The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-06


expect 10 marry a girl who has an equal
income, or something a little less. That
is not fortune hunting, but prudence; Gus
tom not only approves OF II, but requires
it, and custom also makes provision for
IL. Property Is divided among male and
female children alike SO that every girl
has dowry of some size. If a man dies
penniless, then The daughters have 10 work
and save a doWry
The Jaw Of society in regard TO marri-
ageable girls in Germany are not so strict
as they are in France, yet they are much
more stirct than in America, and would
be exceedingly irksome to any girl with
a mind Of her own. In France It Is con-
sidered eminently proper that girl should
never set eyes upon her future husband
until after she has become engaged to
him. in Germany il is only required that
she shall never be alone with him for an
instant until after marriage. A German
girl of good family would be irremedably
compromised If she were seen in public
with her young man alone, even after
she has become betrothed to him. She has
the advantage of her French sister, how
ever, in that she may meet him at parties,
at her own home and in the houses of her
friends. That at least gives her a chance
to determine his complexion.
As many people have remarked there is
a greater difference-aside from language
between the Bavarians and the North
Germans than there is between the Ba-
varians and the French. A BavaTian
never grows tired of dilating upon the
fact that the Prussian Is not a German.
but Slav, and that the true Germans
inhabt Bavaria and Austria proper and
are next door to being Latin. 1t is for
this reason probably that in all matters
save those of a political nature the South
German is influenced by Paris and Wen
ma and not by Berlin. Among what are
called the higher classes In BaVeria then,
the French way of looking at marriage
is much in vogue and the line is being
drawn closer and closer The eminently
proper procedure in matrimonial affairs
makes 1t an exceedingly vexatious thing
for a man of the exclusive ring to get
married at all in his own station.
Say that he has reached an age when he
begins to take an interest in a quiet family
life and hair restorers. He inquiries among
his friends as to the marriageable girls
they know. The two prerequisites In the
matter are money and family Provided
these are satisfactory he wants to see the
girl. That is precisely what is impossible
even IL he is friend OF the family His
only hope is 10 find out what church she
goes to; then he gets somebody who knows
her TO point her out TO him. If she is pret-
" he Immediately goes 10 her family and
proposes for her If he Is accepted there
is formal betrothab and thereafter he
may have the pleasure Of seeing and speak
ing with her-in the presence of her fam
by. Until after the marriage they are never
permitted to have word together alone
That is the fashionable procedure and it
is of course. entirely French, not German
Ii is even considered better form for the
man to propose for the girl without having
seen her observation-disclosures the seeing
implies a vulgar curiosity With Bavarians
in general, however, there are no such fol-
maIitles, although the opportunities for
young people to meet are stiI very scant
and rarely, IT, ever, does a respectable
young man propose marriage TO a girl; he
proposes TO the family. All this is merely
custom, naturally, but any other form of
conducting affairs would be looked upon
very much aslxance When Germans hear
of the usual business-like, yet sentimental,
method prevailing in America, they do not
usually believe it, because they cannot
realize that any civilized and cultivated
people could be guilty of conduct which
they regard simply as scandalous And
that is the hardest thing American young
women have 70 contend with on the CONT
nent--the prejudice in regard to conduct.
Things that seem TO them, and which, of
course, are entirely harmless strike for
elgners as emphatically reprehensible; they
are not often catholic enough to picture
a different training and consequently they
condemn Most of the insults received by
American girls in French and German ci-
ties come from men who would be clrcum-
spect with their own womenkind.
1t is curious TO note how newspapers in
Germany are brought into play by people
matrimonially inclined. Germans, ii may
be explained, give more publicity to their
private lives than the people OF any other
land Their death notices, for instance,
are real tombstones in type and are fun Of
detail If a man Is going on journey he
puts an advertisement in the paper bidding
good-by 10 all the friends he has not had
time TO call upon. II he has been i'll he
rushes into print again to thank all the
people who inquired after him when he
was IN bed. Upon every conceivable pre-
text, in short, he lays open his heart to the
world in cold type. II is perhaps only nat
ural, therefore, that he should let every
body know when he wants wife.
Most German journals, including those
of Austria, contain daily from a column
to two columns of appeals for life part
ners" or NEST mates" or whatever the
poetic fancy of the advertiser may choose
TO call them. Many times the advertise
ment Is in rhyme. The advertiser, man
or woman, spares no praise in personal
| description; the man Is usually finely ed
udacetd, of unquestioned social standing.
prepossessing IN appearance. sympathetic
and good business man." the woman
beautiful accomplished, domestic and
! an irreproachable book and housekeeper
the last attribute being particularly in
| demand by German husbands Always, too.