The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-15
pa0ies' portlollo,
Tipping Women.

A London letter to 4 San Francisco jour
nal. states:
Excessive drinking. the national curse OF
England. has some peculiarities here which
are rarely, if ever, found IN the United
States. The most alarming of these pecull-
a~rities is the rapidly growing habit OF drink
ing among women. In Boston or IN New
York it is not uncommon-less common,
however, than it used to be-to see a lady's
eyes sparkle and flash over the wine glass
IN a private drawing room and, at the other
social extreme, to see miserable lemale
characters %noisily meandering through the
dark alleys and the poorer streets. Possl
bly between these two extremes there is
more drink in secret than the best-in formed
people have reason to suspect; bat, at any
rate, the opinion prevails that women OF
the middle classes are, as a rule, total all
s~tainers from intoxicating drinks. In the
course of a decade the drinking prepensl-
ties of English women have increased at a
marvellous rate. Women of all classes
drink. Those who can afford it drink wines
always very expensive in England-and
take an occasional draught, perhaps, OF
spirits. Those who cannot afford wines do
not stop with small beer-a cask of which
is usually to be found in every cellar-but
they patronize the licensed victualers, more
COU1U1OHlS hhSWh oo
considered to be hardly the proper thing
for a lady of good social position to go in
to a entrance, which most of the larger
public houses have for their accommodation
If her husbands with her, or she has a gen.
tleman attendant, it is not considered to be
in any way derogatory to her character to
90 in at the private entrance, after attend
ing the theatre or a concert or perhaps a
prayer meeting, for a stimulating drink.
Under these circumstances, be she a young
or a middle aged lady, the way is clear for
satisfying her appetite, provided her atten-
dant thinks it is proper, In his own partlcu-
lar case, to be seen with a lady at a public
bar. But what can a lady do for drinks
from sunrise to sunset9 it is not unnatural
to ask. Unless the head of the family OBJ
iects. for economic or other reasons (Which
is not uncommon), the cellar may be stored
with bottles of spirits. But, knowing the
hard -heartedness and misery incllnatlOns Of
many men, grocers have made a satisfactory
arrangement for the ladies. Of course,
when q lady is seen going in a grocer's shop
it Is taken for granted that she goes there
to buy groceries. Her object may be gre
ceries, it may be a glass of whiskey- ve-y
likely it is both. There Is no sign outside
to indicate a drinking saloon, but men, as
well as women, know that many groceries
are 1CeQSeu TO Sell CtItdIu hluuS 4 ilQuUIS.
In the rear of the shop, out OF sight OF pass
ersby, there are a couple of small marbletop
tables. with chairs. The customer sits
down, gives her order, and having leisurely
DRINK her whiskey or her gin, she mods to
the grocer, and he knowingly inserts in the
bill, to pickles or sauce, slxpencc or nine
pence, whatever the price of the drinks may
be; and the good housewife succeeds, as
we'll as ever the most incenstant signora
ever did, in deceiving her unsuspecting hus-
band. Ultimately, of conrse, he discovers
her scent.
Sometimes he comes home in the evening
earlier than she had expected him, and her
breath and unwonted exhilaration betray
her or the monthly grocer's bill is sent in.
He takes it with his pipe and his newspaper
into The smoking ROOM, and pretty soon be
calls out: why madam Jour Scotch friend
always calls his wife madam here's three
and SIX for pickles, and I'm sure | haven't
seen a pickle these two months" Then
the cloud gathers and bursts with a report
like the opening of another bottle.
A person who studies LondeH society high
aud low cannot fail to discover in passing
through the lower streets that drunkenness
is larnentably common among the lower
classes of women. At midday, as we'll as
in the early morning, they may be seen,
with flushed faces and noisy months, going
IN and coming out at the public entrance to
the bar.