Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-07-21
AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY.
4 French Bachelors View Of Wife
With Reflections Upon Dress.

Parisian
1t was Noah who, meaning to do no harm
planted the first garment to which people
had recourse but the antique simplicity
lasted only few centuries and fled away
forever when mulberry trees competed with
the vine. At present the leaves of the primi-
tive vine have so transformed themselves
that they would be no longer recognized by
the first planter. Beautified by dressmakers
with deft fingers, extended according to the
pleasure of floating fashion, covered with 4
delicate network of embrOideries, they change
with every season, drape themselves with all
possible tints, and reach all prices; the dear
est are the most sought after. Women, those
angels with costly wings, before setting out
for battle against the common enemy, put on
their war costumes, whose details may escape
us, but whose total cost alarms. So, when Il
young man who has reached the age of
thirty years less few moons dreams OF the
annexation of a companion and of the joys Of
paternity, he addresses the following speech
to himself:
Il have already seen great deal OF life
and have spent money literally. l know
from experience, from Homer's verses and
Otfenbach's music, the incOnveniences of love
that lost Troy, and l have just reached the
time when it is desirable to make an end Of
all this and to make the future sure. have
attained the maximum OF my vcnal value,
and it is wise to profit by the rise and unturl
my flag and dispose Of my merchandise.
Now, marriage is, according to my ideas, the
union of two beings who are absolutely UNI
equal in condition, figure, age and fortune.
| have enough wit and birth for two; it only
remains for me to find wife who has as
much fortune as / feel have intelligence,
and this idea is not displeasing. When Il
man is arranging serious business he must
not consult his heart but his reason. 1t mat
ters but little to me whether my betrOthed
be entirely wanting in the grace which gave
Rachel such worth in patient Jacobs eyes,
provided she has what I shall call panemet
circeness, that is to say, a dowry and hopes
Charms and virtues are not stocks to be in
scIlbed on the paper OF marriage contracts,
and beauty does not generally parade itself
OH the cushions of mountaineering carriages,
or on the divans of well-conditioned drawing
rooms. 1t walks OH foot and runs through
streets, like wit / know it well, for I have
followed it more than once. Besides, beauty
is a rich diamond, which costs dearly to have
set. 1t is true that ugliness is unaware of
its being, so that, after all, a husband does
not gain through it. 4 pretty woman spends
y
ugly woman to embellish herself; but the
one attracts moths, while=the other keeps
them away. l made the calculation the
other day of what woman costs in an aver
age year when she returns from the marriage
ceremony, and confess that the sum sad
dened me. Times and proprietors are so
hard that | cannot set down the rent of an
apartment situated in a proper locality and
on proper story at less than 5000 francs.
No matter how happy one may be, he cannot
raise his happiness as high up as the neigh
bOrhOod of the stars, and in case of accident,
it is cOnsOlng not to fall from too great a
height. / cannot, except at the same price,
keep carriage, two horses, and u coachman
who wears powder and a wig, properly.
Madame, as a young girl, spent for her dress
the tritie of 500 francs a month; when mar
ried she will spend twice as much, under the
preteXt of showing herself worthy of the pro-
motion she has obtained. She will have
long conferences with the celebrated Worth,
she will give occupation to silk worms and
will drag her feet under a wealth of velvet,
which it pleases me to suppose are very
small. | reckon at 4 dozen other bills of q
thousand francs the cost of her pleasures, her
servants wages and the little food that she
will deign to take in order to prove that she
still belongs to this earth; | put down
naught and carry over two, and reach forty.
You will remark that have shown praise
worthy zeal in keeping myself in the shade
but it is time that ! should appear in the
ines, and I don't think give proof OF exag-
5erated pride in estimating my expenses at
.he half of my better half"
1t COSTS therefore, 10000 francs year for
l husband and wife to traverse in a respeta-
ole manner this vale of of tears and to keep
midway between Job and Cresus. You can
'uin yourself at play, but you have chance
If making yourself richer; horses cost enor-
nous sums, but you can use them and sell
hem again; good living which is so expen-
i've sometimes, is always nourishing and
sometimes fattening; woman alone brings in I
nothing, and of all expensive tastes she is
the dearest.
Applied Theology. :