Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/287

Rh I certainly found them possessing all the beauty and elegance any circle might require.

I went one day to comb a young lady in the house of her aunt. The aunt was terribly opposed to the opera and opera house and spoke very hard of the ball, but the young lady's father approved of the opera and ball too and took her to both. While I was combing the young lady the aunt came into the room, in a perfect rage with her cook, and said she would discharge her and prevent her getting another place, as she would not give her a recommendation. The young lady said: "Aunt you should give her a recommendation, for she is an elegant cook." She said she would not do it if she was to starve.

When the aunt left the room I asked the young lady if she did not think it much worse in her aunt to treat that poor woman, who has to work for a living, in that manner than to go to the opera. She replied, "Aunt has a very high temper, and when she is angry she says a great deal more than she means; she is very different from Papa—he looks very stern, but is very gentle, and thinks a long time before he speaks."

Then I told her I would rather work for ladies who will speak out what they have to say than for those mild, gentle ladies who can scarcely speak while in company. I had met many such ladies in my lifetime, one in particular, in this city, who, just by accident, drives her carriage through the lower parts of the city where lovers often walk, and occasionally she sees horses and buggies hitched where they should not be. These things come out and many people are injured by such reports and no trace can be followed up of where they originated.