure. Fash
ion has more to do with regulating
our conduct that we like to believe.
A fashionable woman was recently
chided for her devotion to bridge.
Her answer was really Illuminating
What else can one do? The wives
Of the poor have so much TO occupy
their minds and hands washing,