The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-10-14
sMisrella1y.
How q Bride is Bought.

How, a Bride is Bought.
/ Under an assumed name my
friend went to the Paris residence
of NJ. de F., the celebrated marriage
broker, and having paid the prelim-
inary fee of Gao, explained that he
came on behalf Of a cousin, who,
although possessed of a handsome
fortune and good title, was anxious
to increase his worldly goods by
contracting a wealthy marriage.
My friend further asserted that he
acted in his own name and without
the authority of his cousin, but the
consent of the latter, should any
thing acceptable be proposed, he
could answer for. NJ. de F. at first
demurred, and asserted that he was
no. in the habit of dealing with less
than at least one person directly in
terested in matrimonial project;
but ry friends eloquencs--not to
speak of the 1000 franc note at
length prevailed, and the great mat
rimonial agent unbosomed himself.
His terms were eight percentum
on the dot, and this to be paid with
IN the first year after the celebra-
ton of the marriage. or course
my friend consented. Then NJ. de
f. explained that, should nothing be
definitely decided ON and the at
tempt fail, no further expenses
would be incurred, the Gao covering
all. This pleased my friend still
more, for he confessed to me that he
had feared he should not be allow
ed to leave the sanctum of the ma
gician without parting with a least
another fifty louis. These prelimi-
naries having passed off to the sat
isfaction of both parties, NJ. de F.
opened an immense desk and took
out from it bulky note book, in
which my friend solemnly alleges
were inscribed the name, age, for
tune. disposition and social status
of every heiress not only in France
but in Belgium, Austrai, Holland,
Italy, England and every other
country in Europe. NJ. de F. airily
explained that he despised Ameri-
can heiresses, as their fortunes
could never be relied upon. NJ. de
F. read the list somewhat as follows:
-Four millions, orphan, red hair,
two-and twenty, subject to epilepsy,
clever but strong minded, property
all in real estate, noble family, Bel
gian." olive millions, widow, very
susceptible, dark. may or may not
have loved, but there is no scandal
attaching to her name; French,
good bourgeois family; very fond of
titles, but prefers men in the army;
will not marry man under forty; is
herself tive-and-thirty; property in
railway shares and partly in French
Government stock" and so ON ad
infRtum.
My friend was thunderstruck,
and at first half believed the list
was purely an imaginary one, and
merely bait thrown out to attract
hungry fish. This doubt was how
ever, soon dispelled when he select
ed one out of the many heiresses
offered to him, and when NJ. de F..
looking upon the matter as settled,
calmly stated the name of the young
laaY % my friend and aassGaayerf ssaayE dc dte fei rs
and details were abso-
lutely correct IN every particular.
He then explained his system: "Ofl
course. Monsieur lie Comte," he
said, .'it is needless to tell you that
these ladies do not come to me them
selves and seek for husbands.
When lady has large fortune
and is anxious to get married she
has no need of a matrimonial agent.
1t is her friends, parents or guarai-
ans who come to me-in nine cases
out of ten without her knowledge
and, possessing influence over her,
offer the heiress to me in considera- !
ton of fee arranged between us,
of course, provided I can, among
nv clients find a suitable partner.
The whole thing is perfectly simple,
and the wife need never suspect any
thing. From the names | have just
mentioned you can see Tor yourself
that many of my clients, both male
and female, belong to the best no.
bility of Europe; and IN fact, think
I can say without vanity that
have had something, directly or in
directly, to do with most of the lead
ING matrimonial alliances which
have taken place in France during
the last thirty years, although since
the fall of the Second Empire bust
ness has become rather slack.
What can be more terrible than
Ills? Little does thh Duchesse Feu-
1e Persil dream, as she lashes
on~ the Bois de Boulogne, that
her o.. and well beloved daughter
is being bought and sold in dingy
little room near the Boulevard Pois-
soniere by her dear and intimate,
though unscrupulous and impecu-
| nious friend, the Marquise Huppe
de La Deche. The Duchesse has
unboundeded confidence in the Mar
ouise. and has given her cate
blanche to bring any of her friends
to her house; and when the young
lyicomte de la Poisse is introduced
la charming man, and one whose
birth and title are above suspicion
l-he meets with most cordial re-
ception. =.
| The rest is soon done: the vi
comte is represented to the mother
as being the very model of young
men, Nine. la Marquise uses her in