The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-06-24
BRITISH BARMAIDS.
Described by Emily Faithful.

Described by Emily Faithful.
The strong desire of smart, respectable
young women to obtain the place of bar
maid behind a public-house counter is
evinced by the number of applicants Of
fering their services in the licensed
victualers' newspapers, describing them
selves as tall, genteel, well-educated, at
tractive, never been out before, and
ready to serve months without wages. 1
have in my time known many attractive
barmaids, and have often heard from
their lips tales of misery, whilst others,
full of gayety, would not exchange their
position except upon a every eligible
offer" Numbers of young females have
been brought to the bar through I'M
thinking friends of "mine host THE
latter taking the maids upon the sole
recommendation of customers ; and,
once installed barmaids, barmaids they
must continue, unless married, for few
would accept their services in any other
capacity. A great many undoubtedly
like the position from the pure love of
admiration and vanity. They like to be
talked to, and v with 1atterers
and admirers /; and their fondness for
dress is considerably heightened by the
opportunities afforded of showing off
to the "fellows ," using the tavern. 1t
would be far from the truth to assert
that al this allurement to improprieties
with men leads to evil courses as a rule,
for as a class, placed in so many ways of
temptation, barmaids are far more moral
than many other female employees that
could be easily named. They have no
objection to be made love to and accept
presents from "softheads" and s'spoon-
eys," but catch them outside the bar
with such In many houses at the West
End and the City used by clerks, law
yers, and shopmen, the landlords find ii
greatly to their interest to have hand
some, fine, snowy, attractive, and talka-
tive "young ladies'" behind the bar.
The conversation at these houses is by
no means of the "goody school of alpha.
bet" Many of these "young ladies y
have rich dresses in the height of fashion,
found them by their employers, and only
serve at those hours when the "giddy
ties " look in to iquor-up and feed. L
may be piety, Or something else, thai
causes this branch of bar-maidenhood tt
forsake the taps on the seventh day, bu-
certain it is they always have their Sun
days out, and are to be seen at Kew
Richmond, and even the "Zoo," escort
ed by rich admirers. Many marry ricl
men, and not long since a Jermyn stree
barmaid was united to a wealthy ship
owner and member of Parliament. TIL,
old gent in this case married out o
gratitude'fo for the young lady's civility a
a time when he was taken queer at tn,
bar. Most barmaids possess the virtue
of civility and politeness, until their Gus
toners get queerly otherwise; and ar
asking for "tick," when the virtues dis
appear altogether, andinstead of "pleas
give your orders, gentlemen" the gen
tlemen are s'ordered out" With respec
to remuneration being an inducoment Il
enter the services of the "bar," it mus
be otherwise, for the general wages aver
age only e10 to 912 per year. Inregar'
to easy and pleasant duties as encouragin.
females to seek such employment, thos
who have thought so at first must hav
been sadly disappointed. In man.
West End houses, barmaids are down b,
5 o'clock in the morning, and, with th
exception of three hours rest in the les
busy hours of the day, they are at worl
until half-past u at night. They hay
to clean the floor of the bar, the taps an,
glasses. They are in many cases neve
still or off their feet from early morn til
the middle of the night. On Sunday
they have a few hours to themselves
which are taken up in cleaning out thei
garnet, and arranging or mending thei
clothes. Once a month they are allowe
a "day out" They have to silentl
bear the filthiest language anddisgustin
sights, particularly from their own sex
They have to put up with insults fror
the lowest of the low without a murmul
and all this for less wages than is pal
for maids of-all-work.