The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-25
OUR WOMEN ABROAD.
Tho Experience of Some American Girl
Who Married Italian Nobien,en. 81 s

-
Who Married Italian NOblen,en. So
rs It is now ten years since a former
Consul of the United States in Italy
said to me: American parents and
guardians ought never to allow their
daughters or wards to come over and.
pass one, two or three years, as the
case may be, in the study Of music for
the opera. or other professional sing
ing, without some elderly female rela-
tive to accompany and protect them,
and also that they may appear respect-ss
able in the eyes Of respectable people
here. = This same Consul told lnest,f
instances where great trials, anti III
one case, how positive harm, had come
to those either neglecting or being
ignorant of European manners and
customers. A young lady might travel
from one end of the United States to
the other, or might stop any length Of
time for study or any other purpose
wherever she pleased, with perfect
impunity, and without any improprie-
ty; but it is different here. and the
Consul's word of. caution and warning
had reason in it. ss.
But I wish a word Of caution and
warning might be raised for tile benefit
OF manageable young American ladies'
and widows, who do not come here to
study. Many such come accompanied
by q weak maternal relative. who is
dazzled by the title and the show of
some Baron, Count or Duke, who, ten
to one, is an impecunious younger son
OF some old family run to seed. If he
had money besides titles lie would
marry one Of his own country
women and ask no favor of the
foreigner. Recently most eminent
professor of one of our universities was
over here for the purpose of seeing Il
young lady relative of his. who was on
the Continent with her mother, and had
been carried away by of these noble
men (p), whose affections had scented
money from afar. But no change was
made despite the good professors
counsels, and as he left italy he dropped
me line from Como, saying tina,
neither advice, common-sense counsel
nor any thing else could prevail with
an American girl when the noble bee
got under her bonnet"
All this is too true. Some of your
readers may have seen an account Of
the way one Of nur-C onsnls in. Tnseer,s.
found, in madhouse. an American
lady who had truly given herb and
money to one of those impecunious adj
venturers, and who then had had her
shut up in an asylum, when she was no
more insane ts,an the soundest person
in Florence.
All Italian husbands are not bad men,
| have seen some as happy domestic
relations between husband and wife as
| have ever seen anywhere, and should
Judge that there is greater domestic
felicity here than in any other Latin
nation; but as a whole, the standard Of
family life and happiness, from the very
mannerof contracting marriage, is far
below that of Anglo-Saxon countries.
The impecunious dandies with roman
tic noble title, have found out the weak.
ness of the American and the English
girl, and they take advantage Of it. In
1882 I noticed in the bank Of
Messrs. Turner & Co. an English lady.
I should say Of twenty-five, who,
accompanied by a poor, sickly-
looking father. was engaged
in depositing some money. Icould see
that she was the stronger character Of
the two, and person of determined
will. / was informed that she was
dead in love" with an Italian, but.
that he would not come to terms until
he had made it 4 condition of marriage
that all her money should be assigned
to him. as he knew how to invest it il,
Italy to the best advantage! And she
turned over every centime to him..
Not six months after her marriage this
poor lady, from opulence, was turned
sdrift with only sufficient money to
hire = few furnished rooms at Sorrento
md / was applied to to recommend
persons to go there for pension in
order that she might earn her living.
Only this year a respectable widow.
lady, residing here in Naples, allowed.
herself to be carried away by the atten-
tons and the polite bearing toward her
of an Italian gentleman. She consult
ed more than one person, and among
others Mr. Camphausen, our present
American Consul, and they all, in
answer to her question !. Shall 1 mar
~ him ? . esponded in tile Ian gu:,ge
of Nj. Punch celebrated letter,
I. Don I. : It was, however, Of no use;
she !" went and did it, = and in less than
= month the scoundrel tried to stran ole
her, and has since heaped all manner8
of indignities upon her. In one sense
she was a little wiser than her English
sister and many Of her own. She did
not assign him her money, and hence:
the great ire Of Mr.. Impecunious.
5ftatsa'a Cor. american Register.
ell, = remarked a Chicago Young
lady whose hair is somewhat on the