The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-02-07
GUARDIAN ANGELS.
Pro essional Protectors Of Bibulous
Gentlemen.
a Usofu, Institution Not A]together,
Confined to the Gay French
Capital-An Expensive
Luxury.

Capital-An Expensive
Luxury.
A correspondent in Paris recently dis
covered in the cafes a class of attend
ants which he described as a bizarre
novelty in Partisan business methods.
He said that these attendants were
lnown professionally as Guardian
Angels" ], yey have become, he wrote,
quite NUMEROUS in the more tbickly
populated quarter of the French cap
its,l. The attendants get their title
because they are called upon to keep
watch and ward over and insure safe
conduct home to working people who
frequent the smaller cafes, and without
the protection of the angel might fall a
prey to the petty criminals who Turk in
the st,eets at night to rob inebriated
working men and other more or less
helpless wayfarers.
New York, Says the Sun Of that city,
has for .ong time had its counterpart
Of the Partisan guardian angels. He is
curious, entertaining and beneficent
servant Of the public that was brought
into existence by the amazing growth
OF hotel life in this town during the
last few years, and by the increase in
the number Of the fashionable restau-
rants Hero, however, it is only these
fashionable hotels and cafes which Cal,
support the luxury Of angels. They are
too expensive feature apparently TO
justify the proprietors Of the saloons
in the tenement districts in en-
ploying them. The guardian angel
of Gotham is an aHable and
well-informed special police officer
detailed by the police commissioners,
and reporting regularly to Acting SUI
perintendent of Police Byrnes. He
works harmonionsly with the other
serviccable attendant OF the swell cafe
who is called the bouncer. the bouncer
Ia professional boxer whose duty it is
&C. main tain order and tc get obstreper-
Gus visitors out Of the Enlistment
without any fuss or feathers and with.
out attracting too general attention.
The angel, ON the other hand, makes 1t
his business to see that no harm befalls
che cafe or hotel patron who has become
= little too cornwall for his own good,
and needs the assistance OF just suoh q
guide, philosopher, and friend as the
sngel is to keep him from parting with
his valuabies.
''The idea Of having g. guardian an
GEL" said the angel OF the Hoffman
House, may strike men about town as
something of a practical joke, and they
may believe that the angel is myth.
But they arc mistaken, for aims I here
to prove that guardian angels are regu-
lar institutions? Many men in this
town are thankful for the help OF tho
professional angel. We SEQ that they
are sent safely home il they got too
much aboard, Or we get them accommo-
dations at the hotel if they aren't able
to get home. We take them to Turkish
bath and straighten them out before
putting them to bed, and in numerous
other ways perform a service that a
square man isn't very ape to forget,
which ! happen to know not one IN a
hundred fails TO remember in &. substau-
tial fashion on other days besides Christ
mas"
a. striking illustration Of the oppor-
tune scrviceableness of tho guardian
angel Was furnished recently at the
Hoffman House, just before public re-
ception. A handsome man, dressed in
black, came from, the private dining
rooms and staggered along The tiled Ger
rtdor. His face was flushed with wine.
"Heavensy' cried the angel, with a
start as he caught sight Of the guest,
tive must get that man to room uick.''
la Srotr> -, n1c~r t,,x
and taken to a room in hurry.
"Whats the excitement about?" asked
Q bystanler, when the angel returned.
"a good deal more than you think"
returned tao little guardian. ''That
man would be disgraced in his profession
were he 10 bo seen in that condition at
tho reception upstairs He is one OF tho
best known professional men in this
city. The nature OF his calling makes
1t imperative that he should never be
seen in public under the influence Of
wine. IT was marrow escape, though.
But hos all right now. Nobody will
know any thing of it. He will be
straight as a string again when he leaves
tor home, depend upon it,"
The existence Of the professional
guardian angel is boon to many men OF
means who have habit of getting oc-
casionally too oonviyial to take care Of
themselves. They depend upon the
friendly surveillance OF the angel, and
give themselves up freely for the time
being to the delights Of tho flowing bowl
"Not once in thousand times" said
= professional angel, ''does a friend who
does this service for fellow citizen fail
to get the cab hire as soon as ho reaches
his charges home. A man mean enough
to back out Of paying fare back under
such circumsta1 aces Is too mean to spend
enough to get SO full. Sometimes
we don't collect at the mans house at
oil. We just escort him in and say in
An explanatory way, Mr.. Pillycarp ate
something at dinner that disagreed with
him and couldn't got homo before,
ma'am, but he's all right now; or he will
be all right In the morning. The next
time we meet tho good follow word is
enough to bring the incident back to
his memory, and he pays the cab hire
promptly. Often man will be
o.onorouo Hall ~