A typical Lancashire woman of the lower class told me that trade was very bad in her district, mostly because the women bet a shilling on nearly every race, and they take th’ bread out of th’ children’s mouths to obtain the shillings. That was a thing unknown in Lancashire fifteen years ago, as it was also for women to be seen drinking in the public-houses; and half-a-dozen fellow-travellers in the same carriage all confirmed her statement. It might be interesting to give the actual figures for one instance in which a cottage in a working-class district in York was carefully watched for some fourteen hours, spread over five days. Those entering to make bets were as follows:— Men. Women. Boys. Girls. First day 84 4 12 3 Second day 97 6 26 10 Third day 109 7 33 6 Fourth day 72 4 13 5 Fifth day 29 1 12 2 --- -- -- -- 391 22 96 26 === == == == It will readily be seen that a very significant proportion of those entering the cottage were women, boys, or girls. So far we have dealt almost entirely with the prevalence of the practice among working women, and that for obvious reasons. In other classes of society there is, of course, as much betting on horses as among working women, and for larger amounts. In other ways, too, there is very much to be deplored. Dean Lefroy, speaking in Norwich Cathedral in June of 1904, created quite a sensation by a strong denunciation of bridge gambling. The condemnation elicited some facts, all proving the prevalence of the evil. No more mean or despicable an outrage of the ordinary canons of hospitality can be conceived, than that so well illustrated in an extract from a recent address by Ian Maclaren:—