The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-07-31
MATRIAOSY.
InhIgses and Bargains in Paris.


The Paris correspondent of the Lon
| don Times says this for mothers who
have marriageable daughters-thOse
pitiable victims of civilization for
whom the hour of release does not
come until their children are married
the summer, like the winter, is q
period OF struggle and contrivanee.
Few foreigners can understand what
scheming, what cunning audacity is
required in France to get portiOnleSs
girl properly married. English moth
ers, doubtless, have their work to do
in procuring the settlement of their
daughters, but their task, in q country
where girls without fortunes can find
husbands, is trifling compared with
that OF parents here, where the dOwry
is quite as important as the lady, Il
not more 30. s have often watched
the admirable efforts Of 3 mother to
promote the interests Of q pOrtionless
daughter in fashionable assem- 6lies.
She has to select for her toilet which
Is becoming without being startling,
4 for young men who intend to marry,
while they desire to obtain wives who
viii make good appearance in q
drawing room, are still anxious that it
should net be at too great cost to their
pockets. The mother, too, Il she be
still yoang, must make the maternal
sacrifice Of her own personal attrac-
tions, or she may become q serious
danger for the prospects Of her child.
She must dress In 3 quiet. but good
style, SO that . future son-in-law may
not have cause 20 fear he will have q
4 fr.v- = In lar ATrskf-
er and daughter must arrive early at
the ball 70 obtain partners, and must
leave early enough to avoid the sus-
picion of TOO great love Of pleasure,
and, above all, success must be
achieved speedily, before people can
get accustomed to look upon the
young lady IS q regular husband hunt
er. The danger is one very difficult
to avoid. When young lady who is
not blessed with q fortHnehas appear
ed for several seasons, a good match is
not easy to obtain. She IL known,
and eligible young men no longer of
fer themselves as partners at ball
except at the express request of the
Hostess. At their first appearance,
young ladies have no lack of eager
competitors for their hands in the
dance; but when a young man has
once danced with q girl under these
circumstances, he is sure to find some
old lady friend who suggests marriage
between them. By the end of winter
all the eligible men have been passed
in review. AT first the young men are
looked after, and then the elder ones.
The following winter these ladies are
known, observed, criticised, avoided.
Thus q poor mother, who has devoted
her winter to this ungrateful task,
knows that q second winter will de-
stroy all her hopes, and, although half
killed by her incessant lRbOrs, she pre-
pares to face q still more arduous and
ungrateful Iask-to visit the baths,
the watering places, and country
houses, to be always eheerfal and
smiling under her mRrtyrdoms, and
have always upon lIer honeyed lips
the stereotyped phrase, "AlloW me to
present my daughter, who will be de-
lighted to make your acquaintance" !"
These ladies are easily to be recognized
at the watering places, especially af-
ter they have for sometime frequented
the salons of society. The family re-
sources have been drained to provide
fitting toilets. IN salon in the win,
ter degree of reserve is necessary to
be maintained, but at watering places
greater freedom ofspeech is permitted,
greater freedom of action Is allowed,
and even an Excursion" may be ven
tured upon. An Excursion" is the
dream Of every mother who is look
ing for q sOn-ln-law. In an hexcurs-
ion" the eyoung people spend the whole
day together; there is NO restraint;
they climb rocks, gather wild flowers;
everything in nature seems to con-
spire against bachelors. Then, after a
stay at TrouvilIe, when all the dresses
have been displayed, when several ex-
cursions have been made, and the
long sought prize still evades capture,
it becomes necessary to pack up and
seek some scene, where the poor vic
tim of maternal love repeats her mel
ancholy round of pleasure, and finally
returns to Paris, still full of energy,
but somewhat discouraged, prepared
to commence the weary task with the
same dresses and the same girls, out
both, alas! not quite so fresh and SO
presentable as they were when they
started.