Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-09-08
ELIGIBLE N0BLEMEN.
MEN or RANK AS HUSBANDS FOR
AMERICAN GIRLS.
british Noblomen the Richest. French the
Most Agreeable, Italians Sentimental
hut Too poor, Germans Only Fairly De-
sirable--racts About the Russians.
Especial Correspondence


NEW York, Sept. G.--The good fortune
Of being present at most interesting dis.
sussion fell to my share tho other even.
ing. No less important question was un.
der consideration than that Of determin.
ing-given the we'll known tendency Of
American girls to marry into European
noble families-which country presents
noblemen best worth tho having, and
where are 70 be found the noblemen best
worth scheming and planning for? Al
though these two actions should to all
appearances be considered coincident. vet
my fair disputants, well versod in matters
! European, seemed to draw a marked dis
tinction between the two, and so did |.
their faithful reporter AS the conversa-
tion progressed that shade of distinction
came out quito pronouncedly, however.
Thus the elder sons Of the English no
bility appeared from the first to stand
without the pale Of any possible compari-
son. Ii was unanimously agreed that, as
far as the having goes, Englishmen with
handles TO their names and unentailed
estates are by far preferable as husbands
TO men Of any other acknowledgements
cans, OF course, as home product, always
excepted. -
Germans-counts and barons--were de-
clared to be worth having in but rare in.
stances (when presenting exceptional at
fractions Of person, name and worldly
endowment), but scarcely over worth
scheming for, and never-oh, certainly.
never--worth the trouble Of cultivating
their affections under the tedious and ex.
actinTconditlons imposed by the narrowly
conceived limits of a Germans family
life.
trenehmen-so it was generally con.
ceded-malSe fairly good husbands in the
hands of such exceptionally clever, prac-
tieal American girls who know how to
keep their husbands perpetually amused
and at tho same time know how to keen
their lord and masters meddlesome family
connections at a respectful distance
Hard Of execution as those conditions
appear the hrenehmen seemed to tip the
scales IN that they were unanimously de-
clared TO be well worth scheming for.
since they display great resources of wit
and amiability in their intercourse with
fair American girls, whom they treat with
the same sans gene" they are apt to treat
their own married women with.
but the very best men to be courted by
-and yet the least worth having-it was
declared, were tho scions of the old Ital.
ian nobility. Respectfully devoted. OK.
pert IN the art Of ardently expressing this
devotion without appearing inane or
ridiculous-those were surely gifts not
70 be treated lightly by girls, no matter
how frank or giddy in their talk; but rs
husbands, Italians were on the spot fatty
declared not worth having.
Never having yet heard aught to the
detriment Of Italian husbands and heads
Of families as class and condition Of
mon, l was considerably taken abaclx by
such a sweeping declaration. In consid
eration of my Ignorance, however. | was
forthwith informed by the pertest and
most fascinating disputant Of our party
that Italians were not worth having"
simply on account of their being a regular
drug on the matrimonial market.
why, there is scarce any Italian fruit
vender to be found in New York that
would not be able to boast of being an
Italian nobleman; keeper of a peanut
stand or a waiter in a restaurant NAV as
well as not turn QUITE be an Italian count.
As to Italy itself-why, marauises and
dukes Of most unimpeachable family an.
tlquity roam about there eontentedlv In
their rags and actually enjoy their maca.
roni under the bridges arches. No.
wound up the diminutive speaker with one
OF her archest smiles, Italian noblemen
are TOO plentiful to seek them as husbands.
though meeting them, when in good So
ciety, and receiving their attention. is
quite another and a most delightful
thing"
Since in this verdict seemed to ooncur
the whole sanhedrim Of my vouno wise.
acres, ventured to remark that If scar.
city be considered a cardinal virtue ia tho
matrimonial market. why then, my coun-
trymen, noblemen Of Russia, ought GER
tainly 70 command most exclusive atten- |
ton now that their species seems to have
turned toward extinction.
So 49,
The reality Of danger in that respect is
such that it has awakened the seriops /
solicitude of the paternal Russian row. |
eminent, aud even at the present time n |
measure Is under consideration as to how
best to introduce English laws Of primo. 1
genituro amidst the Russian mobilize. |
The root OF the danger to the latter is /
acknowledged to lie IN their bad economic
condition, and yet the contemplated re-.
fern has mot with the utmost opposition
on the part Of the class destined TO be
mostly elevate1 thereby. Shaken IN
financially by the sudden emancipation Of /
thair seris, and llnapt to reconstruct their
farming on the basis Of hired labor. MANY
Russian noblemen went easily from baa
to worse financially and are very nearly
completely ruined. Yet SO FOREIGN to The
Russian mind is the idea Of ally exelu.
slyely lavish endowment Of the hIst born
OF families that the mobiles are now the
loudest in their protests against the plan.
preferring, il seems, total extinction a. n
class TO the introduction Of such unjust
laws of discrimination between their
children. -.
Pending such possible extinction. how.
ever, 1t would perhaps not be amiss to
look little into the Russian noblenen's
present standing. ~ u
To begin with, foreigners are generally
apt to fall into grave mistakes concern
ing Russians with handles to their names
Russia Is an exceptional country in that
she has lots of genuine princes who stand
50 low on the social stairs that the aver
age untitled landed proprietor wonld
never think of receiving them as EQUALS
Aud again, there are families with no
titles whatever-like the Mouraviefs the
Narishxins, the Nsev0loiskys-who ara
held far above most Of the titled families
many Of them being direct lineal descend.
ants OF the earliest Russian reigning
princesi families who had constantly de-
clined the titles offered them, considering
their plain names higher than any princely
or other dignity. ~" sssss
- e. sspFSRr Z
Notwithstanding the frequency-of az.
eessions to the Russian nobility from the
ranks of army officers and government
many of whom are liable to he
ennobled at certain stage Of their Off