The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-11
HOW \ BRIDE Is BOUGHT.

Paris residence OF NJ de r, the celebrated mar I
riage broker, and having paid the preliminary fee
of e40 explained that he came on behalf of "A
cousin, who, although possessed OF a handsome I
fortuae and good title, anxious 10 increase his
worldly goods by contracting wealthy marriage. I
Ny friend further asserted that he acted IN his /
narle and without the authority of his cousin, /
but the consent of the latter, should anything ac
ceptable be proposed, he could answer for NJ. de /
+. at first demurred, and asserted that he was not
in the habit of dealing with less than least one
person directly interested in a matrimonial prof
ect; but my friends elOquence-not TO speak of
the lOO0-fTanc nOte-at length prevailed, and the
great matrimonial agent unbosOmed himself
His terms were eight per cent on the dot, and
this 10 be paid within the first year after the cele
bratiOn of the marriage. OF course my friend
consented. Then NJ de +. explained that should
nothing be definitely decided on and the attempt
fail, no further expenses would be incurred, the
e40 covering all. This pleased my friend still
more for he had confessed TO me that he feared he
should not be allowed 10 leave the sanctum of the
magician without parting with at least another
fifty louis. These prelimnaries having passed of
to the satisfaction of both parties NJ. de +. opened
an immense desk and took out from il a bulky
notebook, in which my friend solemnly alleges
were inscribed the name, age, fortune, disposition
and social status OF every heiress, not only i'm
France, but in Belgium, Austria, Holland. Italy,
England, and every other country in Europe
NJ. de +. airily explained that he despised Ameri-
can heiTesses, their fortunes could never be
relied upon. NJ. de +. read out his 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. Belgian" Give millions widow very
susceptible, dark may or may not have lovers.
but there is no scandal attaching to her name;
French, good bOurgeoise family, very fond of
titles bat prefers men in the army: will not marry
a man under forty; is herself fve-and-thirty;
property IN railway shares and partly IN French
Government stock" and 50 on 0d UtiHit,uR.
My friend was thmderstruck, and at first half
believed the list was purely an imaginary one,
and merely a bait thrown out to attract hungry
fish. This doubt was, however, soon dispclled
when he selected one out Of the many heres-eS
offered to him; and when VI. de f., looking upon
the matter settled calmly stated the name Of
the young lady, my friend discovered, 20 his
tOniShment, that he knew the family intimately,
and that VI. de F.'s intelligence and details We're
absolutely correct i'm every particular. lie then
explained his system. "Of course, Monsieur lc
COmpt,n he said, "it is needless 10 tell YOU that
these ladies do not come To me themselves and
seek for husbands. When lady has "a large for
need of "a matrimonial agent. Ii is her friends,
parents or guardians who come 10 me-in nine
cases out of tell without her knowlcdge-and pos
sessIng influence over her, offer the heiress TO me-
IN consideration of fee arranged between us, of
course, provided I can, among my clients, find
suitable partner The whole thing il perfectly
simple, and the wife need never suspect anything
From the names have just mentioned, YOU can
see for yourself that many of my clients, both
male and female, belong 10 the best nobility of
Europe; and in fact, think / can say without
vanity, that have had something directly or in
directly, TO do with most of the leading matrimo-
nial alliances which have taken place i'm France
Turing the past thirty years, although since the
All OF the second empire business has become
-ather slack
What can be more terrible than this? Little
lOeS the Duchesse Feuille de Per-il dream, a. she
ashes out of the Bos de Bologne that her only
and well-beloved daughter Is being bought and
sold i'm "a dingy little room near the Boulevard
pOisSOniere 10y her dear and intimate though un-
scrupulOus and impecuniOUs friend, the MarquiSe
Iuppe de Ia Deche The DucheSse has unboundcd
confidence i'm the Marquise, and has given her
carte Ji00cbc to bring any friends to her house; ;
and when the young NicOmte de la Poisse Is in
trOdUced-a charming man, and one whose birth
and title are above suspicOn-he meets with a
most cordial reception.
The rest is soon done. The Nicomte l. repre-
-ented to the mother as being the very model Of
Oung men, Nine. la AIarquise uses her influence
every conceivable way, and i'm nine cases out OF
IN the marriage comes off, Nine la Marqulse, VI.
Ncomte and the matrimonial agent all having
large plum out of the pie, the mother ana
daughter never suspecting anything. More thah
tnree-quarters of the marriages in france-and IN
he gr0"d HoDdc, mind you-are brought about
in this way WhjfchoH Rcricw
In Lowell, Mass. the Catholics have established
one of their parochal or religious schools, and
aiken their children out of the public or common
.ehOOs. These people wish to have Catholic edu-
cation taught, and they have a right 10 have il,
as long as they pay the expense. But il Is to be
hoped that the State will never pay dollar for
catholic schools, because on the same principle it
would have to support jewish Spirituallst niidel,
-nd every religious and anti-regOus school.
s>-S-p-
Mother-love in animals has lately been cXempli-
ned lh Inc case OF guinea-pig that, with her
. 'uie' Nas thrown aite lo snakes In the London
..oolos ltai t2rden. The unhappy mother tried to
Fhield her young with her own body This ease
fas SO attracted the attention of merciful peonla
that feeding Of live animals has been pr6tested
against.