With A Capital T

Dear Twin

I am ever so glad that you address the rampant bridge addiction that we see displayed in this novel…and propose ways to combat it. I keep expecting to see Gwen Van Osburgh, Percy Gryce and Lady Cressida grab hands and join in a circle dance as they sing:

Trouble, oh we got trouble,
Right here in New York City!
With a capital “T”
That rhymes with “B”
And that stands for Bridge,
That stands for bridge.
We’ve surely got trouble!

Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble…

I’ve seen, I don’t know how many, bright-eyed rosy-cheeked youngsters enter a bridge party with a spring in their step, optimistic and filled with derring-do only to see them leave, sallow, sunken-eyed and shiftless muttering about the “luck of the flop” and “the hippopotamus contract”.

And then the next thing you know their walls are covered with posters of Omar Sharif and that youngster you once knew is a complete stranger.

Or maybe I’m just jealous because the bridge portion of the puzzle section of the newspaper always left me scratching my head.

And don’t get me started on the Jumble! Or should I say “don’t get me started on the blumje”? (Trick question: of course I shouldn’t because I’d never understand what that means–mujelb? umblej? Aaah!)

As you saw above I quoted (and riffed quite successfully, if I do say so myself) Iowa’s favorite “Music Man”–Meredith Wilson. This post has me thinking of a possible musical adaptation for Wharton’s novel. So far the working title is Mirth! Or Lily B! Some songs in progress are “Let Me Tell You (About my Americana Collection)” and “Rosedale’s Song (The Douchebag’s Lament)”* I’ll keep you posted as progress is made.

I’ve been reading more but the progress of the story seems to be just more of Lily ricocheting between immense happiness about landing Gryce and joining the ranks of high society and despair…at landing Gryce and joining the ranks of high society. “I’m rich–yay!” “They’re boring–sob!”

I’m over it.

And now Lily’s spending lots of alone time with that man’s man (wink, wink) Selden–and I’m guessing that that will come back to bite her in the bottom.

Well I’m off to make more Mirth.
Jon

*I should note that thus far I don’t have a lot of concrete evidence to prove that Rosedale is going to turn out to be a douchebag…Call it a gut feeling.