, 1875-11-14
LONDON MARRIAGE MARKET.

LONDON MARRIAGE MARKET.
Ladp Blanche HurpAy IN the GatdEp for Aore'noef-
..Mart1age in High Life, Drama IN Iwt
fcta."
This ia the spitome OF the unprejudieed oh
server,s notes on the whirl OF London SOCIETY
and the supplementary gayety in the country
This is tho gohl OF the hopes aud expectations o.
t1o-thinas OF those who compose What il tech
nieally called .'society-" This it Is that under
Lies the balls and fetes Of the season. that stimu
}stes trade, thas cripples or ruins families and
sours tho temper Of the disappointed. while 1t
often throws the successful OF their mental bal
saee, 4 very ludicroua comedy it ie to the calm
and critical looker-on- L sort Of royal gambling,
an exalted species Of lottery The flrst acS takes
pIscs ia town; the second in the country 1he
ecenery and properties are changed hut
ths blot remains the same. OF con1s Sc
thore arc other and minor drauiss going en ut
the same time on tho vast stage. Tuere are
few sensi BILE, eingle-minded people, who 80 up
tn town for sheer amusement, without any alter
thought Of gain Or social intrigue; people who
on to thu theatre for the sake Of the play, to the
opeta for the sake of the music, to the ballroom
for the aake Of dancing 70 the park for the sake
Of shade and sweet scents, and to church Tor the
sake OF PRAYER. There are men who honest!y
frequent country houses where the wine 1s good
aud the shooting ditto. and who 60 to Scotland
with the intention Of fishing and stalking With
out reference to Irritation OF "good match
But be eu1e that such persons are precisely those
wl,o in society are practically ciphe1s. They do
very we'll to fiji up bail List. OF serve as padding
to dinner party, but no one cares whether thoy
come OF stay away; they form no part OF the
intricate plan Of social life; they
are important to no one, whether
dovager, statesman. or NJ. P. They
a1e usually .*bad match ~; they have no vote;
they have no capabilitg OF Usefulness except
&c tolls to o:hers and hatml,ss as they some
times are, they are not old enough so to be
adocted As .tame cats." We take it for granted
that eyery one who has read the Saturday Re-
rieap knows what the ~ tame cal OF an Easl1sh
household means To those who do not know
We viii mere,y ssy that the individual 30 cistin-
gu1shed il generally the ncst sensible, helpful,
and unmarriageable man in the country-house
party.
or this class Of honest seekers afler genuine
amusement We vii speak Is:cr on, but the chief
acto1s in the social play will be more Interesting
to the reader n present. 4 great many very good
people. who never knowingly plot and contrve
anythlng, aud whom the sight Of even deco: Gus
whist table would shock and alarm. sit down to
this enormous game, and smilngly go through
their m4nnlv1es. ,ulLug the wires and prompt
irg their less experienced children IN the most
calmly innocent 'sure Of Righteousness way
imaginable. People "hom every one for years
has called unwotldly suddenly break out in tnie
line when they have gIoHn-up sons and dauEh-
toFe TO l1unch forth. The Legitimate ambition
OF parents for their cEidrens welfare seems SO
thoroughiy blended with what iu-na,urcd people
cali intriguing for "eood match" that tbs per-
sons interested really cxnoot distinguish between
the twu shades. Welfare has becume go 1nex-
tricaoty coufouuded nlLh Success that 1t is i'm
posaible to separate them 1t might be said Of
such parcLts shoughts, Is Ieonyso0 says OF
Launcelot, that
tn mo lived sin
So strange Of aqca ktnd. that al Of pure,
Noble, and Eaighuy in tw1ued and chung
And POISONOUS grex together, each Is escb,
Not to b. lluckod asander.
4 foreigner. centuries Ego. truly said that the
English a s'nmusea2 nlouu tr;stenaenA" And SO
it ia 4 Bnton on foreign tour goes through
his r1gbt-eeeing as if it we're heavy obligation,
q bargain every condition Of which must be
rigidly complied With. I. is much the eame At
home. He goes to his amusement as soldier
to his drill, disiikinR It very probably, but 80
persuaded OF the necessity Of keeping to hia
programme that he would feel ike = fish out OF
water II anything happened to free him from
eQch engagements. serytea Of the youog men
Of girls, ur othe1s whosa position brings them
forward on the '' soclal stage " in London, care
for society for its own SAKE. After her first
season OF two girls enthusiasm for dancing is
= good deal lesaened, but this habit REMAINS;
ehe has got into groove; it would be thought
odd il she dld not go everywhere; and If q
Ttenchman is alive to F1dieule. let no ono eup-
pose thAt bis neigkbor across the chanuel
is more philosophical: Indeed, the dresd
OF the verdict Of eceentIicity keepa many = So
cinl drudge chained to \ very uncomfortable car
There is practically no choice lelt an English
girl Of CERTAIN posiuon; she must juin the |
Whirl and tread the mill uoder pain Of being !
called odd, which Ii almost equivalent to being /
crossed ont Of .he book Of matrimony> And Dot !
only ia = fancy for leisure aud retirement. or
leaning toEArd Serious pursuits. considered odd, |
but religious call Of ans kind comes under the /
same convenient ban. II \ girl were to devote |
her tune to hospitals and sisterhoods. religious
moetingK etc, she you'd be dubbed eccentric, |
II she thought dancing wrong, she ]
would be laughed At as > rude. People YOU'D !
shake their Leads and pity her parents. In euch !
1 social atmosphere it IL hardly 70 be expected t
that earneatuesa shonld be 4 common virtue. /
Eu1huslAsm OF ang eolt is soau s.untc9 sud the !
ses.ns Of individuality Crushed Hence it is /
f1ficuls to tell = womans real char
,e.er nntu after she K; married. lau
,oma scross / hundred gtr1s 10 q Loudon bail !
Dom, and can discover scarcely more ind1sidu l.
y than among hunored Paris wax dolls who
au speak out papa and mamma Everything i,
words, dress, and all. Tley !
III Ike dancing, adore music, read novels, love
iowers, and admire the last fashionable preach
n. That ia, they al! sas SO.
The men aze much the eama amiAble Donenti-
ias- Ihssr Gus Il 70 TANK dancing ''rather
>ore," 70 talk wleely about hoises and billiards,
o cfaticiee Lady So-aud-So's champagne cups,
nd wear the last nav thing in coral or peatl
tuds- OF iate years Loudou ex4uls:tes have |
uitivated now pose OF the hand, something be-
ween the style Of dog 5yith b1 oxen paw and
hat OF monkey wboee hand has been enddenly
topped On the road to it's month. We have oc-
ssonalsy seen lAdiea walking in the streets with
hair hands 10 this limp position. II We
Fere to take al these people separate
:, Aud could get At their heatts we
hould probably find At least some shreds Of
but the fear Of the crushing social
stracism implied in the word odd ID the weight
hat keeps this personality out Of sight. Yet
hero is one thing which animaea every bosom
rhich no one ventures 10 call odd, and this is
he lookout for good match. Mea and women,
Id and young, are ut one on that topic. No one
h.nks it degrading to 60 into the "orld night
fter night, seeking prey OF this description.
A-1 Hoy,fr rnf kke |