The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-05-23

:. New York Letter to " ashingt"n star
| was walking along Bond stree
this morning when sign caught my
eve in the window of the parlor foo
of No. 81, a very respectable looking
house in every particular. The sigI
was elegant and not Obtrusive. L
read: international Matrimonial
Bureau 1t looked interesting, so
went i'm to see whether it would in
terest me or not. The door opened
into two roomy apartments, furnished
and decorated with great taste, and
looking thoroughly homelike. but fol
the presence i'm one corner of a bust
ness desk covered with papers. n
man of abou, fifty years. we'll dressed
and very prepossessing in appearance
came forward and said:
GOOD day, sir. You wish to be
married. pc, iaps;"
I Perhaps answered vaguely,
and sank into an easy chair he pushed
forward. He Wore long hair and had
IA strong French accent, but there was
nothing of the charlatan about him.
The man was unques,ionably honest.
He looked at me with grace interest
for awhile and then said: 81 know a
young lady whom you would be
pleased to meet. / will exhibit to
you her picture" He fetched an
album and opened it, and pointed to
the photograph of a very pretty girl
about eighteen years old. She had
rather German cast of features, and
had a charmlngly rounded figure.
"Her father is a photographer.
said the director, land he wishes her
to find husband. She brings for
you no money, but great beauty and
charming manners. She is excessive.
ly good. Do You wish TO meet her
here tomorrow
This was rushing business too much,
so / asked him if she spoke Portuguese.
He looked very much surprised and
shook his head, whereat | looked in
tensely disappointed. Then l asked
him how long he had been there, and
gave him a cigar, while | turned the
leaves of the album. He said it was
his sixth week.
81 was connected with the bureau
in Paris for years, he said, "and have
visited all the matrimonial establish
ments Of London, Berlin and Vienna.
They are all highly successful inst;tu-
tons, and l don't see why this is not
also to be likewise"
He looked at me inquiringly and |
said, "Quite so"
The photographs in the album IT.
terested me very much. They were
far superior to what / imagined.
There were nine or ten, and not face
was that Of a fast woman or servant
girl. Two looked suspiciously like
salesladies, and the rest were very in
teiligent. expressed my surprise at
this, and he spoke very sensibly about
it. He said there were thousands of
young men and women here who had
no social acquaintance at all. They
drifted friendIess to the city. or came
from across the sea, and often knew
no one but their intimate business
associates. Many poor sewing girls
would make excellent wives if any one
could get them into the world. 1t
was the aim of the bureau to bring
people together"
"How much does it cost ?" asked.
"You pay three dollars and put
your name and residence down in our
book. Then We look YOU up, to be-
come of ourselves sure of your respect
ability. You give us your picture
Then You look over the photographs
and select the woman you wish to see
and meet her here. If you don't like
her, try another one. If you marry
you pay us the two per centum of the
money which you own. This photo
grapher's daughter
''Ah, but she don't speak Portu-
gese.'
"No, monsieur, but she might
learn"
"Might she?' | asked thoughtfully.
"Well, perhaps she might" Then |
walked out, lost in contemplation of
union with a German photographers
daughter, who didn't speak Portuguese.
7 didn't snoak n either