COURTSHIP IN A FOUNDLING HOSPITAL.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1832, 16 November 1874, Page 2

COURTSHIP IN A FOUNDLING HOSPITAL.

The new number of " Macmillan's Magazine" contains. an article by the late Lady Amberley on " Foundling Hospitals in Italy," ia which occurs the following description of a scene which goes on every Sunday morning in the hospital at Palermo :—The long dormitories were clean and orderly, but the curious and peculiar feature of this;establishment was; the pavlatorio or reccp!ion-room. Picture a large, long room,, the centre portion of which is divided off from the sides and further end by an iron grating which forms a cage, entered only by a well-barred street door through which visitors from the outer world ate admitted. Here they sit on benches to converse with those on the other side of the iron prating. Friends of the sisters or employes of the place and the foster parents are the usual visitors. Once a week, however, on Sunday morning ten to twelve, this place is the scene of the most novel and ludicrous courtships -, we, ever heard described. One of the*-objects of this motherly establishment is to' find fit and proper husbands for the girls under their charge. The fit and proper here is much like the fit and. proper of society ; the one requisite being that the young man is bound to show himself in." posses-; sion of sufficient means to maintain a wife" in comfort before he is allowed to aspire to the han.d of one of these precious damsels. Having given in Lis credentials pf fitness to the guardians, he receives a card which admits him next Sunday morning to an inspection of the candidates for matrimony. There, sitting on a bench, if his curiosity and ardour will allow him to remain sitting, he awaits the arrival en the other side of the grating of the lady superior accompanied by a girl. She has been selected by order of seniority and capacity for household work from the one hundred or more between seventeen and twenty-one waiting for a youth to deliver them from their prison. The two young

people, botk.no doubt breathless with agitation at the importance of the ceremony, have to fake one long fixed look at each other. JNo word is spoken, no sign made. These good sisters believe kofully in the .language of the eye that to their minds \ any addition is futile, and might but serve to mystify the pure and perfect love at first sigh . The look over, the lady superior ; cks the man if lie will accept the maiden tsa his bride. Should 'he .answer in t)w-iiJiirf.Tiaiire, the same " question is put to her, and if. she bows her assent the hoU'otiutl has ta^en place, and they part (ill-fha'-Sunday following. The. young lover again makes Axis pp, pearance before tha tribunal, of guardians, and there the contract is sighed, the day of marriage fixed, and ho is granYed leave to bring the' ring, car-rings, a wedding dress and >coufetrli,,- and present ,them t > / through the gridiron of course, to his betrothed. ■-Everything > has to pass; the scrutiny of (lie sisters, .for fear cf a. letter or some lender word b'-inj,' slipped in with the gifts/-'. Diirif>g 1 lit* faty ;;Suff. • days that intervene botween the first love . scene ar.d tii? marriage,- an hour's coiiversalion within 'hearing' of the lady superior is allowed, but' not-'a touch .'ifc " exchanged. Theempty 'talk/ihterspersci with giggling, consists of enquines as t*- . the. wedding dress, the sort..of-.,confetti ' most liked, and the occupation and place . of abode of Ihe suitor.. Should tlie young man refuse the first damsel presented to him, he is favoured.wi.ththe sight of three or four more; but shpuld he still aj*peW i difficle he is dismissed. The girl also has (■'■' the power of refusal';'" The marriage "over, ! the task otthe sisters is done; here falls a veil they never lift— and whether happi-f'-ness and faithfulness are the result "of this heathenish rite they never enquire; that would be an impure region into which they could not enter without sully ing their f own purity. We do not wonder at'tfiese ; holy sisters doing their best for the girl till the moment of marriage, and cherishing a vague hope that all will then boright ; .but we , .^p wonder at the men qf the world who manage the institution-'a6- ■ quie*cing in tuch a barbarous traffic in human flesh and blood as this'sale of wp- '.. men. Our readers must before^ now'hare wondered what 'inducement there can be to make the.youths who have ,thp world."'' to choose from cpnie;:;here''.,in."search'pf »■•■ wife. Two hundred and fifty francs is the great attraction. That turn - ; j!kgiven. ia^ do ( wry with each of these girls ; and for that sum, it seems, a Sicilian is; willing to sell himself for life Those girls for. whom the institution fails to find husbands are allotred at twenty-one to face temptations . alone ;. and situations are found for them.