Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-12
. Female BARRIERS .

Female BARRIERS.
Miss Caroline f. Putnam of Salem.
Mass, has announced to the public, that
she has adopted the profession of barber,
and will take the beard off of gentlemen's
chinS, at the rate of six cents the mug.
Miss Julia Beverly, advertises i'm the
Providence Journal, that she will prac-
tice as medicine man and surgeon and
cure the cholera, or chop off leg, at
rates the most accommodating.
We never could perceive, why it was,
that women should not practice the arts
incident to the leaders of the dill box
fraternity. Cobbett, many years ago.
wrote very able chapter on the expe-
dience of introducing the world to the
practice of obstetrics, and contended that
that part of the profession should be con-
fined exclusively to the fair sex. We
agree with him, and therefore hope that
Miss Beverly will obtain large practice.
II woman is capable of the duties of a
nurse-and who is so able and interest
ing as she is in that capacity ?-why
should she not launch out, and become a
full-blooded doctor!
Miss Caroline E. Putnam, of Salem. is
not the first female in the world who has
taken up the trade of a barber. Some
ten years ago, Madame Josephine d'Cour-
cey, the pretty, aye, beautiful wife of a
French barber, who had shop on Cham
bers street, then called the Granite Bull
dlngs, and now known as the Irving
House, found herself widow with three
ortour children to support. The husband
had omitted to leave her any money, or
rather means, when he died. The chill
drcn were to be taken care of, and Mad
anne Courcey was not disposed to neg
lect them. She at once resolved to keep
up the shop, and enact the part of barber.
Her determination was made known and
app!auded. Every man of gallantry said
she was right; and every man who was
disposed to indulge in the luxury of a
shave, called at her establishment. In
less than month, she had four times as
many customers as she could attend to.
She therefore called in the aid of Josef du
Boys, an aged knight of the razor. Josef
was good shaver, but nobody wanted
him about their chins, whilst there was
the least possible chance of calling the
skill of Madame d'Courcey into action.
And, often would they wait for hours, for
an opportunity to place their faces under
the gentle pressure of her fair hands.
One bright and beautiful day in the
month of June, an aged citizen of the
West End, man of some five or six
hundred thousand dollars, and a widower
at that, was seen toddling down Broad
way. On reaching the corner of Broad
way and Chambers street, placard arrest
ed his attention. Though the letters
were large, they were badly printed, and
the old gentleman found it difficult to read
them. Hey dey! what does all this
mean?" he said, as he vainly attempted
to decipher the placard-'s what does all
his amount to z And then he took out
his specs, carefully wiped them, and was
enabled to ascertain, that Madame Joseph
inc d'Courcey would shave gentlemen.
Upon my word." calculated the old
fellow, 81 believe | did not shave to-day.
ought to be shaved always shave
daily" And he passed his hand across
his chin, and was satisfied that he did
require shaving into the shop he popped,
and found it empty.
Young woman, said he, as he enter
ed, "do you shave gentlemen
We, monsieur, was the modest reply.
and the old chap was welcomed to the
chair. He took it: threw his head back
was lathered in a twinkling-shaved in
no time!
After the operation was concluded, the
venerable citizen was champooaed, and
powdered, and looked for all the world
like regenerated sinner.
"My dear child" said he to Madame
Josephine, cit appears to me this busi-
ness is not the one you ought to follow.
1t exposes you, my child, to danger and
temptation. Would you like to marry z"
Madame Josephine blushed, as none but
French woman can, and nodded an af-
frmative. The next day the shop was
closed-two weeks afterwards the papers
announced the marriage Of the Honorable
James Id to Madame Josephine
d'Courcey. The happy pair made tour
to Niagara and Saratoga-the next Win
ter went to Italy and South France; re-
turned happy and contented; and are
now living in splendor, in one of the
fashionable avenues up town. We hope
Miss Caroline E. Putnam may be equally
tortunatc.-NeW York paper.
PROFESSOR Bowen BLACK-BALLED.-
The Providence Post perpetrates the ap-
IL 80