Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-03-11
A NEW
MATRIMONIAL.
SOCIE T
By ESTHER NANDEVEER

Between the mountains of India and
Persia there is a tribe among whom
the women choose their husbands.
When a single woman wishes to mar
~ a man she sends servant to his
house to pin handkerchief to his hat
as an intimation of her desire. Unless
purchase her at the price her father
requires he is obliged to marry her.
Until the organization of the Airing
ton club for men there was no super
fluffy Of spinsters over bachelors in
q certain American town, but from
then on marriages began to fall off.
One of the most popular married wom-
en- called the maidens together and
organized an association for the ad-
vancement of matrimony based on the
Indian-Persian plan. The first young
lady to secure husband by the meth
cd was invited to state before the as
ISOLATION how it had worked in her
case. She arose and said:
'Mrs. President, / had long admired
Mr.. George Luddington, who had paid
me some attention, and had it not been
for the organization Of the Arlington
club believe he would have asked me
to be his wife. But that pestiferous
institution reduced him from an in
cipient lover to vacillating hanger
on. Soon after the adoption of the
plan which we are associated to carry
out worked Mr. Luddington's initials
on a fine cambria handkerchief and,
calling messenger, told him to take
1t to the club at the hour l knew Mr.
Luddington dined there, obtain access
TO the coat room and pin it to his hat.
'The messenger had no difficulty in
executing his commission. l did not
know for some time that Mr.. Ludding-
ton knew from whom the token came
have since learned that he knew very
well, and the action he took in the
matter was Intended to brighten me
6f. A, few evenings after receiving
the handkerchief he called on me, and
1 saw at glance that he was or pre-
tended to be very irate.
What do you suppose has happen
ed to me? he asked brusquely.
can't imagine l replied meekly.
"An association has been formed in
this town-so l understandable drive
US bachelors into matrimony. If a
girl wishes to marry man she sends
some one to pin handkerchief to his
hat. Did you ever hear of such i'm
modest impudenceg
"'Never in my life
You must excuse me, ladies, for nv
weakness, but he frightened me out OF
my wits.
"'Whc do you suppose this person
TSP he growled.
4 can't imagine replied.
Don't you think her very I'M
maidenlyY he asked in a less threat
ening tone, for my agreeing with him
rendered him less severe to me.
Il certainly do. l wonder how she
could have had the face to do itr
Il shrank into a corner of sofa, as
far away from him as / could get. He
sat down on the other end and looked
at me kind of puzzled. He knew l had
sent him the handkerchief and couldn't
understand how 1 could condemn my
self for doing it. He looked very ter
rible, but not quite so terrible as when
he first came. Then he began a sys-
tenn OF torture to find out what it all
meant.
1.-THE handkerchief he said, was
very dainty, though the initials were
badly worked. They looked as If they
had been executed by some one with
fingers so big that they were only fit
ted to work with skewer
AT this i said nothing. / dared not
speak for fear Of betraying tremolo
In my voice.
If girl he went on, had sent
me gift without an immodest inten-
ton / should have been deeply i'm
pressed with it. Quite likely / would
have been affected to the point Of max
ing love to her and proposing mar
Rage"
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