Wichita eagle., 1886-08-28
MARRIAGE MADE EASY.
FACTS ABOUT THE WAYS OF THE
FRENCH AGENCIES.

|
Eetired Army Men Who are Frequent
| Customers-Essily Taken In and Sorry
| Ever Aftsr-A Series Of Questions for
| the Applicant.
matrimonial agencies adopted by the police is
purely arbitrary. With few exceptions the
the first and second class agencies ara equally
INSCRIPTIONS, sometimes arc branches OF the
same establishment; always resort to the
same tricks, and often employ the same per-
sonnet, tbs only difference between them be-
ing that the customers Of the latter, who gen.
orally are oficeholders out Of place, retired
soldiers and provincials, being less well
veTsed in Partisan wiles, are more easily
gulled than the native of the metropolis. The
half-pay officer is especially victim; he loses
his head at the first throw Of the line, swal-
lows the bait at once, and Is landed immedi-
ately. How, you will readily see. The ap-
plicant begins by depositing the fee, which is
from 100 to 800 francs, according to his own
fortune and his pretentions. Ladies pay
nothing in advance Then contract is
signed to pay per cent on the fortune of the
lady or gentleman who is the objective, and,
these formalities having been complied with,
a sort of catechism is given to him or her, as
the case may be, which is to be filled up.
SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
Then comes the series of questions which
you must answer if yol mean business: Your
name and surname, address, titles, decora-
tons, exact age, place of birth. the state OF
your health, your height, appearance, the
color Of your hair, eyes and complexion, your
disposition, your tastes, the degree of your in
struction, your accom- lishments, if you have
any, your religion and politics, the nature of
your present employment and its precise an
nual yield II you have private fortune,
what is its figure! Is it in stock, bonds, mort
cages or real estate, and if the latter, where is
it situated and what is its revenue!The amount
of your debts, what are they and with whom
have they been contracted! Are your parents
living, and if so, what is their age, where do
they reside, and do they know of the step that
you are taking! If deceased, at what age, when
and where? What are or were the figures of
their fortune! What was the origin of your
family, and has it ever been distinguished by
any great deed, or has it been involved in
any great scandal. Have you any good
family connections, and who are your family
associates! Have you any brothers or sisters,
and if so, what is their social standing! hat
are the best references that you can give:
There are special questions for widowers,
widows and divorced persons. How many
childred have yous What is their age and
situation with respect to yourself: Name Of
the deceased or divorced spouse and what was
his or her profession? If divorced, on what
plea and in what circumstances. Was the
divorce granted to you or against you. Then
you must give your own personal preferences
concerning tho person to be selected. Birth,
appearance size, complexion and color, age,
tastes and educa ion What dowry do you
demand: Do you wish it in cash, in govern
ment scrip, or in real estate: What expecta-
tons do YOU demand? What town or depart
rnent do YOU wish to reside in? Then come
the conditions of the broker. "As the nego-
tiation of marriage involves always GER
tain amount Of expense, the husband presents
to Us after marriage a sum equal to per
cent of the wife's dowry to cover our outlay,
and, above all, in order to show his gratitude
for our Intervention" The concluding para
graph of this formulary is as follows:
1--WE have no dow-ry less than $4,000 francs
and the majority Of our connection is pro-
vincial We have correspondents everywhere,
and always select in the best circles.
NUMBER OF LETTERS.
This document. which is said to have been
drawn by a person at one time connected
with the press, but who gave UP journalism
for the more lucrative business Of nlatrimo-
NAL brokery, takes readily with the inexpe
rienced and relatively impecunious flats, who
see in it q certain semblance of frankness, ard
paw over their retainer with little hesitation,
from which moment the agency begins to
work, depoying all its resources to get as
much money as possible out of It's client be-
fore the knot is tied which is thus managed:
A number Of letters are successfully written
to the candidate: No. l tells that & person
likely to suit his conditions has been discov-
ered No. , announces the departure of that
person for the country whittier her father or
her uncle took her quite unexpectedly" No.
gives an account OF first interview, and
with it such an enumeration OF the persons
physical and moral attributes that your future
happiness cannot be doubtful. In No. you
read that Nine or Nile. y. has had a long
conversation with me about you-lndeed,
YOU were its unique theme. She looked love
her than ever as l drew your Portrait
assure you that it was not at all battered. But
was it that portrait which seems TO have
turned her head! May She not have met you
elsewhere, and since then have cherished for
YOU an attachment which she was 10th to
avow even TO herself? However this may be,
| know that she loves YOU
This passage, which is te1tually reproduced
from three different letters addressed to three
different individuals, IL the last display of
'Sushr All sitter correspondence relates
strictly to business, for similar high pressure
cannot be kept up But it is usually a
ciincher TIE rheumatic, wsr-worn warrior
who knows nothing OF life save what he has
learned during Eve and twenty years service
with bis regiment, which is absolutely nothing
st ALL sees glimpse Of sunlight on the hori-
ION Of his old age He ciieerfully pays the
expenses OF that Indispensable provincial
trip. announced in letter No. :, sends other
reulittanccs sfterward, because unforeseen
circumstances obiigs Us to prolong our stay"
bleeds freely 50 long as the horse leech thinks
it prudent to phlebotoniize and then gees con-
iidently to the altar With his priceless pearl,
to be uncommonly sorry for it. nine times
out OF ten, ever az ter wards -FariS Cor. New
York Times.
The Census Returns for Paris.
par-:c bav-.a f.a--,