The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-12
For the National Er
For the National Era,
SHORT NOTES on FRENCH MANNERS.
No. 4.


ciety. Ia France, it is the peculiar institution,
the jutting point which first catches the eye OF a
foreigner If there were not some such salient
angle. | should be embarrassed ~n>.e'to COM
~ " - e9a z9teS--s7- JohnDy Crapaud, as the
Eugishman calls his lively neignDor, oners lew
inequalities on his polished surface. With Johnny
Bull, the reverse is true one may always take
him by the horns or by any other part Of bis rug
ged coat.
French women are seen everywhere they meet
YOU at the custom-house when you land, receive
you at the hotels, sell TO you at the stores, ana
charm you always Your first walk on arriving
at Paris is to the famous promenade of the Boule-
wards, and thence to the Champs Elysee. What
soft cohorts of sparkling eyed hours meet the
gaze what gentle rustng there is OF silks and
muslins The air, too, is exhilarating ana redo
lent with the most delicate perfumes. Little
feet twinkle from under tn cloudy folds OF pope
Inns and watered silks Beauties with compilations
of every tint, from the rose-leaf hue OF the NOR
mandy girl to the rich brown of the daughters
of the Pyrenees, recline in graceful languor on
the velvet cushions of the calashes and ph@tons
that roll so n6selessly along.
Do not fall into the error of supposing that
auy of these ladies' are in the market. II they
are, be sure they are not exposed as merchandise,
but are only on the lookout for men who are So
IL is n gross SANDER on French women to say that
men buy and sell them. The truth is just the
reverse they buy the men-or their parents DO
il for them man with four daughters has just
that number of husbands to purchase for them
know n wel-fed amiable, rosy-faced specimen
of the better class of the bourgeoise, who has
four girls to marry onion DieuW says he,
clasping his hands, "shall ever be rich enough
10 get husbands for them all % lie has been
hard at work for many years accommodating money
to give each of them suitable dowry. For, in
France, no dowry, no husband is proverb OF
most practical character Jennie, the servant
girl is laying aside part of her wages to form
little dowry to be presented to her husband on
the day of her marriage.
As the parents look to marriage as the means
of securing their daughters from poverty, the
girls are not permitted to mingle in society, where
an access of love might spoil all prudential plans
A broad gulf lies between them and the world,
and only to be passed on the bridge of matrimony.
For the French girl, there are, alas no evening
parties of young people, no sleighng frolics, no
beau to walk with to church or to singing school
To her, coquetting or flirting are names for I'M
known things. If she goes to a ball, it is under
the watchful eye of her mother, or of some friend
who keeps a sharp duenna look to the applica-
tons made to dance with her but balls are to her
as angels visits She has no young acquaintances
of the other sex. The probability is, that, since
she reached her teens, she has never spoken to
young man, with the exception of her brothers and
cousins.
Her heart is uneasy with rich affections, of
which she can herself make no investment; her
friends charge themselves to invest safely for her.
Some bright day it may prove dark one for her,
an uncle or friend of the family comes to dinner,
bringing with him companion The latter takes
the seat next her at table, whispers batteries in
her ear and strives to make himself vastly agree
able. The guests gone, we may imagine the IA
Their drawing his daughter tenderly to him, and
asking her what she thinks Of her new acquain-
isfed with the amount of her dowry, and is will
ing to take her as his wife. Her acceptance will
secure her a suitable establishment, and make
happy the declining years of her parents. If the
pretender is not frightful, the girl nearly always
consents, without any misgvngs of the future
for the faith inherent in womans nature refuses
to believe that her husband can dcspise the rich
treasure Of affection she is prepared to bring him.
She has no other love to suppress, and her only
desire is to love him. The short time before her
is filled with the dreams incident to
that period of agitation, hope and maidenly fears.
She sees her betrothed two or three times in the
presence of her parents, who perhaps retire few
minutes far enough off to permit the young couple
to exchange a few words unheard. But it often
happens that she never sees him at oil before the
wedding-day. In this connection, conversation
had last year in one of the boxes of provincial
theatre, in the interval between q comedy and
tragedy, recurs to me. Chance had placed me
next casual acquaintance, the charming wife Of
a learned professor
And so you like Paris very much 2"
"a preference share no doubt with yourself,
Madame since you resided there year or two,
and were married there"
very true; but know nothing Of the place
for was there in convent school, was married
on the day left it, and came Immediately to this
city"
But your husband you did not get aoqv.int-
ed with him in the convent, certainly"
\ hacor tha ,ny
of our marriage, and heard of him for the first
time only the day before"
Some Of my readers may be scandilzcd at this
summary way Of disposing Of young lady's hand
and heart, aud may be ready to predict all sorts
of domestic discords rs the inevitable consequent
ccs Not 80 fast jealous advocates of the court
of American Cupid; you exaggerate greatly the
evils Of the French practice The parties in the
marriage just spoken of are only one of many
couples whom have known to be most happy in
their domestic relations. | am far from thinking
the mode Of bargain and sale of husbands the
best one, but the purity and truth Of woman's
nature redeem many of its faults A varied OBJ
servation of several years has convinced me that
the prevailing impression in America, of the want
of copjuga fidelity in France, is entirely false, as
il regards the higher and middle classes of the
bOurgeoisie and ought to be greatly modified as
il regards the ancient nobility. Some of the hap
piest fresides have visited have been dedicated
to the household gods of families which date from
the Crusades. The RIGHTEOUSNESS Of the aris,o-
cratic and royalist France Of the last century
Of those days when the royal palace was the vii
est sink in France, and the Kings ministers
yielded precedence to his mislresses-have passed
away Copjugal in6delity is now chiefly confined
to the rich of large cities corrupted by opportu-