Evening star., 1899-02-04


Il have married infirm people" he said
in the first breath, lame people. hump
backs, wooden-legged men ana corll-legged
women. Marriage Is an association, and it
is forbidden to no one. No one is so dis
graced by nature that he may not hope for
an auxiliary. France is fertile in devoted
companions, but how discover them with
out the aid of the Union des Families"
Howe" l repeated.
And we have never had a divorce! On
the contrary, every mail brings US thankful
letters. Now listen
The little old man snatchod up letter
from his desk. ''Tulle, January /, 1873
Monsieur: Thanks to you I have put my
hand on an honest woman. (Sgney5 Du-
mont-Bergerac." After he had recovered
his breath. he went on:
THAT pretty brunette whom you sax. in
the waiting room is at her sixth interview
today. but it is my idea that she prefers
the second man l introduced to her-a doc
tor from Fecamp. They pleased each
other. They loved each other. Why
should not sentiments Of affection and es-
TEEN be borne here as elsewhere? mat
blonde lady who was reading a novel IS q
widow. I presented a newspaper man TO
her-another affair almost concluded. EN-
cept that in their first interview he Dragged
of having written eight continued stories,
and she desired to read them first
Is Sne rtaulng tnemI
Methods of the Establishment
'She is. She is now reading The Bride of
the Rope while waiting for him. l think
he is playing dominoes in the cafe below
it is always well to make them wait a little
Monsieur, now you know the whole mech
anism of our establishment. Shopkeepers
clerks employees. doctors, lawyers notaries
and even journalists address themselves to
us. II you are serious in desiring TO marry
you have only to indicate the kind of wife
you want and give me your subscription to
our weekly paper, the Union des Families;
10 francs for one month, IS francs for two
months, or 30 francs for three months.
When you are satisfied you may also give
US present. in money, on your marriage
day. L leave that TO your honor and your
generosity"
''Pere-en-Rapport,' as he is called. or
Father Put-together,' directs his marriage
bureau from the Batignoles. His paper
does honest work. What distinguishes the
concern is the class of people it deals with
folk from the middle class of life-eX-
tremely honest and intelligent-and citi-
zenS from the various smaller cities of
France. The feminine clientele is almost
exclusively provincial Paris drains the
young men of all France. They break with
their own towns; the young girls they fan
cied marry elsewhere. In Paris the young
provincial, now become a Partisan, has for
his friends men only. He has good time
but day he awakes to find himself
without the knowledge of a girl fit to
marry.
Nice Breton Girl.
II should like to have a Breton girl 1
said, because the Bretons are religious
and my wife must be religious"
The old man rang his bell. Book No.
39,'' He CLEANED a dozen photographs from
as many pages. and passed them over 10
me-phOtographs of girls from Nantes, Van
nes. Rennes and Quimperle. l decided for
Nantes. The picture showed a neat, scIi-
ous-looking girl, tritle melancholy.
"A wel-conducted girl, half orphan. with
out a father, reared in religious sentiments,
and whose mother. detcStipg the town IN
which she saw her husband die. would will
lingly accompany her daughter to Paris"
This he read from the notes.
Three other young men have looked
favorably on that portrait, he remarked.
severely. And l think the time has come
to send to Nantes"
Three other menr' I exclaimed
''Of course, three othersi" he answered,
with indignation. ''Or a dozen Others if ]
had them, Do you expect a young girl and
her mother to take siX-hour railway jour-
ney in order that you alone may have the
pleasure OF inspecting them? You cannot
throw your handkerchief at serious girls.
They want to have a choice as much as
you do. Again, before I introduce YOU,
must have an outline of your life and ways.
Do you agree to give me that?
Yes, certainly"
Then come back in a week"
81 did go back-in three days-but only
because Pere-en-Rapport had written me a
note to say that the young girl from Nantes
refused to marry foreigner. I found him
as hopeful ever, with three other splen-
did matches for me.
And how about the doctor from Fe-
camp?' I asked. Has he given up that
pretty brunette girl / saw on my first viS-
it? l took a great liking to her. I am sure
she is sentimental
Between the Two.
mo He hesitates. He trines. Between
that fine girl, who is luscious enough n
make you forget the world, but who has
only q small dot, and pale. bony one, who
is almost rich, he says that MS heart bal
ances. I have accorded him a second inter