Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-07-31
BARMAIDS IN LONDON
SOME VERY RESPECTABLE GIRLS
CHOOSE THIS VOCATION.

Catches-Titles Wanted Usually.
Under the title Feminine Types In
London" Jesse Francis Sheppard gives
in LIE Nouvelle Revue an account of
the London barmaids.
"They are recruited," he says,
"among the bourgeoise as we'll as among
the lower classes. Some of the most in
teresting types can be found in the bars
or public houses of the west end, close
to the fashionable theaters. Among
them are very many perfect y respecta-
BILE girls, who have chosen tie career of
a barmaid in order to make living
and, especially if they are pretty, to get
chance to catch a rich husband.
"a public house, situated at the angle
of one of the principal thoroughfares, is
both "a gilded palace and a mine of gold.
1t exercises strange fascination upon
the poor country pumpkins who have
just enough to pay for drink, but the
dude coming out of a theater, the coun-
try greenhorn, the fashionable snob and
the frequenter of the music halls are al
ways to be found there. 1t is among
these that the barmaids hunt for hus-
band. If there is one class of London
society more stupid than another, it is
that one which includes the frequenters
of the public houses. With pipe in his
mouth and glass of beer or whisky in
front of him the young Englishman,
dressed in fashionable style, with a
slight and elegant figure and regular
features, remains standing for more than
all 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 a silk hat and a
handsome cane i'll your hand and suit
cut in the latest fashion. The high hat
is de rigueur. Without that there is no
possible chance of success.
at was not without difficulty that I
managed to get an interview with one
of these young ladies, whose intelligence
was equal to her beauty. At first l was
astonished at finding SO much intelli-
gence in 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 i'll Piccadilly.
g I 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. Vixen 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 ramblings
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, said, how do you
the others?'
"'I 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
three -fourths of his time hunting and
in other open air exercise. The chaps
who remain always in London have a
paler and more delicate complexion,
and, moreover, the expression of their
faces is quite different from that of the
others
Noticing with what attention I 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 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 are
great big children in everything except
sport and politics.
But you are always engaged l
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?'
"'I have been only one month here,
and l 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 a
title. You know, / must have a title.
''At this moment the play in one of
the neighboring theaters was over, and
the public house was invaded by a
crowd of men, more 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
afterward, on returning there, wanted
to see once more my beautiful Irish bar
maid. She was gone. Another lady was
in her place, and she told me that Miss
Clara had left tn marry the second son
of prominent nobleman.
A Strong Room.
At Ethan, the late Colonel North's
seat, there is said to be one of the stron-
gest of strong rooms in the world. Not
only We're his gold and silver ware stored
here, but special arrangements were
made for the security of the jewels of
lady visitors during the nights of their
stay. The strong room is f1oored with
cement many feet thick and walled all
round with mighty blocks of granite.