Evening journal., 1902-10-07
MATCHES AND MONEY
UNRoMANTlc coURTsHiPS ARE THE
RULE IN GERMANY.

quirinE n Military Husband.
In Bavaria every girl is expected TO
get married. Ask a Bavarian, and he
win tell you that it is impossible for a
portionless maiden 70 find husband |
II a girl has no money for a dowry, \
therefore, she sets herself at work to
save one.
Marriage in Germany is nearly en-
tirely a matter Of business. The father
of the girl announces the sum which is
to 60 with her, while the papa of the
prospective husband holds out for
more. That is the first stage of the
negotiations. Little by little each yields
to the other. Finally, often after
months of delay, the contract is drawn
up with minute specifications by
notary, and then the lovemaking may
begin. The courtship is very clrcum-
scribed and is probably not altogether
satisfactory, for the German maiden is
a romantic creature, and the opportuni-
ties she has for getting acquainted
with her husband before marriage are
very meager.
The parental supervision Is so inbred
in the nation that even the government
takes a hand in it with its servants. A
German army officer is a splendid crea-
ture to the eye, but his pay is very
small, ranging from matter Of So a
week for a lieutenant to $50 a week
for a full fiedged general. In order to
prevent the possibility Of seedlness in
appearance or style of living the gov
ernment forbids an officer to marry un-
less he deposits a certain sum-it is
$4,000 for a lieutenant and becomes
gradually less for each higher grade
with the authorities, the income Of
which is doled out to him semiannual-
ly. This is in reality putting price on
the man, because the greater number
Of German officers are very poor and
can get the money required only from
their brides.
The money which a wife brings to
her husband. unless there is an express
notarial stipulation to the contrary, be-
comes absolutely the husbands proper
ty. Woman in the eye Of the law has
practically no rights except such as her
husband may allow her. He treats her
very often as merely a piece Of live
stock II the woman rebels, which she
does very rarely. he displays a very
short temper and an aptness for WELD
ing n poker or n walking stick in use
for which they were never meant
In German newspaper one may al
ways find a column devoted 10 matrl-
monial announcements. There is no
romance in these advertisements. The
man tells how much money he has and
how much he wants The woman
names her dowry 10 the very pfennig
Very often the man has no money at
all and expresses his desire to marry
into n business, but the woman knows
that it is useless TO advertise at all un
less she has some money, II 1t amounts
only to 500 or so. which may be re
garded as the lowest sum worthy oi
consideration as 4 mitgift
On the other hand, It is the woman''
privilege TO name the calling which sh'
prefers the man should follow. Shl
usually chooses an official clerk or por
ter, policeman or n car conductor. al
of whom have tenure OF Office and al
old age pension. She has more of al
eye TO stability than to ambition.
II IS In the so called higher classes o
society that one finds the baldest an,
most businesslike matrimonial trans
actions. There are few young men o
this class who have either money o
any prospect of making any otherwis
than by a wealthy marriage. Whel
they inherit fortunes. It is the fashioi
! to dissipate them. and when they don
Inherit it is against the prejudices 0
their education and training TO see
employment or TO engage in any kim
, Of business.
! Therefore most Of them enter the al
my while waiting for a rich bride
Daughters OF rich brewers and met
| chants are acceptable to these gentle
men. but their great and persisten
, dream is to capture an American he'll
: css. They confess the matter frankl
, to any one and every one who viii II:
ten.
T Travelling American heiresses are nc
so plentiful in Germany as in Franc
and Italy; still, they are TO be founC
1t would seem. however. that notwltl
standing the fact that German title
nre at least little more valuable tha
those of the Latin countries they d
not possess the same glamour In fem
- nine eyes, because the German It'll
n captures the American bag OF gol
e comparatively rarely. Perhaps il is bl
a cause the Teutonic wooing is more al
rogant and supercillous than insinua
ing.
OF all countries Germany Is perhaT
that in which romanticism fiourishC
most. II is instinct in It's traditions,
/ its history and its literature. Yet
+ the affairs of daily life and pre-em
nently In ifs matrimonial affairs mil
: tarism rises to the plane of worship
! New York Sun.
A Blind Sale.
An exchange tells of a novel pla
! ,donfad nv IN EnOlfch hoctpcs fo g.