The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-04
FRENCH MATRIMONIAL MILLS.
How Girls Are Often Married Through
Such Agencies Without Knowing 1t.



out fortune and the high government func-
tionary who has been retired on pension.
The feminine element is generally recruited
among the foreign colony, orphans with
dowry and rich widows who bore themselves
to death in the provinces. The second-class
agents negotiate with lower-grade function
aries, retired officers and middle-class folk,
who are "poor but honest" In the third
class is comprised all the agencies that &C
cept no matter who, provided they can
extort good commission for their services.
This classification is doubtless an arbitrary
one, but it is commodious for police require
ments.
In the best of these agencies little, if any.
advance payment is required but the appli-
cant signs an agreement to give or more
per cent. on the dowry within a certain
length of time. L hardly need add that the
widest agents manage to ''touch' a commits
sion from both parties. In the other agen-
cies the gentleman desiring to marry the
rich and charming young lady is first
obliged to pay down from $50 or 500 or
more for 'expenses," and this without
prejudice to the percentage if the affair
succeeds. Naturally the affair does not al
ways succeed, and this is how the agents
make their money. After the first payment
they have all sorts of tricks for keeping the
NlCUllll dlOlS Ou nODc, dDNl WiltIl UDt1 AttN6
squeezed out of him everything that he has,
or when they see he will not pay any more
they tell him with regret" that "he doesn't
suit the party" Sometimes the men who
are fleeced make a complaint, but in most
cases the fear of ridicule silences them.
The interviews between the candidates
take place either at the apartment of the
agent, at receptions given in one of the nu-
merous mixed saloons shat are affiliated
IL, l. 4 L,.oN hoo
reunions.are so eminently respectable in ap-
pearance that no stranger would ever sus-
pect that a mother had led her daughter
there to meet, "by chance" an eligible
young man. After the presentation the
young man asks permission to call at the
house. aud If the request is granted he car
ries on his courtship according to the French
ruIe-which American girls would consider
rather slow. One agent used to have a spe-
cialty of the opera for bringing her clients
together. She made the applicant pay $50
or $50 for the whole box and invited him to
come in at the first entr'acte; there he would
see some young or ripe woman. according
to the case, and, after a short conversation
be politely bowed out with the request to
call at the agency on such day, when he
would be told what impression he made on
the lady.
This trick was played at each entr'acte,
SO UIldU On6 SO-U6bWoti1 iIlttu0 d ROOu harvest
out of her evening reception" The women
who serve as figurantes in these affairs di-
vide with the agent or receive a stipulated
price for their services.
The regularly established agencies are in
close relation with the intelligence offices
that swarm in the French capital. They
often have need of confidential information,
for they agree to furnish their clients with
all the facts about the interested parties
registry and mortgage offices, where in
formation Is to be obtained about the solva-
bility of their clients. Notaries who draw
up all marriage contracts, are often hand
and e owe with these marrierS and receive a
percentage for the family secrets they re-
veal. DomeStics, governeSses and, in fact,
any one who can serve these brokers are al
ways well paid for their indiscretiors. The
proceedings employed by these agents are
often curious and complicated. Here is one
example out of hundred
When q governeSS or servant act as inter
medium her role is to make the young lady
remark" the young man that the agency
wishes to marry Before getting an invi a
ton for the young man to visit the family
the agent and servant select public gar
den, a museum or church where the can
didate will be on certain day and hour
Then the servant or governess, when she
takes HlHuBDiOlSell6 OlJ lOI IL Walk goes 10
the designated spot, carelessly calls the
young lady's attention to the fine looking
man." praises his appearance, etc. If the
young lady seems pleased with the stranger
the servant makes known to her outside
employer when she will be at an evening
party. TIE agencies have so many strir gs
to their bow that they can usually have a
representative present at these entertain
ments Young ladies are often thus mar
out knowing it. The introduction takes
place casually and the husband is very care
full afterward not to tell his wife that he paid
so much per cent. for her hand.
There are still other classifications in the
Paris matrimonial agencies. For example,
some occupy themselves entirely with po-
litical marriages, others with religious
unions. There are Bonapartist, Legitimist,
Protestant and Catholic agencies. At some
of the Legitimist brokerage offices the APP
plicant must be an authentic nobleman,
Christian and Monarchist, otherwise his
case will not be considered. Not great
while ago prominent member Of the Com
mune, whom 1t is not necessary to name,
for he has since seen the error of his ways
and is now a distinguished member of the
moderate Republican press, went to one of
these Legitimist agents and introduced HIM
self under his own name. He was collect
nOUtS vi buc dECAi'lsos
elderly lady who directed this particular
office lives in tho Faubourg Saint German
and receives her clients in an apartment
that is embellished with real Louis XVI.
furniture and objects of art When NJ. G.
mentioned his name and said he wished to
get married, the old lady replied, with a
most dignified air: ~ regret that ] cannot
do ANYTHING for writer who is so compro-
missed politically. If you repent come and
see me again and then we may be able to
arrange the affair"
Some of the Catholic agencies are helped
by priests who, while slipping their tea with
a parishioner, tell him casually that it is
time TO think of marrying the daughter.
If the father says that he does not know Of
any suitable young man, the good cure re-
plies that such or such an agency is CON
Quoted by pious ladies devoted to the church.
If the marriage is concluded the future"
instead of paying an advance direct TO the
office. gives a certain sum TO charitable
work designated by the priest, or the priest
takes the money himself for some poor fam
ilv that is ashamed to beg. These Catholic
agencies arrange a great many marriages
between servants.
The public table d'hote, which is a sort Of
counterfeit representation Of family life, is
a very propitious place for matchmaking
The proprietors, who are frequently women,
lose no occasion to bring about marriages
between their pensionnaires and receive