isa-normaladvance-1913-00172

Description:	172THE NORMAL ADVANCEhunt in a high-wheeled chair, as her courtierscalled her chaise.The amusements of the best society indoorspractically illustrated the paradox of busyidleness. They occupied the eyes and fingerswithout exacting any demand on the intelligence making the largest possible amount ofunnecessary movement with the least possibleamount of mental exertion. All useful occupations were unknown or uncultivated. Drawing was a rare accomplishment music wasperformed by deputy chain-point and cross-stitch were the highest industrial attainments,for those were the palmy days of embroid-. ery, and save a piece of tapestry undertakenfor the sake of the coquetry it encouraged,there was no rational resource for a woman ofsense. Books were out of the question for theywere viewed with contempt, if not hatred.Numbers of fashionable women never read abook from one years end to another. Plays,poems and satires of the worst kind, however,were read with a great deal of eagerness.Ladies ran to pets and patches, and thegentlemen to coffee-houses, pipes and quarrels,and all had dreary, costly funerals, withfuneral rings and pomp that cost a fortune.Tobacco was costly at this time, but eventhe school children smoked. The habit of taking snuff became very fashionable, and thepolite way of handling a snuff box became amatter of polite education. It is probable thatthe expression mums the word came fromthe new drink, mum, which was introduced atthis time, and which made the men speechlessly drunk.No form of amusement, with the single exception, perhaps, of coquetry, found greaterfavor in the eyes of the fashionable section ofLondon society than gambling. No man,moving in high society, was considered a finished gentleman, unless he was an expert atcards and hazard. The art of cheating wasconsidered a fine accomplishment, and rules forcheating were given in elementary books onthe art of card playing. Many people in thatage found excitement in nothing else but play,and literally passed their whole lives at it, doing nothing else morning, noon and night, andexisting in a continual alteration betweenwealth and poverty. Women were fataliy addicted to card playing and finally utilized Sunday also for that purpose. Cards, dice, and billiards all afforded means for gambling.Wagers were perpetually laid, and affordeda very easy mode of excitement. Gallants laidwagers on their mistresses with as little hesitation as they did on horse races, cock fights andbear baitings. The ladies themselves enjoyedthe practice of laying wagers as well as didthe court gentlemen.Every woman of fashion kept what wascalled a day which was a formal circle of heracquaintances of both sexes, unbroken by anycard tables, tea tables, or other amusements.There the fine women and fine men met forperhaps at hour.Sunday calling became fashionable, and, instead of the formality of leaving cards, servants were sent to ask a How do ye?Tea drinking became almost a mania withthe polite society of this time, and tea partiestook up a great deal of the time.Shopping in the London of that age was, regarded by women as part of the daily programme, and as an excellent way in which towhile away the time. The India houses, whereOriental wares were for sale, tempted the fashionable beaux and belles to part with some ofthe money they had won at whist. These costly wares soon created a passion for collectingand many private collections were made.Many minor indoor games were extremelypopular. Numerous pastimes played for love,such as the crying of forfeits, and the taggingof rhymes were enjoyed with a keen zest.Hunt the Slipper was one of the most popular amusements of the court people, who included in their round of pastimes, BlindmansBuff, and Hot Cockles. Battledore andShuttlecock was played by all classes. Theseseem very trivial to have been played by courtladies and gentlemen, but more trivial stillwere the recreations of rearing card houses and
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34617
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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