WOMEN AND CIGARETTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1083, 23 March 1911, Page 9

WOMEN AND CIGARETTES.

A SPIRITED REPLY TO MR. ELL. (By Tdesraph.—Special Correspondent.") Auckland, March 22. The remarks of Mr. H. Ell, M.r., regarding the ."vices of the fair sex" have drawn an Auckland lady into o warm retort, per medium of the "Star." This journal says:—She is bright, well known, concerned in many good works, and 011 many committees, and occupies ail unassailable position in Auckland society. Our representative scarcely hoped to draw so excellent a subject, but she received him courteously and read the telegram. Pressed for an opinion, she looked cross, then thoughtful for a moment, and then said impulsively: "Look here! You won't mention my name, will you? It's really not necessary, but I really do think I would like to say something about Mr. Ell and his allegation. These half lies," she said, "have gone on about long enough. They are whispered here and whispered there, and though contemptible are, like all half lies, hard to fight. But as Mr. Ell has chosen to speak openly, it may perhaps do good to give his assertions the most emphatic contradiction. • Of course, bridge is played. I play quite a lot myself, and there are parties most evenings and Some afternoons at some house or another here in Princess Street or up in Parnell, Remuera, Epsom—where you will, in fact. I believe they even play in Ponsonby. Equally, of course, we play for money, but the stakes are to small as to be an entirely negligible quantity. I have never known a ease of anyone losing ah uncomfortable sum. There has never in Auckland society, I speak with assurance, been the breath of scandal over auy debt at cards, or of girls playing beyond their means. There is not a house in Auckland where such a thing would be tolerated. Good sense prevails. Tenpence a hundred is, I may say,' the average stake, often less Mr! EM, though speaking in Christchurch, said his informant was not a Christchurch woman. He was afraid evidently of the women of Christchurch. Her name 1 take it is 'Harris.' She is a most extraordinary female, quite like Mrs. Gamp's friend, in fact. In the matter of strange acquaintances, why does it hurt her to go into a house where bridge is being played? Surely slio doesn't imagine anyone would ask her to play? It exactly shows Mr. Ell's ignorance of what ho is talking about. "Bridge players do not encourage beginners'or' ask casual callers to take a hand, Moreover, it would be a strange house where .any. such caller as this would ever go beyond the front door when a gam-j-was in-progress. Bridge is'played quite- a'lot. but entirely innocently. It has taken the place of tittle tattle and* scaudalmongery, which a d-scade ago occupied so many afternoons. As for smoking, the thing is too absurd. A few, very few, women here smoke, none to excess. As for blackening.their teeth, well!" The lady went oft'.into a peal of laughter (perhaps designedly) showing the whitest, brightest set possible. "Mr. Ell," she said, "vras talking the sort of nonsense that class of person always,.does, but it's about time the lie about .us women gambling at bridge was squashed. So make that clear. Goodbye."