The National tribune., 1909-09-09

and when they think they have found
him report the same to the prospective
mother-in-law. Then the young cou-
pie are invited to meet at a dinner
party or some other social function, and
if the attraction is mutual and every
thing satisfactory the two families ar
range for the betrothal. If the attrac-
tion is not mutual, the matter is
dropped, and further search is made.
1t is no more frequent in France for a
girl to be forced to marry a man she
does not wish to than it is in America.
French fathers and mothers look upon
matrimony not only as a very serious
thing, but more practically than we do,
and do not consider their children COM
petent to select by themselves the man
or woman with whom they must pass
their lives in the complex relation OF
married life. And, in spite of French
novels with their endless tale of mari
tai infidelity, French marriages are gem
orally very happy.
The system works wonderfully well
in almost all cases. A short time ago
there was living in Paris a widow,
without children, still moderately young
and possessed of decided physical at
traction, who made up her mind she
would like to marry again. After her
husbands death she had broken up
her home and gone to live with her
sisters, but they, imposed upon her and
she wasn't happy. She had q little
money and some furniture, so she went
TO her friends and said: Il have so
much money and this furniture, and I
would like to marry again. 1 want a
man of such age, widower with one
child, preferably a girl, and his busi-
ness must be in Paris, as / will not live
in the country 1 would like him to be
fond of music and books, because /
am, and, of course, he must be n man
of good character" In a short time
one of her friends came to her and
said: 81 have found just the man for
you. He Is of the age you desire. a
widower with a little girl, and he has
a nice, comfortable home in Paris. He
also wishes to marry again, and is
anxious to meet you" The friend got
up a little dinner party, the couple met
We're delighted with each other, and
the affair progressed in the usual way
to its happy conclusion. An American
friend of the bride called upon her a
few months after the marriage, and
found both husband and wife buhhling
over with admiration for each other
and appreciation of their mutual good
fortune. And both, in the fraukest
way possible, tho somewhat to the en-
barrassment of the American, in spite
OF her 10 years in Paris, referred de-
lightedly to the little one expected in
ferred to, being herself a single woman,
was once approached by one of her
French friends with the remark: MY
dear, you are far too charming not to
be married. Let me arrange mar
,riage for you" But 1 have no dot"
replied our countrywoman. "Oh, what
a pity" said the Parisienne. IF you
had only a small one L am sure 1 could
find just the right man for you and you
he fsr n nj
at all 1 fear could do nothing"
The crowd of newspaper men who
have been hanging around the mountain
home of E. II. Hartman since he went
there, supposedly a very seriously i'll
man. have moved off upon the i:'suance
of a statement by Mr. Hartman i1lrn-
self with reference to his condition.
Mr.. Hartman said that the medical
treatment he had received abroad had
reduced his strength and vitality, af-
fecting his digestion, but that several
specialists had examined him and de-
clarcd there was nothing serious the
matter with him. Rest and the proper
diet was what they prescribed for him,
and that he was having. lie goes 10
bed early, and instead of coffee he is
drinking preparation of malt which
is supposed to be great as tissue
builder. His diet consists of eggs, fruit,
This diet and the simple life he Is lead
ing, combined with the pure. bracing
| air OF Arden. are doing wonders for
Mr.. Hartman. He has walked around
his estate some, and he is gaining flesh
| Lately he has received a few callers,
and begun to do a little business in the
way of telegraphing and telephoning.
1t looks. therefore, as If Mr.. Hartman
would soon resume his place in the
great world of finance, where he Is one
| of the undisputed leaders, and whose
enforced desertion of HE post made
things look little tickiish for awhile
And now comes the great news that
the North Pole has actually been dis
covered, and by an American, too, with
Old Glory floating in the Arctic
breeZes! For $50 years this frozen, un
known region has piqued the curiosity
OF brave men, who one after another
have risked their lives to discover it
HIhdreds and hundreds of such lives
have been lost in the attempt. The
jexact number will never be known. but
up 10 1881 it was estimated at $50. The
newspapers all over the world are to-
| day full of the thrilling story of DR.
| Cooks journey over the ice and snow
TO latitude 80 degrees north, where
everywhere he and his companions
turned was south, and where, with q
single step. they could pass from mid.
day to midnight. 1t is a great story
and the American heart Is filled with
Ipride on account Of this great success
of our countryman. The trouble is, we
lare now so chuck full of pride for oul
lcountry's achievements, our successes
have followed so fast on the heels OF
leach other, that the question is: Car
we keep the National head? Will it bt
necessary for some American Kiplinf
to strike note of warning in some
Esuch poem as the "Recessional?" DIR
Frederick A. Cook, the lucky man, is &
Enative Of New York State. He is still
a young man, only A, having been borr
in that momentous year of 1865, wher
the smoke of battle OF our great wal
OF the rebellion was finally clearing
laway for good and all. He is, beside,
la physician, something of an author
having written several books relatin,
to his explorations, for he was a mem
Der of the Peary Arctic and the Belgium
Antarctic expeditions. The Doctor ha.
been married seven years, and TO mos
women II seems as il the devoted, un
lselish little wife who remained at home
knowing full well the uncertainty o.