The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-13
BARMAIDS IN LONDON
SOME VERY RESPECTABLE GIRLS
CHOOSE THIS VOCATION.
One Of Them, Il Beautiful Irish Lass, Ex-
plains Why Many of Them DO So-Thcy
Arc Looking For Good Matrimonial
Catchcs-1itlcs Wanted Usually.

Are Looking For Good Matrimonial
Catchcs-1itIcs Wanted Usually.
Under the title Feminine Types In
London" Jesse Francis Sheppard gives
i'll Lo Nouvelle Revue an account of
the London barmaids.
They are recruited" he says,
among the bourgeoise rs we'll rs among
tho lower classes. Some of the most in
terestins types can be found i'll the bars
or public houses of tho west end, close
to the fashionable theaters. Among
them are very many perfectly respccta-
BILE girls, who have chosen the career of
barmaid i'll order to make o living
and, especially if they are pretty, to get
chance to catch rich husband.
A public house, situated at the anglo
of one of the principal thoroughfases, is
both gilded palace and mine Of gold.
1t exercises strange fascination upon
the poor country pumpkins who have
just enough to pay for drink, but tho
dude coming out Of a theater, tho coun-
try greenhorn, the fashionable snob ard
the frequenter of the music halls are al
ways to be found there. 1t is among
these that the barmaids hunt for q hus
band. If there is one class of London
society moro stupid than another, it is
that ono which includes the freouenters
of the public houses. With pipe in his
mouth and a glass of beer or whisky in
front of him the young Englishnian,
dressed i'll fashionable style, with a
slight and elegant figure and regular
features, remains standing for more than
an hour paying pretty little compliments
TO one Or several of these ladies'
The barmaid Judges her customers
by the cut of their clothes. If You want
to attract her attention, you must pre-
sent yourself with silk hat and "a
handsome cane i'll your hand and suit
cut i'll the latest fashion. The high hat
is de rigueur. Without that there is 10
possible chance of success.
1T was not without difficulty that |
managed to get al interview with one
of these young ladies, whose intelligence
was equal to her beauty. At first | was
astonished at finding SC much intelli-
gence III an English girl, but l learned
that she was Irish. and that explained
the mystery. Her father was dead and
her mother was left without resources.
SO she was determined TO come to Lon
don and look for a husband By posing
behind bar III Piccadilly.
was hardly more than three days
here, She said with an amiable and
roguish air, when | understood why it
was that so many pretty English girls
don't get husbands. When they are
beautiful, they are generally stupid
When they are intelligent they are cold,
masculine and ugly. Englishmen travel
a great deal and meet in their rambings
through the world very many sprightly
women, and they do not care for pretty
girls who don't know how to chat with
them.
But in this mixture that comes here
to drink and chat, 1 said, how do you
distinguish the men of the world from
the others?'
1 recognize them by three things
she said boldly, by their figure, by
their clothes and by their complexion.
For the most part they are tall and thin,
dressed in the latest fashion and have a
complexion more or less bronzed. This
last trait is the surest sign. Seeing that
looked astonished, she added: Moth
ing can be more simple. An English
gentleman, if he has fortune, passes
reofourths of his time hunting and
III other open mir exercise. The chaps
who remain always i'll London have Il
paler and more delicate complexion,
and, moreover. tho expression of their
faces is quite different from that of the
others.
Noticing with what attention was
listening to her. she continued: The
gentlemen that L refer to have nothing
elegant about them except their clothes,
for their conversation lacks novelty.
How can Il man who understands moth
ing but hunting and cricket interest an
intelligent woman? The conversation
that goes on here in the name of wit
makes me tired, but these gentlemen are
the easiest of all to deceive. They arc
great big children in everything except
sport and politics.
But you are always engaged,
said, and it is difficult to get an oppor-
tunity to chat with you. You must al
ready have had several offers of mar
riage?'
. Il have been only one month here.
and I have already had three. Two
were from very rich sportsmen, but
riches alone won't do for me- What I
am after, she added. laughing, is n
title. You know, | must have title.
AT this moment the play i'll one of
the neighboring theaters was over, and
the public house was invaded by q
crowd of men, moro or less stylish. The
beautiful Irish girl kept herself some
what aloof and only served customers
that had the appearance of gentlemen.
well, left London. A few months