d by a man, to obtain refreshment beyond a
weak cup of tea at a few confectioners'. It mattered the less in
the days when the girl clerk had not come into being. When the
field of women's employment widened, fresh requirements were
created which the coffee shops did not meet.

[Illustration: LYONS' "POPULAR CAFE," PICCADILLY--ONE OF MANY OPERATED
UNDER THAT NAME]

[Illustration: PALM COURT IN THE WALDORF HOTEL--A POPULAR RESORT FOR
AMERICAN TRAVELERS]

[Illustration: TWO POPULAR PLACES FOR COFFEE IN LONDON]

The tea room pioneers in London were the Aerated Bread Company,
familiarly known as the A.B.C. I think that coffee palaces in
provincial industrial centers had been started; but as part of a
temperance propaganda, to counteract the attractions of the public
house. The Aerated Bread Company was founded about the middle of
the past century for the manufacture and sale of bread made under
the patent aerated process of Dr. Daugleish. The shops were opened
for the sale of bread to the public for home consumption; but to
give people an opportunity of testing it, facilities were provided
for obtaining a cup of tea, and bread and butter, on the premises.
This subsidiary object became in a short time the most important
part of the company's business. It multiplied its shops, enlarged
its bill of fare to include cooked foods; and while, nowadays, the
A.B.C. and its rivals cater to many thousands daily, I doubt if
anybody ever buys a loaf to take home.

The A.B.C. has many competitors, similar shops having been started
by Lyons, Lipton, Slaters. Express Dairy Company, Cabin, Pioneer
Cafes, and others. _Ex uno disce omnes._

[Illustration: TEMPLE BAR RESTAURANT, LONDON]

The fare in all these places is much alike, as are the general
equipment, prices, and class of customers. They cater for a cheap
class of business. In the busy centers they are frequented mostly
by young men and girl clerks and shop assistants, by women in town,
shopping, and such-like custom. Young employees can get a modest
mid-day meal at a price to suit a shallow pocket. Before the war,
the ruling price for a cup of tea, and a roll and butter, was
fourpence, and the general tariff in proportion. Nowadays, the war
has run up prices at least fifty percent. During the worst times of
food co