The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-01-22
The Rarmaid.

The following is from Emily Faith
full's paper women and Work -
''The strong desire of smart, respecta-
BILE young women to obtain the place of
barmaid behind public-house counter
is evinced by the number of applicants
offering their services in the Licensed
Victuallers' newspapers, describing
themselves as tall, genteel, well-edu-
Gated, attractive, never been out before,
and ready to serve months without
wages. 1 have in my time known many
attractive barmaids, and have often
heard firm their lips tales of misery,
whilst others, full of gayety, would not
exchange their position except upon a
very eligible offer Numbers of young
females have been brought to the bar
through unthinking 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 undoubt-
eddy like the position from the pure
love of admiration and vanity. They
like to be talked to, and converse with
fatterers and admirers and their fond
ness for dress is considerably heightened
by the opportunities afforded of show
ing off, to the fellows using the
tavern. Tt would be far from the truth
to assert that all this allurement to i'm
proprieties with men leads to evil courses
as q 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 soft-heads'
and 'spooneys,' but catch them outside
the bar with such In many houses at
the West End and city, used by clerks,
lawyers, and shopmen, the landlords
find it greatly to their interests TO have
handsome, fine, snowy, attractive, and
talkRtive young ladies' behind the
bar. The conversation at these houses
is by no means of the 'Goody School Of
Alphabet Many of these young
ladies' have 1ich dresses in the height
of fashion, found them by their en-
plOyers, and only serve at those hours
when the giddyites' look in to liquor
up and feed. It may be piety, or some
thing else, that causes this branch of
bar-maidenhood to forsake the taps on
the seventh day, but certain it Is they
always have their Sundays out, and are
to be seen at Kew, Richmond, and even
the Zoo, escorted by rich admirers.
Many marry rich men, and not long
since a Jermyn street barmaid was
united to wealthy shipowner and MEM
Der of parliament. The old gentleman
in this case married out of gratitude for
the young Iady's civiIity at time when
he was taken queer at the bar. Most
barmaids possess the virtues Of civility
and politeness, until their customers get
queerly otherwise, aud are asking for
tick, when the virtues disappear alto
gether, and instead of please give
your orders, gentlemen the gentlemen
are ordered out With respect to re-
Enumeration being an inducement to
enter the services of the 'bar, it must
be otherwise, for the general wages
average only 91O to 912 per year. In
regard to easy and pleasant Duties as
encouraging females to seek such en-
ployment, those who have thought so at
first must have been sadly disappointed.
In many West End houses, and in those
in the great thoroughfares, barmaids
are down by five o'clock Ia the morning,
and with the exception of three hours
rest in the less busy hours of the day,
they are at work until half-past twelve
of NIGHT