The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-08
ADvERrIsISe ron A WIFE.

II Is getting TO be every day more diff
cult for man Of elegant tastes, without money!
TO live like a gentleman and vet there are those
In this city who stl successfully manage TO
I FIGHT the battle Of life under these conditions
The art Of llviRg not only w-'l but generousy'
without visible means Of support. Will propaoiy
never become entirely extinct. In Paris and
London there are nu nbers Of men VINO dress
swell belong to the best clubs frequent the
utmost aristocratic society, ami draw their rev
eIenues from nobody knows where. Ihey are
honorable men-as the world goes don JUN
~t.p the KING too often at ccartc ms nave "S""p
eye after the odd trick In lcaiim ne H''ne Ut
whist. To this class frankly MESS oe'""H'
Early last spring pecamc painfully awe 10
tho melancholy fact that was " dead broke
utterly aud hopcossly SO; my resources "ei0
completely exhausted. Daring the laSt V"i'e
years | had embarked earnestly In every
enterprise requiring no capital ana niue
Labor providcd the business was co genial to
ms ,ns,es. and did not Interfere with my usual
,babits of NE rode one or two steeplechases,
hacking my adversaries' horse, and made rather
rood thing OF It. Pigeon shooting had been
. s,eadv source OF income. A few carefully
made bets on subjects with which / was thor
ouchly familiar added ere6tly to my resources.
Billiards, likewise, could always depend ON to
the extent Of $500 or siOOJ per year When
HuSn, a ubef III BLOCKS olNtu duhtu ~ e'"fiN W
Thousand to my reserve fund. NV habit as re-
yards Wall street operations was to conhden-
italy take the advice of a dear friend cert I'm
very successfui bear operator with whom was
on terms Of the closest intimacy. When he ad-
vised me to sell short, always bought Tor rise.
When he advised me to bug, invariably sold
short His advice has been worth thousands TO
me he was indeed friend. TO him | owe the
tandem drove at Newport last summer aud ihe
pleasant winter | passed IN Paris the winter
previous.
But those halcyon days are gone. sitting IN
rnyrooms one rainy sunday li.s April, rapidly
passed IN review all NV worldly posses
rions They consisted principally OF a
Roodish lot Of POole's clothes. had no
end Of suits, adapted to every season ana
all purposes. In trousers. found myself par
ticularly woll OF, counting no less than twenty
three pairs. Poole had alw vs. given me un-
limited credit. " henever mad money settled
up The result was denied myself nothing III
his line. yer mind IN what condition my
finances happened TO he. There is a certain sat
,isfaction In being looked upon rs one OF tbs
ibest-dressed men In town. and this reputation
took care TO keep up; IL was Of = cat use to ms
socially In fact, my social position was me
principal part of my stock IN trade. religiousN
DISCHARGED all society dulles, never missed
bail, dined out great deal. and paid my risU'
de dtgssfiOn within the week. II everything els'
went unpaid.
but this pleasant life was apparently ahou
being brought to close. OF late everything
had failed me. could not, like Others
attribute my misfortune to the panic
lfor l never had anything to lose The long
desired aud much-,alked- OF business reviva
would not help me. NJ situation was despeI
ate, and required desperate remedy l ma
tired everything No. not everything. 1t sud
denly flashed over my mind that person lik
myself had certain value In the matrimonia
market. would try marriage rhe urgency @
the case did not permit me to 30 through thos
tedious preliminaries known as serious atten
;tions. would advertise for a wife. After ma
turo deliberltion and much waste OF paper
concocte1 the following:
A YOUNG gentleman OF good family and handsom
n estate is qesrou, OF forming the nequant' nce d
lady la similar conditions of lie and fortune, Win
view to mlirlmony i.etersne eNcna iged lns Is a'
Howard dc Courcy. Hetdh uptown ONCE. All Goa
atoms viii be treated VITA me strietest cont
Isence.
The clause in connection with blondes wa
made necessary because when in Paris ! ha
Joined the "Societs pour Encouragement de
Blondes" All association or cuD Of young gen
tiemen who pledged themselves In tue mos
solemn manner to marry none bat blondes. / n
theory was that pn steal beauty and moral el
Celence went toget her that q perfect blond
such must possess all the attributes and virtue
which 10 TO make up good wives aud goo
mothers. I was committed TO this doctrln
and much TO my regret wa Obliged to rigo
ously exclude all brunettes from the chances
participating In the brilliant fortunes Of HowaI
de COur,y.
This attractive adyertiseme mt appeared twi'
an the personal column If toe H,rdld. At Il
end of a week / went to the H,rdd up-tow
answers. After a careful examination Of the'
precious epistles came to he conclusion th
Dinety-six Of them-from certain peculiariti
of paper. spelling, and chrography- emanat,
from retired washerwomen aud chambermail
out Of employ. These consigned 10 Il
flames. From the remainder selected aho
half a dozen which promised well. one most .
ficularly pleased me on account Of the great a
OF refinement IL brelthed. IT was written in
flowing English ladys hand The language "
well chosen, and gave abundant token Of ell
gance and education. II was -isned Clara st Al
ton. Clara did not at present wish to 6econ
known, but proposed that we should at fir
gain knowledge of each other hy correspon,
tng, which Immediately proceeded to Goa
nence. Her letters were charming. 7 soc
took the deepest interest in what AT FIRST W
merely a business venture. oar correspon,
enoe bee me very sentimental. really began
Tear that Clara stanton would Inspire me vii
grdnlc passion, and cause me TO forg
Tie more sub ,tantia part Of the negotatio
However she WIS her own mistress, and live
In her own house, as ! gathered from one
Der letter.. his for ne. who had never owne
hnythiuS more valuable than tandem teau
seemed # it5elf Il fortune. From sentmel
We rapidly fell INTO the most loyelike strain:
was my iovo. my dearest, ms precious, my da
)iag.
Finally begged SO hard Cor an interview
That CT "a could not 1ud 1t ia nor heart TO der
me any longer. she was to ~ to Goupil's ui
Lure gallery, corner Of Flfth ayruue and Tweut
hrst S;r'et, on certain day az certain hou
Hsired IA a dark brown silk; -le would wear
rose IN her cor-age and cary 40 cxlctly simil
Dhe IN her light hand. There could be no mi
laking her, mat morning was an in a lutte
rs mounted the little stairs in the rear
GouPis HOP, which lead- u the picture "a
1ery, ielt That my whole future was about