Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-04-15
THE ENGLISH BARNARD.
American Who Has Lived In England
Takes Up the Cudscl. In U.r Erhalf.

American Who Has Lived In England
Takes Up the Cudscl. In mr. Behalf.
1.-The British harluaii IL much
misunderstood SAID recently an
American who has spent year in
England, and according to his own
story, is, or ought to be, an author
ity on the subject. "JUst as Eng
lishmen, after Il few weeks stay in
this country, write Il book full of en-
rors about America i most cherished
institutions, SO American summer
visitors to England bring home i'm
pressions about what is apparently
bulwarl of the British throne that
are equally false, if not equally ma
licious. Tho American visitor APP
parently concludes that Il woman
must be no better than she ought to
be if she is IL hurmaid. His reason
ing, presln ably, is based on what
he has seen or heard of the pretty
waiter girls in the concert saloons
which tlOulished here Il score OF
more years ago. No woman who
works in drinking place frequent
ell by men can be respectable, in his
opinion. His opinion is strengthen
ell by the fact that in this country
respectable women do not go to sa-
looms.
"Now, an English or Irish or
Scotch girl becomes Il barmaid just
as girls hero become shopwomcn.
She prefers it to being servant, for
the pay, although small, is more,
and, while the hours arc even Ion
ger, she is treer and, at any rate,
sees more of what she considers life
There is no M 1rc reason for cOnsid-
Sring barmaids disreputable, as a
rule, than for so considering shop
girls. The presence of men, which
is apparently Il basis for that opin-
ion, is Il reason for the opposite. A
barmaid often regards every Gus
toner who is not too much above or
below her social ) us possible hus-
band, and the prospect of matrimony
keeps her well behaved. She has
thus not only a reason for choosing
her career which the shopgirl lacks,
but also au additional reason for re.
manning virtuous.
"Of course there are disreputable
barmaids just as there are disrcpu-
table shopgrls, just as there arc dis.
reputable counte-scs | am not ac-
quainted with countesses or with
shopgirls, but ! have known no end
of barmaids, and not one whom |
cultivated was evidently otherwise
than respectable. The few of whom
l had my doubts / did not cultivate.
With one barmaid | went once to
church, with another l correspond
ed. She wrote fashionable hand,
and her letters were as correctly
spelled as Il Vassur sirl's.
Americans, reasoning from the
language used i'll IL saloon here, ar
que that Il Larmaid couldn't live in
such environment and remain q
good woman. Her sense of modesty
would become So blunted that q
moral downfall would follow. They
forget that the presence of the bar
maid chastens the conversation of
the customers of an English public
house. I've heard u cabman reproved
by Il barruom companion with, a
Idly ears wot you say, for using the
adjective bloody a word which
with us contains more association
with the Spaniards in Cuba than
with improperly or profanity.
1.-The English objection to bar
maids is Il temperance one. They
say that the presence of barmaids
encourages drinking and that men
drink more than they otherwise
would or should in order to enjoy
the society of the fair divinities Of
public houses. They may he right.
l am not III position to meet this
argument. New York Sun.
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