The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-13

This was arranged in an attractive display
under the heads of Ladies" and Gentle
men," For names numbers were used;
that in the ladies' column had reached the
figure GA and in the gentlemens passed 700.
The charms of handsome blondes" were lib
orally displayed in the one and the merits of
ambitious men in the other The yearning
of the blondes. young and old, was for posi-
ton; that of the masculine advertisers for
money, and money only.
"A young gentleman, age thirty, desires
for wife lady of good postio No obiec-
ton to an independent widow of 5000 cash;
address George Partnership" wrote one
cheeky client. Mrs. Leonora's eye followed
the glance OF her visitor.
He got a rich young widow, sure enough"
she laughed, land they are going to get mar
ried. Mr. George is a reporter for big, nice
paper in the city. Oh, yes They are genu-
inc, all of the notices you see there. know
the people myself. They come and give the
advertisements, five cents a word and l adj
wise them and take their letters. If the lady
is tlmid let her look out of this window when
when the gentleman comes in, so that she
sees him without herself being seen. Many
letters? Yes, great many come to most of
the advertisers. There was one poor young
lady, the one that advertises there that "a
young colored lady refined, desires TO marry
white young man; is rich and admires the
European faces she received only three let
tiers, insulting at that. 1t was too bad. She
almost tainted from vexation. Why, she is
nearly as white as you or | and has half a
million dollars. But then the writers prob
ably thought she was black, and that is about
the only thing they can't swallow with the
money"
The little woman was getting into talking
mood. She regretted that she could not offer
the reporter a glass of beer, the pail being
empty. She naturally had a fellow-feeling
for the craft. The idea of the paper had
occurred to her. she said, in her capacity as
sort of mother-confessor for many young la
dies when she taught foreign languages. She
had travelled all over the world, and found
just as many men yearning for mates, and so
she determined to give them all chance.
Already she could look back on a long row
of happy unions that had grown out of her
efforts, with many more in prospect. Occa-
slonally she made big fee when her media
ton led to an especially satisfactory result.
Once she received 81, 000 1t was when she
married rich New York girl to titled but
poor italian prince The girl wanted to
marry a title, and she did Mrs. Leonora serv-
ing as middleman. Her husband was once
captain in the Italian army, and she had in
huential friends in Rome.
While the reporter was watching the
woman with a species of awe she put her
finger on advertisement No. $50 in the
wedding Bells" which set forth that an
Italian gentleman of old title, large estate
and seat in Parliament, desird to marry
wealthy lady not over twenty-eight years
old.
There" she said. in a confidential whis-
per. The is another. l know him. He is
prince, but as poor as church mouse,
but a title and a castle are good bait I
have sent him letters from one correspond
ent in Saratoga, one at Long Branch and two
at Newport.
The women want handsome men, men
they can trust, but above all handsome,
even if old. Some of them want husbands
to match pictures they have dreamt about.
They want position, too. Most of them will
take nothing less than a dry goods clerk.
For mechanics there is no call, and | don't
take their ads. As for the men, all they are
after is money. If a woman has that she
may be as ugly as sin; they will take her.
enthusiastically one really wants a mate,
but even then be never considers a few thou
sand dollars anss And, likely enough,
while he is fishing for thousands he will try
to do me out of dollar for his advertisement
by promising to pay next week.
Both old and young advertise. Here is a
maiden lany of forty, but she don't take
| well. She is particular too. So is this gen.
| tleman, No. 6S5 politician, whose name you
| would know-but l never tell names-rroth-
ing less than $50 900 will do for him. Twenty
thousand would De as nOtnlnS. InlS lazy OF
twenty nine, with $25, 900 is just as bad.
Her husband must be a German and be in the
wholesale drug business. Well, she will have
to wait.
This widow lady, with $4,000 cash and
land got husband, and good one and so
did the young lady here, No. COS, with Sc, 600
and her seventeen years. Ii you had watched
the papers you would have seen a few weeks
ago the advertisement of the wedding at Sara
toga OF a Brooklyn lady and this man of tai
ent weighing 176 pounds No. 6S3. The
Wedding Bells rang in that union.
Sometimes let them meet here to see
how they suit each other. l merely take
their letters. The men come in the evening
the women in the morning. l think there is
less danger OF unhappy marriages on tins
plan for you see l exercise sort of super
vision and know something of both parties"
And the woman bowed her visitor to the
door. pointing to two large baskets partly
filled with Wedding Bells" in wrappers
that were to be mailed to her ten-cent pat
rons.
And yet" she said with a sigh, ut doesn't
pay. The printer, the printer"
THE FUTURE OF THE NEGRO