Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-25

New York World.1

Marital Consultations which AAx1ou1
Manaas Are seeklag.
New York World.
A tasteful little sign creaked joyi-
ally in the wind In Unior Square and
Seventeenth street and the bright gilt
letters blinked il the sunshine Is they
spelled out the queer inscription:
MARITAL CONSULTATION OFFICE.
PROPOSALS. BROUGHT ABOUT By 4 NAT.
RrN0NIAL EXPERT.
Up two flights Of broad stairs q
stained glass door opened into the
ante-room of the consultation Office.
Through heavy damask curtains 4
glimpse was had of two large hand
somely furnished apartments. Will
ton carpets covered the floor, the
walls were finished in Eastlake de-
signs, and Queen Anne furniture lett
10 the place more the air of modern
drawingroom than of business office.
The visitors card was taken by a
coffee-colored man in a dress suit,
who disappeared for moment be-
bind the curtains, emerging again
with an invitation to walk in, coupled
with the reassuring assertion that the
matrimonial expert was willing to see
her visitor
A young lady, heavily yelled and
richly dressed, talked In low tones
to her mother on low divan just
within the curtained entrance. In
the further apartment a lady of per-
haps % years, with an intelligent
face surmounted by Langtry bangs
and wearing a close-fitting black silk,
rose in acknowledgment of the re-
quest TO see the match making expert.
There was nothing of the catch penny
matrimonial bureau air about her as
the details of her profession, as she
called it, were explained at length.
"You see," she began. with little
laugh, Il call myself matrimonial
expert, which is rather indefinite. l
should more properly term myself an
expert in reading symptoms of love.
My business is not SO much one of
bringing about marriage, which is a
secondary consideration, as it is of
deciding whether lover means mar
rage or means only to vile away a
few idle hours in the company Of his
inamorata. So this Office is in no
sense q matrimonial bureau. 1t is
simply a consultation Office"
"But is there any demand for such
profession as yours ?"
Rather, was the laconic response.
New York is full of young men.
fairly well off club men in good stand
ing and men of old families, who,
however, never mean to marry.
These confirmed bachelors pay court
season after season to the daughters
of our richest and most highly con-
nected residents. They become at
tached to girl, after q fashion, and
and by assiduOus attention and care
full flattery drive other admirers from
the field or relegate them to subordi.
nate positions. With sublime impu.
dence these young fellows assume an
air of protection. of ownership to-
ward their lady friends, which is as
deceptive to the susceptible misses as
it is to their marriageble acquaint.
ances. BY these arts a well-bred,
well-educated man easily establishes
for himself peculiar standing in the
eyes Of the young lady and of her
family. Her devotion is marked, his
attentions thoroughly respectful and
apparently serious, and he is believed
to be only wsiting favorable oppor.
tunity to ask the momentous question
which is to unite two hearts as one.
But the question is never asked.
"Week after week passes by, and
Q proposal Is no nearer than at the
beginning of their acquaintance. OF
course" with an indignant toss of
her head, The is fairly lavish in ex.
pending money upon her. He acts
as escort to concert, theater and op-
era; he drives out with her, and is
always ready to adjust her wraps at
the ball. But he never proposes.
This is what we object to, and be.
cause of that this Office was estab.
lished. Its object is to either compel
declaration or to leave the field
open to admirers who are serious in
their attentions, "and the pretty ex-
pert tapped q determined tattoo with
a French-heeled shoe upon the floor.
1t was gently insinuated that Amer
lean girls, and New York ladies in
particular, were abundant!y able to
take care of themselves ia this re.
spect and could very soon tell wheth-
er an admirers attentions would re.
suit in anything beyond soft.spoken
words.
Nonsense" was the emphatic re.
Spouse. THAT is a piece of fiction
invented by Henry James, Jr. Amer
lean girls are as susceptible as those of
any nationality. and the absence of all
restraint makes them fall more easily
In the habit OF accepting an escort
without vulgar inquiry into his ulti.
mate intentions. With the natural del
icacy of . pure-minded maiden. the
American girl leaves that to time and
circumstance; the young maa, know.
Ing this. takes advantage of it."
The majority of victims are"
"Debutantes. Of course" she inter.
rupted with disguised wave of the
hand. ut may sound amusing, but
l assure you that the majority of the
yousg misses opportunities are utter.
~ ruined by these professional lovers,
- sometimes call them. The Young
lady with her fresh complexion and
girlish charms. you can readily see,
has better prospect of contracting Z
suitable alliance during her first sea.
son than At any other time. Every
thing is 10 her favor"
And you propose to remedy this
defect and to drive these young men
Into matrimony or from the society
world ?"
Exactly. Through careful re.
search and at the expenditure of in |
Unite time and patience, / have col |
lected the names Of all the best known
OF these professional lovers. These
l keep in this book, taking up q long
narrow ledger. My clients are fur.
nished with printed slips containing |
these names. to which they can read. |