The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-14

able in every respect, some positively
 handsome, many pretty, and few alto- Sether unfavored by nature, and all Of
 these lowered to greater or lesser eX- tent, enter wedlook through the inter- meulary of the four or five well known
 matrimonial agencies in Paris. The reader must take my word for 1t, and | absolve me from explaining, Each
 agency publishes a bi-monthly journal, | which is sent to all the railway book 1 stalls hotels clubs, and circulating libraries throughout France especially,
 and often to smaller establishments
 across the frontier. Its price, postpaid
 and in sealed envelope. is one franc per copy. The subscription to the
 agency is fifty francs, which the sub
 scrlber may take out in advertisements
 if he likes, and in consideration of | which he is entitled to correspond with
 any or all of the advertisers in the
 paper until the supposedly right part
 ner for life is found. In the event of
 marriage being contracted through the | agency's intermediary, the agency | claims two and half per cent from the bridegroom on the marriage portion | of the bride, or a sum fixed beforehand in the reverse case. The recipient of the letter knows the writer's name; the
 writer is absolutely ignorant of the re- cipient's. The whole of the correspond
 ence passes through the hands of the
 agency, which supplies special envelopes
 for the purpose.
 But there is no necessity whatever to advertise The candidate for wed- lock may apply personally to the direc- tress of the agency--it is generally woman. That is what I did when
 wanted materials and facts for my
 articles on the subject. paid my fifty
 francs, stated my qualifications and prospects. Next morning had letter
 asking me to call at the offices of the
 agency. I think I have got what you what you want said the principal.
 And then she gave me full particulars
 of the young girl whom she had in view
 for me. Neither the girl nor her parents
 had the remotest idea that the agency
 was bestirring itself for her happiness.
 I was to see my possible fiancee two evenings later on an at home The principal herself was to take me From two or three remarks she dropped felt convinced that she knew pretty we'll
 all about my position except the impor- tant fact that I was a married man. I did not absolutely carry my marriage certificate on my back. Two evenings afterward the principal, who might have passed muster in the best society, fetched me in her own, or what seemed to be her own, carriage; and in about half an hour I found myself in the apartment of gentleman holding by
 no means subordinate government ap- pointment. I knew him by sight; he did not know me He was simply sub-
 sidized by the principal of the agency. Subsequent experiments taught me | that he was one of a hundred I was | introduced to the young lady and her
 parents. Of course next morning I pre- tended to have changed my mind. I would remain a bachelor, I said, for another twelvemonth or so. But took l the trouble of verifying the principals statements. Every one, including that
 of the f1O,000 dowry was strictly cor l rect Whether I should have been ac- cepted by Beatrice or her parents if 1 had pursued the affair to the last stage 1 but one is another thing. I doubt 1t, | for every one of my statements would have been also sifted by the principal, and there were good many that would not have washed. ''-1llustrated London i News.