Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-21

the wind in Union Square and Seventeenth
street, and the bright gilt letters blinked in
the sunshine as they spelled out the queer i'd
scription:
MARITAL CONSULTATION OFFICE.
Proposals brought about by matri-
monial expert.
Up two flights of broad stairs a stained
glass door opened into the ante-room of the
consultation Office. Through heavy damask
curtains glimpse was had of two large,
handsomely furnished apartments. Wilton
carpets covered the floor, the walls were fin
ished in Eastlake designs, and Queen Anne
furniture lent to the place more the air of a
modern draWing-room than OF business
Office.
The visitors card was taken by g. coffee
colored man in dress suit, who disappeared
for a moment behind the curtains, emerging
again with the invitation to walk in, coupled
with the reassuring assertion that the matri-
monial expert was willing to see her visitor.
A young lady, heavily veiled and richly
dressed, talked in low tones to her mother on
a low divan just within the curtained en-
trance. In the further apartment lady of
perhaps % years, with an intelligent face
surmounted by Langtry bangs and wearing
a close-ftting black silk, rose in acknowledge
ment of the request to see the matchmaking
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,n she began, with little laugh,
IT call myself matrimonial expert, which
is rather indefinite. l should moro properly
term myself an expert in reading the symp-
toms of love. My business is not SO much one
Of bringing about marriage, which is second
airy consideration, as tits Of deciding whether
lover means marriage or means only to
while away few idle hours in the company
of his inamorata. So this office is in no
sense matrimonial bureau. 1t is simply a
consultation Office"
'But is there any demand for such pro-
fession as yours?"
Rather" was the laconic response. ''New
York is full of young men fairly well off
club men in good standing 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-connected residents. They
become attached to a girl, after fashion,
and by assiduous attention and careful fiat
terry driveother admirers from the field or rel
egate them to subordinate position. With
sublime inpudence these young fellows as
sumo an air of protection, of ownership to-
wards their lady friends, which is as decep-
tive to the susceptible misses as it is to other
manageable male acquaintance. By these
arts a well-bred, weil-educated man easily
establishes for himself peculiar standing in
the eyes of the young lady and of her family.
His devotion is marked, his attentions thor
oughly respectful and apparently serious, and
he is believed to be only waiting favorable
opportunity to ask the momentous question,
which is to unite two hearts as one. But the
question is never asked.
OWNING THE SYMPTOMS.
"Week after week passes by, and pro
posal is no nearer than at the beginning of
their acquaintance. Of course, - with an in
dignant toss of the head, che is fairly lavish
in expanding money upon her. He acts as
escort to concert, theatre and opera; he
drives out with her, and is always ready to
adjust her wraps at ball. But he never
proposes. That is what we object to, and
because of that this Office was established.
Its object is to either compel declaration or
to leave the field open to admirers who are
serious in their attentions" and the. pretty
expert tapped determined tattoo with.
Frenchheeled shoe upon the floor.
1t was gently insinuated that American
girls, and New York ladies in particular,
were abundantly able to take care OF them
selves in this respect and could very SOON tell
whether an admirers attentions would result
in anything beyond soft-sposen worss
'Nonsense.n was the emphatic response
"That is piece of fiction invented by Henry
James, Jr. Americang1ris are as susceptible
as those of any other nationality, and the alb
sence Of all restraint makes them fall more
easily in the habit of accepting an escort
without vulgar inquiry into his ultimate in
tentions. With the natural delicacy of a
pure-minded maiden, the American girl
leaves that to time and circumstances, and
the young man, knowing this, takes edvan-
tage of it.n
''The majority of victims are"-
''Debutantes, of course" she interrupted
with a disguised wave of the hand. SIT may
sound amusing, but 1 assure you that the
majority of the young misses opportunities
are utterly ruined by these professional
lovers, as l sometimes call them. The young
lady with her fresh complexion and girlish
charms, you can readily see has better pros
pect of contracting a suitable alliance during
her first season than at any other time. Every
thing is in her favor"
"Arrd you propose to remedy this defect
and to drive these young men into matrl
mony or from the society world.'
THEY MUST MARRY.
Exactly. Through careful research and
at the expenditure of infinite time and
patience have collected the names of all the
best-known of these professional lovers
These keep in this book" taking up long
narrow ledger. "My clients are furnished
with printed slips containing these names, to
which they can readily turn for reference
But this is only part Of my business. The
really arduous labor consists in determining
from the actions of a young man, other
things unknown, whether he really contem-
plates mahimony or is bent simply on amuse-
ment. That is why call myself an expert, ;"