The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-01

| mentioned this to Miss Curtis she told
! me l was quite in style for weakness
now is the standard dscard-and then
of course l had to tell her story--an
Auction" story. Now my little story
has to do with very nice lady-the
kind they term a Bridge Fiend;" she
had crossed the big ocean some 'steen
times and always becomes deathly sea
sick, so when she Nstarted on her next
voyage. she went to a physician to
know how she could prevent this state
of mind-or health or whatever it is.
and he said: Madame don't eat any
thing from the time you leave New
York Harbor until you land in Havre. -
Not content she consulted another
physician who gave just the opposite
advice saying: Madame eat every
thing you desire from the time you
leave New York Harbor until you reach
Havre"
With these diametrical decisions in
hand she consulted third doctor who
knowing that she was a devotee OF
Bridge answered her in language
she could easily understand when he
said; Madame it depends entirely upon
whether you wish to discard from
strength or weakness"
Clever Miss Curtis was right there
with the answer, as l remarked before
declaring that the >"weak discard il
today what is advocated by Milton
in her teaching also by Street and
Bryant McCampbeu, the last named in
Miss Curtis's opinion, one of the most
delightful card players she has ever
known, being. as she terms it "one of
the very best loosers she has ever
played with
IF it is impossible to discard from
,your weak suit" Miss Curtis said "as it
sometimes is-well, here's an easy way
to express what / want to say: discard
lseven or higher of your strong suit
which means, lead it. Under SEVEN
means weakness, seven or higher
strength
"One thing that / perfectly abom-
mate in card player" Miss Curtis
continued. and that is the eternal COM
lplaint that never hold good cards."
1t is very tiresome. The proof of a
good card player is to make the most
out of the cards he holds, good or bad.
In certain town l taught bridge in
recently, out of three hundred and forty
pupils, l had three hundred and ninety
nine who complained of never holding
good cards. 1t certainly gets on my
nerves-the everlasting complaining"
Common sense and keen imagina-
ton constitute the good Auction
;player we are told by Bryant McCamp
bell, whom I've seen laugh immoder-
ately when he was losing outrageously'
card table is a big asset. Cavendish
has sarcastically remarked; BY all
means blow up your partner at the end
lof every hand; it is not only most
gentleman like proceeding, but it i'm
presses others with your fine knowl-
edge of the game. AS a matter of fact,
the social game of cards is not the
place to continually nag and teach
your partner. Don't teach all through
the game any more than count and tell
your partner how to dance; leave that
to the bridge and dancing teacher it
is their business not yours. And be-
sides you know there was man some
where in Georgia who got rich attend
ing to his own business; attend to your
own hand and win the game
I'VE cannot but admire extrava-
gantly the gameness of an Auction
player" Miss Curtis said, especially
the one of whom / once heard, who
having lost seven hundred points on
hand, did not accept defeat with crest
fallen humiliation, but leaning back in
his chair blandly remarked: Had you
opened with a spade instead of d club
you would have ruined me-
4 The ability so count thirteen" is
largued by some as the only asset re-
quired to make fine bridge player, but
with the dozens of rules, penalties,
best plays" how to settle large debts
ton, and a knowledge of clairvoyance.
and the other innumerable things trib-
utary to the game. it seems to me that
the ability ito count thirteen" is one
of the smallest assets we have with
us.
When L suggested this to Miss Curtis,
she said:
"The ability to count thirteen GER
tainIy is a very necessary factor but
hat ny n
mendous concentration; that is why
women should learn the game. Some
body has called us scatter Drained
with home duties to perform, church
duties, social duties--all scattered
scattered about over the face of the
earth-so that bridge is what might
be called a nter-irritant--a point
of concentration"
Like my friend Don MARQUEE and his
adorable Hermione and her group of
serious thinkers I mentally observed
THAT is why men play bridge so
we'll" Miss Curtis declared. Their minds
are trained. A person who has well
trained bridge mind is quite capable
of achieving almost anything, for a
political campaign does not require
more combinations a cabinet does not
require its members to possess more
address: an astronomer does not solve
more intricate problems nor does con-
tinental diplomat require more tact"
Bridge brings out more faculties OF
the mind than any other game Miss
Curtis observed, "and do remember
when a brilliant coup is made, be a
good sport and admit that you just
swallowed the hook. bait. line, and
sinker."
"Again quoting Bryant McCampbell'
Miss Curtis continued, ITO brag
little. to show WELL to crow gently II
in luck; to pay up; to own up to smut
up if beaten, are the virtues OF a true
sport"
auction represents the connecting
link between sound and brilliant bid
ding.t Miss Curtis outlined. "When
four routine players draw together at
tha same table what deadly unin-
teresting game it is The thrills do not
start until a live wire gets into the
game and injects some pep into IT.
1 sAuction: is auction in other WORDS,
always something doing, IL stanus IN
constradistinction to bridge, IN that the
original bid absolutely means notnihg
we get so far from it that we forget II
ever existed ,. 4ho+ r
have ever heard about Auction MISS
Curtis said. "is, that II is mental
chewing gum for vacant minds-pue
mis- If course came from person WAC
had never played game OF her carus
in her whole life. .; ~
aSnmming it all up" Miss Gurus op-
aryad .sAuction' is besides every
thing else a Lesson in Manners max