THE MARRIAGE MARKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5409, 9 November 1895, Page 3

THE MARRIAGE MARKET.

(Tit Bits.) A perusal of the advertisement columns of the daily and weekly newspapers will generally reward the curious or cynical reader, bub the quotations in the marriage market are not the least amusing. It is certainly remarkable that, while the men who are seeking wives in nearly every case make it a condition that the lady of their choice shall possess ample means, wealthy and attractive ladieß seem to find it neces-. sary to resort to advertising in order to obtain a husband. At tbepreßent moment, a " Young and beautiful orphan lady, tall, good figure, with .£IBOO per annum, wishes to marry gentleman of good social position;" and " An Australian lady, lately come to reside in England, invites overtures from an upright, honourable and agreeable gentleman; she is an orphan, aged twenty-seven, and has £10,000 at command."* Fancy, ladies like these, with euoh personal and pecuniary attractions, reduced to shouting in the market-place, " We want husbands ! Who will merry ub at the price ?" We should have thought it would rather have been necessary to hide from the pursuit of sordid Benedicts. Then, ugain, a " Lady, medium height, good-looking, with £600 per annum, £1000 at command, and banking account, wishes to marry." Strange that a sweet and desirable creature like this should have so much difficulty in entering the marriage state ! £600 per annum is not to be contemned in these days, and the .21000 would come in very useful at the Btatt. What additional value is to be attaohed to a banking account it is not easy to say, since pereonß who possess one are occasionally met with whose cheque for £2 would be returned marked "Not sufficient." "Young lady, twenty-four, who cannot agree with her step-mother, would marry if she could find suitable gentleman." The quality of being unable to agree with a step-mother may be a special recommendation in a wife— though this, is the first time we ever heard of it— but what, in the name of Hymen, constitutes the par- j tioular " suitability " in the husband of \ such a lady ? la it physical strength, to be employed in preventing the ladies from damaging each other ? " Lady by birth and education, amiable, intelligent, fair income, desires correspondence wish elderly gentleman, over sixty." If this amiable and intelligent damsel had said "under Bixty," we could have understood it, but to make it v condition that the gallant, gay Lothario should have ! entored the lauc decade of the allotted age lof man is surprising. There is no limit to ! tho gentleman's antiquity, and posaibly a 1 centenarian won Id beat all rivals. ! Let us now take a peep at the wants of I the men. " A gentleman, foreigner, aged thirty-five, tall, slight, blonde, of distinguished appearance, speaks nine lan gunges, of independent character and most affec* tioDafce, having lost the greater part of bis fortune Ibi'ougii no fault oil uio own" (of courie, 'fcwns over thus), " wishes to meet with a bright, adorable lady, younger than! bimßelf " (now we are coming to the all/ .' important point), "n f i.:i<]ppeuril<»nt means/ ; willing to iuv«*i> £li>ol>lu a yacLt." May' this blonde polyglot eueiised in Lis widest' 1 ttesiree! ';■■ I "Jtfarriage desired with ft woman <of

spiritual nature, with worldly knowledge and common-sense of a high order." Of course, the gentleman adds, " some means neceaßary." It is rather difficult to conceive of a worldly woman with a" spiritual nature," but in a later advertisement these two worda disappear, and we find substituted, " exceptional mind and heart."

"A gentleman by birth and education " (in this the "Suoha nice man, too," of whom Mr Chevalier sings ?), " with means of realising large fortune, wishes to marry lady having capital at command." We wonder what wild-oat scheme this individual is anxious to embark in. "Wanted, a young lady to join advertiser with £500 to take a business in a delightful and romantic part up the country." Here iB an opportunity for combining business with pleasure. Is it a marine store in the middle of Exmoor, or a furniture warehouse on tho top of Skiddaw?

"Young country gentleman, deprived of his inheritance through no fault of his own" (another of them!), "would be glad to marry kind and sympathetic lady of good means; advertiser is dark, very handßome" (pretty creature!), "affectionate, loving and devoted." Now, how on earth can this lonely martyr declare himBelf "affectionate, loving, and devoted" to a woman he has never even seen?

" A bachelor of middle age, and of high education and culture, is < anxious to marry." So far, so good. " His income is small, but his own " (whose else should it be?) "And he has no profession" (which is a doubtful recommendation); " answers ara requested from ladies who would find it natural that he should take an interest in public questions and remain without money-making employment " (in other words, in idleneu) ; "brunettes preferred, but this is of minor importance." Will this lazy gentleman succeed in finding his dark affinity P

We will- conclude with just one more specimen of the marriage market announcements. In pedantic style it would be hard to beat. "A student, of ripe years and experience, desires to negotiate an alliance with a highly cultured lady in easy circumstances, who, feeling' the loneliness inseparable from single life, would appreciate a companion, in sympathy with, ad-; yanced views upon that modern research; which embraces not only the domain of thesocial^and natural sciences/but that: of theology also, ' without care of conee•guences.'" Is it possible that any highly cultured lady could prefer the loneliness of single life to union with this student of ripe years who is entirely " without care of consequences"?