The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-10-27

the value OF the lady IN the marketj tnaG
is, with her attractivencss, and the num-
Der and value of other suitors she may
have or may reasonably expect Of
course, | DO not mean that love has moth
ing at all to do with it, but the French
custom obtains, and love is seduously re-
stricted and held firmly in hand until the
road Of competency is seen to be clear
Everything being satisfactorily arranged,
a tenement in certain quarter Of the
town, is usually hired, and the couple move
into it and go to housekeeping; living as
if they were married. The woman is not
of course, to be wholly deprived Of the So
ciety Of others-hor former acquaintances
are continued, sister, end friend. Of
course, too her husband, )she calls him
SOY will be likely to continne also, more
or less in, and form part of this kind of
society. There are parties and balls
6als ntaS9ue-enb all the movements and
customs of other fashionable society,
which they can enjoy in it if they wish.
The women of this sort are universally
represented to be exceedingly affectionate
in disposition, and constant beyond re-
proach.
To have this relation with woman is
termed to placer with her. During all the
time man sustains it, he will commonly
be moving also in reputable society on the
other side of the town; not improbably
eventually he marries, and has family
established elsewhere. Before doing this,
he may separate from his place., $50 she
is termed, } if so, he pays her according
to agreement, and as mnch more, perhaps,
as his sense Of the cruelty of the proceed
ing may lead him to, and she has the
world before her again in the position Of
widow Many men continue for long
time, am told, to support both establish
mems, particularly if the marriage is one
of coqrenic1cc. But, many others form
so strong attachments that the relation is
never discontinued, but becomes, that Of
marriage, except that it is not legalized.
These men leave their estate at death to
their children, to whom they have previ-
ously given every advantage Of educotion
that they could command. What be-
comes of the boys am not informed.-
The girls, of course, mainly continue in
the same society, ahd are fated to life
similar to their mothers.
I have described this custom as it was
described to me; l need hardly say in on
ly its best aspects. The crime and heart
breaking sorrow that must frequently re-
suit from it, must be evident to every re-
fcctive reader. One reason which leads
it to be adopted by many, perhaps most
unmarried men who come to New Orleans
to carry on business,i is that it is a much
cheaper mode of living than Is offered
them at all comfortable hotels or board
ing houses. As no young man ordinary
dare think Of marrying until he has made
a fortune to support the extravagant
style Of housekeeping and crafty the ex-
pensiye tastes of young ladies as society
is now educating them in all our cities;
many men without capital are obliged to
make up their minds, to remain on sala-
ries, and never to marry. Such one
undertook to show me that it was cheap
er for him to placer than to live in any
other way that he could be expected to in
New Orleans. His current expenses
were very light; he hired at low rent,
two apartments in the older part Of the
town; his concubine, Qor this appears to
be a proper translation Of the French
term,) did not require a servant, except
occasionally; she did the marketing, and
performed all the house keeping neccssa-
ry; she took care of her clothes, and in
every way was economical and saving in
her habits; Gt being her interest, if her
affections for him were not sufficient, to
make him as much comfort and as little
expense as possible, that be might be the
more strongly attached to her, and have
the less occasion to leave herr lie con
cluded by assuring me that whatever
might be said against it, it certainly was
better than the way in which most young
men lived who are depending on salaries
in New York. A recent conversation /
, have had on the subject with an eminent
physician of New Y York leads me to doubt
if he was not right. ] viii add that the
streets of New Orleans at night contrastcd
most favoriably, as to shameless and un-
restrained prostitution, with those Of New
York. | have alluded to this view Of the
subject merely to call the attention Of
thinking men and women to the connec-
ton which it indicates to exist between
the expensive standard Of the comforts Of
life-what indeed are commonly consId-
! cred and spoken of as the necessities OF
housekeeping lfe-wbich custom with Us
, now holds before every youny man and
woman, with vice, crime, poverty, and
misery. Of the general subject it is my
business to speak, on account Of its con,
+ nection with the peculiar institution oi
r the South, from the laws Of which pro,
ceeds the anomalous social position of thc
class referred to.
A young gentleman, Of New England
education, gave me the following account
of his acquaintance with the quadroor
society. On first coming TO New Orlean'
L. ,ro- l,,u,,, bo coniol civclaS II sU