The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-26
THEY All SQUEEZE HER HAND
The Ministers no Better Than Other Men, Says the Manicure Girl.

The Ministers no Better Than Other
 Men, Says the Manicure Girl. washington Post.
 sTf you want to become convinced that men are deceivers ever take up my bus iness," said bright-eyed little manicure girl in the barber shop of one of the down-town hotels the other day. T used to have great faith in men-inherited 1t, suppose-but now am firmly convinced that few are to be trusted by a woman, unless the woman wants to be fooled.
 "I'H tell you how have reached this conclusion. have been manicuring four years, and can not recall six men Of all whose hands I've manicured who haven't tried to make more or less desperate love to me. You may not believe 1t, but l can't remember when I've had male customer who has not tried to slyly squeeze my hand while was working on his. They wait until their hand is in such a position that it will seem almost unintentional. then they press my fingers. lightly at first, and cast sly. significant giances at me to see if I notice 1t. Then they get little bolder and squeeze lit- tie harder. rAt first it embarrassed me. for didn't like the idea of Q strange man squeezing my hand, and suppose used to blush little. thought. like a silly girl, that
 
 mentally impressed with me. When I found, however. that all did the same thing, and when other manicure girls told I me that all their male customers squeezed l their hands, I got to taking it as matter of course. Now I expect them to do 1t, and I think no more of it than I do of clipping a corner off one of their nails. !" Tt is curious" resumed the manicure girl, daubing her customers nails with p0A 0Anr xO hA A1oI volfqhinO
 that the hand squeezing I've been tell ing you of is so general. Now, could understand why young bachelor, senti- mentally inclined. would want to squeeze my hand. Without bragging at all. but just speaking plain facts I've a nice hand. It is soft and smooth. and well shaped. The shape, of course, can't help, and the softness is due to my profession, for think 1t good advertisement to have my own hands pretty.
 "So. as say. could excuse young unmarried fellow for squeezing my hand. but can you tell me why the married men do 1t? I've one customer-a fine gentle man of Washington. who is pretty wealthy-who comes once a week to have his nails manicured. They are naturally very easily cared for, and once a week is too often for him to have it done, and I've told him so. He says with leering
 
 me- oh, I know that, but like to have you do it. He has a beautiful wife. who sends for me every week to manicure her hands. They're much more beautiful than mine, and just as well cared for. Now. why doesn't that fellow squeeze his wifes hands if he must squeeze some ones? "Then there are the ministers. Really of all the hand squeezers, I believe the ministers are-well, perhaps not the worst -as bad as any of the others, even in- cluding the married men. I have two or three ministers who come to me every week. and they invaribly squeeze my hand and make what they thing are pret- ty remarks about how soft 1t is. I treat thc-a like the rest, and get their half dollars, and sometimes more.
 And speaking of tips reminds me of a drunken man I had here the other day. Oh, yes, I have them nearly every day, and don't mind them nearly so much as some of the sober men. You see drunk en man is usually pretty good natured. At least he is when he has arrived at that point where he wants his hands mani- cured. We'll, the other day a drunken man came in and had his nails fixed up. He paid me a half dollar for the job, and then turned, put a quarter in my hand, folded my fingers over it so I couldn't see it, and said: Now. for heavens sake, don't spend that foolishly.'"