Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-10
THEN another Balzac 49, a
~ American Balzac-looms q

w HEN another Balzac - an
w American Balzac--looms .e,t at
last upon the literary horizon
and strides forth to assume his own
gigantic, God-given task of writing
New York's great human comedy, he
doubtless will devote a large chapter
rather let us say one entire volume
to the psychologist analysis and artls-
tic exploitation of that most charac-
teristic. original and grotesque or all
its metropolitan social INSTITUTIONS
the marriage bureau.
The marriage bureau The mdtrlmo-
nial broker What could be more IN
trinsically Balzaclan in subject and
character? What fraught with more
jnfinite possibilities for the creative
imag gination of the consummate inter-
ary artist? And none, indeed, but a
consummate artist can do them JUS
tice.
In casting about for a model he will
select some such well established firm
as that which shall here be designated
as Sharp &s Williams.
Sharp & Williams is the oldest, most
reliable and by far the most important
matrimonial clearing house in America
Ia has been established almost twenty
years: It does a vast business. pays
a idISt hlNluNllu ullblA tiAN iiNSsNiliSiitS
of it's stockholders, and, what is more
to the point 1t has the reputation of
performing its function as no other
agency has succeeded in doing. Frank
Iy stated, it marries you off. Be what
they may, your worldly conditions,
your physical, mental or moral attrac-
tions, or lack of attractions, Sharp &
Williams guarantee, for a certain stat
ed sum, to marry you off, and marry
you off they can and viii and do.
It was half past nine O'Clock in the
morning when | first pulled the bell of
Sharp e Williams headquarters in Il
west side street The house looks like
any other in the row of neat brown
stone, four story and basement dwell
ings in that block from which one
catches gllmmering glimpses of the
North river. There is no sign on the
door and one may not enter without
stating ones business to the neat
woman who opens the door,
In a little business-like Office on the
second floor one sits and awaits devel-
opments. There is a desk. few chairs
and some chromO-lithographs on the
wall. The windows look out upon a
quiet, cool garden which forms the rear
view of the house. In a few minutes
the door opens and a pert, pretty girl
appears and inquiries definitely some
thing of your mission there. She dis
appears with a polite murmur, and
after another brief delay man ap-
pears He is tall gray and elderly. His
manner Is quiet dignified, but eminent
Iy businesslike. He draws a chair up
and seats himself before the diffident
visitor.
To the Point
Nov, what can do for you,
madame?"
Madame" does not gloze her mis-
sion, but speaks promptly and to the
point. Mr.. Sharp-for he proves to be
the senior member of the frm-lstens
attentively his head inclined judicially.
When Madame" has stated her mis-
sion, he draws forth a pair of eye
glasses, perches them on his nose, and
inspects her with kindly and genial
eyes.
You understand that we are very.
very particular about the people with
whom we nave negotiations. Our OBJ
Ject is 10 furnish a safe, reliable and
confidential method by which worthy
persons Of good morals and honorable
intentions may more readily become ac-
Quainted with a larger number of such