The morning times., 1895-08-17
HIRING \ BEAU.
The London Servant Maid Pays Six
Dence For n Soldier

The London Servant Maid Pays Six
pence For "A Soldier.
The London servant maid is a natural
born philosopher and social economist,
OF whom the nineteenth century and her
suffra Ge-demanding sisters have every
reason to be proud. She Is the working
woman who has emancipated herself from
some of the ancient and false sentiments
of society with a caImuess that makes
one gasp and laugh, admire her common
sense. and wonder il this what we are all
coming TO in the course of time.
Now. the London servant maid is about
the hardest-worked domestic in Europe,
needs of the clearinghouse aud hotel
iuha bitants Her hours are long, her
wages rarely over SS a month and with
| no gas, furnace heat, dumb-waiters, sta
tionary bath, aud few carpet sweepers
in the-houses where she serves, her labors
are rather on the dray-horse order Yet,
| in spite Of il all, she is a cheerful. polite
person, who is not troubled 10y the knOwl-
edge that the attractions OF the colonies
| every year weau away the b-avest and
best of the EnEIishmen servants. that the
scarcity of sweethearts and husbands for
I the students of sociology, and that cupid
has become a vulgar little banker q place
| of winged-arrow shooting god OF love,
When her days work is over or her free
afternoons come around, and her thoughts
| lightly turn to the joys of stroll in the
| park, bus ride OF a junket up the river
| in the natural wholesome recreation of mas
culine society, she does not sit at her
/
/ dooes her hair in trim and frizzed bang
| arrays herself in all the ia scinating Va
| riety of incongruous color in which the Eng
| lish woman of every class revels. SFnd, C, IL
| ing at the nearest barracks, hires soldier
| To take her Oh an airing
| Mary Anne has found an occupation for
| Tommy Al kins in the day VS. of peace nd on the
payment OF Sixpence he is her property for
an hour. He must attend heT. in all the
| glory OF scarlet coat, brass buttons. jaunty
| muffin cap, cotton gloves and little var
nSihcd cane, give her his arm aSthey walk
down Piccadnly and otherwise show her
her full sixpeuce worth of courtesies and
gallant attentions. They divide the expense
of bus fares and ginger ale treats, and
| from the array OF manly wit and beauty
offered in the average barracks yard Mary
| Anne is keen to select the tSleSt of Eng
| lands defenders, the one with the straight
est legs, brUadeSt shoulders and deepest
chest.
Recognizing his own beauty, the attract
i've grandeur OF his swagger, and the pre-
MUM put onhis coat and profession. Tommy
is sometimes apt to everest hr ate his value.
But Mary Anne is a hard-hended business
woman, who in sly defense, has fixed the
rates she VIII offer and give. POr the exClu-
sive joy of tho soldiers society she viii
pay eight OF ten pence, otherwise Tommy
can let out half his smiles and his left arm
to another housemald at the usual StX-penny
rate, and everybody is satisfied, but nc
crowding beyond this is allowed. and th'
use of his arm is an unwrittenIa law i'll herside
of the bargain, the right elbow falling JC
the first applicant.
When Mary Aune's social ambitions arr
sust aimed by the plumpness OF her pocket
book, she is apt to indulge herself in the
extravaganza OF a petty officers society
for which she must pay the whole of Z
shilling an hour and bear the cost o
treats. Often enough, in spite OF the sordlC
| arrangements, romance springs UP III Ii
turning of a SiXpeuBy piece, and ToEnmygen
erously offers to bestow his beauty, sOci
ETY., and half his pay OF Mary Anne. free
of charge, If she viii have the agreement
ratified in some quiet Soho or HamT er
smith church, where clergymen's fees art
not eXorbtant.