New Britain herald., 1915-12-28
''With a View to Matr1mOny.
(TorringtOn Register

As marrying and giving in mar riage may be described as almost if rot quite the chief business of life, many people doubtless look with favor upon agencies intended to help along the process. At all events such agencies flourish beyonde beliff and the number of persons who are ready and eager to enter into correspon- dence with unknown member of the opposite sex with a view to
 natrimony'' appears to be countless. An issue of matrimonial newspaper published in the Northwest that has come to hand contains hundreds of requests from both sexes for corres- pondents who are looking for wives or husbands The reader of only a few of them will be amazed not only at the recklessness of the whole scheme-the mere purchase of a pug dog would develop. more caution but at the frivolity and vanity dis played by the great majority of these eager contestants for tickets in a , m 1atrim onial lottery.
 For example, an Indian girl says she is "a good Christian maiden, fair to look upon," and after further descrip- tion of herself asks. "Who is the lucky one to win this prize '' From Vest l Virginia the 'sweetest girl in the sunny South' writes to secure cor respondent flor fun and results" From Illinois comes the request of "a jolly maid of twenty-one as sweet as l honey in a gum.' Another jolly
 maid of North Carolina, who is also l "as sweet as sugar. wants to corres- ] pond with "a sweet little manly boy" | I ''sweet and pretty" Iowa girl who 1 Hikes to be kissed' makes the unex- rected announcement that she is mot l a bit forward" Cloyed with this su- perabundance of Western and South ern sweetness, the reader turns with | relief to the somewhat more matter 1 of-fact New England female and is l further gratified to find an element If caution, as in the announcement of
 a Maine widow who gives fair warn
 ing that mo f1irts, dudes Or drunk
 ards need apply.''
 In a large number of cases there
 is a fortune to be given away, and
 there is usually at least an indefinite
 statement regarding means" present
 or prospective The ages of the fe-
 male applicants for the most part
 range from sweet sixteen to twenty
 one, but a few unexpectedly confess
 to being in the thirties and one or i two-miracles of frankness-that they ere on the shade side of forty. These ] extraordinary announcements contain not only a full enumeration of the charms of the applicants but often a statement as to the church connec- | tions of the applicant-"am Bap-
 list" or lam Methodist following | the description of physical and other ! attractions.
 l The Gents Personals" are no less 1 amazing and scarcely less absurd, l though there is often the frankest of ! confessions that ''business'' is meant
 and money" is sought. There are all
 most as many handsome" men as there are sweet and beautiful
 women advertising for consorts, and the former seem to be nearly if not
 quite as much interested in the color
 of their own eyes and hair. For l example, one man, who is searching for his ideal" gives the following l description of himself: Age 35,
 height 5 feet g, weight 15O, perfect model, handsome, attractive, a little
 peach, full of fun, good health, black hair, dark eyes, of noble parentage
 highly respected, industrious, intelli-
 gent stylish, honest Yankee" An
 ether says he is "a brunette gentle
 roan." and a third begs the girls" to
 write to him, for he wants to get
 married the worst way Among so
 many desirable and Handsome
 young men of honor" altogether too
 numerous to be convincing. it is an
 agreeable surprise to find a Minne-
 sota applicant frankly stating: q am