Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-30
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
ECAUSSINNES-LALA Hainaut.
Belgium March Is. 1907
This is the story of lot OF girls neglected
by their own young men grown selfish, en-
igratng or marrying abroad. 1t is the
story of a sublime hustling, of revolt
against convention, of girls who appealed
successfully to the great world not to be
left to mildew in the shadow And II is
the story of a haughty-purposed maiden
who-herself dsdaning maria ge-has, up
to last Easter like a little Moses pointed
out to them the way to cinch us husbands
In five years. bring vast prosperity to a
Belgian town. and merit the warm approba-
ton of their august sovereign. For the
now-famous husband market of Ecaus-
shines results from the heart-cry:
ANY man In the world who wants to
marry is welcome"
II was Mile. Marie Gheude who found the
formula. printed the first posters, started
the girls addressing envelopes-and invented
the matrimonial lunchesi
The story of Ecaussinnes otherwise diff
fers not from that of hundred European
towns where emigration of youths to cities
and selfish considerations of the dot" have
left girl populations high and dry in en-
forced cel!bacy.
Heavy Odds.
Up to the first matrimonial lunch it was
cSh W lpr tiidN any given XII VI
would shrivel to a lace-making, novel-read-
ing. wr!nkled Belgian pippin. listening in a
Mstless circle reading aloud in her turn
from The Bride of the Rope" or "Chaste
but Despised," laCe-cushion in lap. through
drowsy afternoons. as the hobbins danced.
Then. into such a circle broke young
Marie Gheude-in 1902, when she sew
enteen Her plan was ripe. 1t was backed
by the Able Auseau, a brave priest. and
Marcel TrIcot. today publisher editor of La
Sennette. official organ of the Matrimonial
Association of Ecaussinnes-Lalaing.
why languish when the world is a your
CALI" urged Marie Gheude. Let put
posters in all Belgian cities. Let us make
our case known proudly! Somewhere there
are men who want US! Let us ask them 10
a monster matrimonial lunch on Easter
Monday, Properly advertised, II will bring
crowds TO Ecaussinnes; therefore the mu-
nIcipalty will make us fete; and among
all those who come to scott, some will re-
main TO pray!'
After struggling with hundred preju-
dices, thirty young girls signed the invita-
ton AT the present moment. when ''nota-
bilttieS and fathers of families are its en-
thusiastC supporters any Ecaussinnois
lifting his voice against the institution
would be incontlnently deposited in the in
sane village of Gheel; but in 1902 the move
seemed hardy. saucy and almost unmaiden-
y! Nevertheless the dead walls OF Brus-
sells. Liege. Client and Antwerp soon were
blooming with an unusual poster-Orange-
mowers on a background or celestial rose
and baby blue-setting forth the undeserved
neglect Of the girls of ECaussinnes and con-
voking all 'repentant bachelors TO their
matrimonial lunch on Easter Monday
II was one of those sudden-shot successes
that hit whole peoples by some obscure
combination of Thickness novelty and pa
thos. Inquiries by mail showered in from
every quarter, and II some were bantering
propositions in bad taste the solemn good
faith in which these extraordinary young
girls replied to every letter softened hearts
transformed ideas and snatched material
for triumph out OF more than one seem
ingly impossible correspondence. Witness
the self-confessed hardened bachelor of
ACy, In the Aisne department of France,
who wrote TO Marie 'Gheude TO choose a
wife FOR him:
Il have confidence in your good taste. -
he wrote. Choose for me as you would
for Your brother" He offered 10 advance
the price OF single railway ticket to Acy,
adding. In case We should not come to an
understanding IL IL understood that l will
also pay the girls fare back to Ecaussin-
mes, unless she would prefer to take both
sums In merchandise. at lowest cost price
thus assuring her productive operation. -
Accepted the Proposition.
Well, do you know that they reverently
accepted his proposition all along the line
made letter follow letter: sent a nice CIR
with her mother and COPIED out an advan.
tageOus marriage with an honest. we'll
fixed church candle manufacturer, too busy
to go counting and too unaccustomed &c
write an entlcing love letter. The marriage
had actually taken place before the date Of
the first matrimonial lunch.
Nothing so sudden and overwhelmi ne
ever struck the sleepy town OF Ecaussinnes
as that first function OF Easter Monday
1902 Now, after four repetitions, they
count on II for their great week, but wher
the first trains began depOsiting the frs
crowds even Marcel Tricot and the Able
Auseau paled at the apparent devlltry they
had let loose. Only Marie Gheude and hei
band OF thirty girls were tranquil.
From the little balcony OF the Casino
cafe she waved the crowd OF "repentant
bachelors 10 be silent and made her frs
matrimonial address:
Men from the outer world" she said
''the present year is scarcely four months
old. and yet We register with sorrow-not
with shame-nine marriages of young
Ecaussinnols with girls from outside oui
locality. 1t is enormous. 1t is desolating
Evidently our young men are free tC
marry where they will. Instead of reproach-
ing them we are going to initiate them
This is why we have summoned you.
Ought we rather hide our desolation or
the principle that II the Ecaussinnois have
passed us over they have had their rea
sons- Certes. II may be said to tease us
put you will not believe IT. We know how
TO make the daily soup well an any; oul
mirrors tell us that We are not plain and
our hearts assure US that we could love
WELL
Men. we are victims OF fatality and
selfish interests. yet We shall not come tC
marriage destitute! There is not one Of us
who Will not bring full supply Of bed and