The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-06-05
How Two Pretty Sisters Came
to be BARRIERS,
BY PRUDENCE PETTAWAY.

Two women, at least, have securet
their rights and have now all the privi
leges that men enjoy. Two pretty youns
papa who was rich, and who lived ii
grand style on Fifth Avenue. Papa go
into the hands of the Philistines las
autumn and busted. The girls were
genuine girls, notwithstanding the fac
that they had been fashionably educa
ted, and they felt their poor fathers
distress keenly. The old gentleman'E
trouble so weighed upon his mind thai
he sickened and took to his bed, and got
in bad way generally. The house in
which he lived was fortunately in hiE
| wife's name, so they could not be turned
out Of doors, but as the old gentleman
had sunk every dollar he had in the
world, the question Of bread and butter
became an imminent one.
One morning the old gentleman's bar
Der did not come around to shave him
and Ella, the eldest girl, said she could
do it. She took her fathers implements
| and shaved him as nicely and neatly as
any tOnsorial artist could do it, and
| dressed his hair and trimmed his whis-
kers, and propped him up in bed as COM
Portable as you please. An idea struck
Mary, the younger. .t7
ella, if you can shave papa, you can
| shave any other man"
"True," said Ella.
eff you can shave man, can shave
a man." ~
"True, once more. But what has that
to do with us9n "Ella, do you want to
starve?"
"No, my child"
"Papa can't get out-mammais is selling
off the plate to get what we eat each day.
Let us stop all this by starting a barber
shop"
Ella saw the point. The two girls
rugged up an extempOre chair. They
took their coachman, whom they had
not yet dismissed, because he wouldn't
go, and they shaved him for practice,
and dressed his hair, and trimmed his
beard every day. To accommodate
them, he brought his friends in, and in
a weeks time the girls were accomplish
ed and expert WOrkmen, or rather work
women. ..'. s.''.s &.@
Then they sold the horses and car
riages, and taking the proceeds, fitted
up d modest but very neat shop in Union
Square and went at it. The first Gus
toners they had were young sWells who
who had known them I" in society,"" and
great was their establishment. .a
Miss Navy" said one of them, "by
Jove! what led you to this 2"
Papa failed, you know, Charles, and
we had to do this, or worse" @ a.
"Worse! worse! Why, what could
you do that would be worse 2" #%.5
Marry man like you? 2" replied
Mary, dabbing her shaving brush in his
mouth" D..
It is an encouraging fact that the girls
have all they can do, at good prices, and
are not only supporting their parents in
comfort, but are laying up handsome
sum besides.
Why should not women be BARRIERS
Imagine the deft, soft, warm fingers of
apretty girl on your face! Aman would
submit willingly to have his nose sliced
off by one of them. [ cannot say that it
is in any way outof the way. If men are
employed in lady's shoe stores, where
they put on and take off lady's boots,
why is it not just as proper for women
to be employed as BARRIERS and shave
men? They do it better and more pleas
antly than the men BARRIERS, and custom
ers would never be afraid that drunken
woman barber would cut their throats.