The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-01-24
A "PERSONAL," AND WHAT CAME
OF 1T,

" | wonder why SO much money is
wasted by people on matrimonial ad-
vertisements," said Will Fowler to me
one day.
This was apropos of nothing in par
ticular, for not a word had been said
for ten minutes; but then he was al
ways popping absurd questions at you.
=" 1 can understand a mans going to
the theater," he continued, cor SUBJ
.scribing to soup-kitchen, or even be-
ing fool enough to send bouquet to
some pretty girl, but why on earth he
should tumble any more coin into the
hungry pockets of these newspaper
men is more than l can understand.
Where does the fun come IMP Of course
the chaps who advertise haven't an idea
of marrying ON such an introduction,
and equally of course, no woman nova
days is goose enough to answer such
an ad. '-thatis, no woman with whom
it would be any pleasure to CORE
spond."
1t was gloomy March day, and Will
and were toasting our feet before the
fire in his Chicago Office. He was a
married man, with pretty wife and
II,
and possessed of private income more
than equal to his needs; 1, younger
class college friend of his, and pin
feather lawyer with certain heart en-
gagements which precluded all idea of
other love affairs. The topic preached
by him was argued pro and con, and
the result was that l bet him dinner
that carefully-worded matrimonial
advertisement would bring in at least
fifty answers, the loser to pay for the
publication. After long consideration,
in which he good-naturedly took part,
the following card was written and SUBJ
sequently published in the Sunday pa
per most noted for its personals:
HAVING BEEN A WHOEVER FOR TWO
III years, wish to marry again. am thirty
five years old, five feet ten inches in height,
thirty-nine inches around the chest, and have
excellent health, mental and physical. Being
of a somewhat phlegmatic temperament, l
neither ask nor protfer ardent love, but sim
ply desire that there shall be mutual re-
spect, as my chief reason for marrying is that
during my frequent business absences from
home my little siX-year-old girl may be left in
charge of one who will guard her with a
mothers care. / am commercial traveller for
a large Eastern house, own a suburban cot
have over "a, 900 in U. s. bonds. Perfect re-
spect will be felt for any lady who may an
swer this advertisement, and absolute Sc
cresy will be observed, whether the applica-
ton be favorably received or not. Only those
need apply who will fairly answer to the fol-
lowing description: Age, between twenty
and thirty; education, good; disposition, not
given to pickering or fault-f1nding; health,
good, and especially must be free from any
pulmonary complaint; appearance, rather
pleasant than handsome; reputation that will
excellent qualities modest home and gentle
treatment are offered. Address EDWARD
CLARKE, - Office.
Monday mornings mail settled the
wager, for by that delivery more than
the requisite number of letters came to
hand. BY Monday evening the city
correspondence was about exhausted,
but for days afterward notes came drop
ping in from the country districts, the
last one coming all the way from Salt
Lake City, until the total number re-
ceived amounted to one hundred and
twenty-six. Of these a large moiety
had been sent on speculation by women
of the lowest class. The next largest
assortment came from the servant-girl
class, and nice collection of pencil
marks, bad English and dirt they were.
Some had come from sewing-women,
telling-pitiful stories, many of which
bore evidence of their truth in their in
conference. Others, again-and there
were good many of these-had been