FRESCH MATRIMONIAL DEVICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7650, 29 May 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

FRESCH MATRIMONIAL DEVICES.

Ik Paris, and Prance generally, but more especially in Paris, such a thing as matrimony in the open market is almost impossible In the first place, thero exists scarcely any legitimate means for a loving couple to be united of their own free will, without the intervention of tyrannous convention and still more tyrannous convention-mongers. The French keep their folk at more than arm's length from matrimonial intruders ; and a suit, if pressed, is a siege that often wears out the patience of the investor before the citadel is in eight. Now, the matrimonial agencies save a great deal of this preliminary skirminhing by going straight to the point at once. There are in the city of Paria more than one hundred agencies— public and private—for the supply of this primary requirement of humanity. Three years ago the Prefecture of Police instituted an inquiry into the status and conditions of these establishments, when some curious facts were elicited.- It was found that a goodly proportion of these houses were in the hands of victims of the Sixteenth of May, alias dismissed functionaries and their female belongings, who had been driven to exercise their turn for moral order in this direction. It is asserted by a writer in the Temps that some satisfactory and genuine alliances had been oontracted under their auspices, and I can quite believe it. From what has come has oorae under my notice in the branch of affairs, I ahouli say that a well-conducted agency would be likely to yield as good results as the private and risky plan of taking a young man into a garden and making him go through his paces under the "■indow of the daughter, who had to give a preconcerted signal, signifying yes or no. I am not versed in the marriage customs of all nations, but I should be inclined to hazard the assertion that not even in the most primitive societies does a form of matrimonial barter exist of a more rudimentary and groes type than this perfeotly authentic instance of French high life practice. The aforesaid chronicler in the Temps has given a lively account of one of theso agencies, in which he contrived to enlist himself as a pseudo employe desirous of earning a small addition to his scanty income. Hβ was promised £12 a month to make himself agreeable, play the piano, and introduce the couples. On the iirst night of his engagement hia feelings cairied him away so far as to propose on his own account to a charming young creature, a miracle of candour and grace. To his amazement the charming infant responded, with a blush and a tear, " Sir, it is not I, it is mamma." Mamma, in fact, was the candidate, who appeared on the scene to thrust her daughter aside.