The Argosy — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

120 Roger Bevere. by them—if you'll excuse my saying it, sir,” she returned, quickly. ‘But there—what would you? Human nature’s the same all the world over: Jack and Jill. ‘The young men like to talk to the girls, and the girls like very much to talk to the young men. Of course these barmaids lay themselves out to the best advantage, in the doing of their hair and their white frills, and what not, which is human nature again, sir. Look at a young lady in a drawing-room: don’t she set herself off when she is expecting the beaux to call ?” Mrs. Dyke paused for want of breath. Her tongueran on fast, but it told of good sense. “The barmaids are but like the young ladies, sir; and the young fellows that congregate there get to admire them, while sipping their drops at the counter; if, as I say, they are soft enough. When the girls get hold of one softer than the rest, why perhaps one of them gets over him so far as to entrap him to give her his name— just as safe as you hook and land a fish.” ‘‘ And I suppose it has a different termination sometimes ? ” Honest Mrs. Dyke shook her head. ‘‘We won’t talk about that, sir: I can’t deny that it may happen once in a way. Not often, let’s hope. The young women, as a rule, are well-conducted and respect- able: they mostly know how to take care of themselves.” * T should say Miss Panken does.” Mrs. Dyke’s broad face shone with merriment. ‘“ Ain’t she im- pudent ? Oh yes, sir, Polly Panken can take care of herself, never fear. But it’s not a good atmosphere for young girls to be in, you see, sir, these public bars ; whether it may be only at a railway counter, or at one of them busy taverns in the town, or at the gay places of amuse- ment, the manners and morals of the girls get to be a bit loose, as it were, and they can’t help it.” ‘‘Or anybody else, I suppose.” ‘No, sir, not as things are: and it’s just a wrong upon them that they should be exposed to it. They'd be safer and quieter in a re- spectable service, which is the state of life many of ’em were born to—though a few may be superior—and better behaved, too: manners is sure to get a bit corrupted in the public line. But the girls like their liberty ; they like the free-and-easy public life and its idleness; they like the flirting and the chaffing and the nonsense that goes on ; they like to be dressed up of a day as if they were so many young ladies, their hair done off in bows and curls and frizzes, and their hands in cuffs and lace-edgings ; now and then you may see ’em with a ring on. That’s a better life, they think, than they’d lead as servants or shop-women, or any of the other callings open to this class of young women: and perhaps it is. It’s easier, at any rate. I’ve heard that some quite superior young people are in it, who might be, or were, governesses, and couldn’t find employment, poor young ladies, through the market being so overstocked. Ah, it is a hard thing, sir, for 2 well brought-up young woman to find lady-like employment now-a- Eomichooks (E() nN.