Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-05-30
MATCHMAKING IN ITALY.
fZow the Young Girls in a Great Hospital
are Provided With Husbands.
Palermo Letter in London Times

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are Provided With Husbands.
Palermo Letter in London Times.
The long dormitories Of the hospital
were clean and orderly, but the curious
and peculiar feature of this establish
n1ent was the parlitorio or reception
room. Picture q large, long room, the
greater portion of which is divided off
from thesides and farther end by an
iron grating, which forms q cage. en-
tered only by we'll barred street door,
through which visitors from the outer
world are admitted. Here the inmates
the other side Of the iron grating Once
week, however, Sunday mornings from
10 to IL, this place is the scene of the
most novel and ludicrous courtships
ever described One of the objects of
this motherly establishments is to find
fit and proper husbands for the girls un-
der its charge, The fit and proper here
is much like the fit and proper Of socie-
ty-the one requisite being that the
young man is bound to show himself in
possession of sufficient means to main
tain wife in comfort before he is al
lowed to aspire to the hand of one Of
those precious damsels.
Having given in his credentials of fit
ness to the guardian, he receives a. card
which admits him next Sunday morning
to an inspection Of the candidate for
matrimony. There, sitting on abench,
If his curiosity and ardor will allow him
to remain sitting, he awaits the arrival
on the other side Of the grating of the
Lady Superior, accompanied by The
girl. She had been selected by order
Of seniority snd capacity for household
work from the hundred Or more between
II and 81, waiting for youth to deliver
them from their prison The young
people, both, no doubt, breathless with
agitation at the Importance of the cere-
mony, have to take one long, fixed look
at each other. No word is spoken, no
sign is made. These good sisters believe
SO fully in the language of the eye that,
in their minds, any addition is futile,
and might but serve to 1nystify the pure
and perfect effect of love at first sight.
!" The look over, the Lady Superior
asks the man if he accept the maiden as
his bride. Should the answer be in the
affirmative, the same question is put to
her, and if she bows assent, the betroth-
al has taken place, and they part till
the Sunday following. The young
lover again makes his appearance be-
fore the tribunal of guardians, and there
the contract is signed, the day of mar
riage fixed, and he granted leave to
bring the ring, earrings and wedding
dress, and present them-through the
gridiron, of course-to the betrothed.
rything has to pass the scrutiny Of
the Sisters for fear of q letter or some
tender word being slipped in with the
gifts. During the few Sundays that in
teryene between the first love scene and
the marriage an hours conversation
within the hearing Of the Lady Superior
is allowed, but not a touch is exchanged.
The empty talk, interspersed with a
giggle, consists Of inquiries as to the.
wedding dress and the occupation and
place OF abode Of the sutton. Should
the young man refuse the FIRST damsel
presented to him he is favored with the
sight Of three more, but should he still
appear diIfci1e, he is dismissed. The
girl also has the power Of refusal.