New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-06-10
MARRIAGE AND FRANCE.

MARRIAGE AND FRANCE.
The unmarried women in France see but
glimpses OF the world, and many of these
glmpses-materials for day-dreams-are OBJ
tained at this daily returning excursion to early
mass. However, these young girls are too we'll
educated and too well-drilled to venture any
thing beyond glance at eyes that gaze on
theirs, and they know that the reyerie ending
with o deep-drawn sigh is all that will follow
this first transient fancy.
Strange destinies are these, in n country
where, of all others, hearts and imagnations
are free, and yet free-will is denied to woman
in the only important event in life; the only one
for which she is made responsible in after life,
yet in which she follows the dictates, if not the
authority, of those around her.
Did you ever see a French wedding Here
you are, on the Place St. Sulpice. There, to
your right, is the small -windowed Inquisition-
looking building, around which the young Sem
inarists--in their trailing, dingy gowns, Don
Basilo hats, and with downcast eyes-are dis
consolately walking Houses built for the great
and rich, now deteriorated, degraded into sordid
lodging houses, are on all the other sides but
in the centre is the beautiful edifce of st. Sui
pice, with its two open towers. 1t is gloomy
enough within--silent and solemn. The very
gliding is reflected but dimly, and the saints
painted in the hour of their martyrdom, and
UOl Ol IlGlT TlSt 10 lttllLRs
of dread rather than consolation. But now all
is bright If the light Of day comes but dimly
through the windows, hundreds of wax candles
illuminates the aisles. On the stone floor rich
carpet has been laid, rows of velvet and gold
surrounded the altar, and on the altar itself the
masses of white camelias, roses, jessamines, and
white lilacs almost excluded the sight of the
sacred images. The aisles are all filled with
new straw chairs; the sacristans are in their
tba han in fhair xpnrst-fnr that is
their wedding garment All stand in waiting
round the door.
On the steps is the Suisse looking to the un-
| initiated uncommonly like the drum major of a
regiment, all gold-lace, with cooked hat and
feathers, and sword by his side-in hand a
| long pole with n silver knob. His legs are mo-
| dels, and he knows it. Now the carriages ar
| rive. The Suisse stamps his stick upon the
| stones, and down gets the bride, led by her
mother-fathers are rather in the back ground
on these occasions. The organs peal, and the
whole procession, headed by the Suisse, marches
up to the altar Then the aises fill with every
sort of magnifcence of dress-one, two, three
| hundred, or even thousand people. Every
\ body whose name was ever known to either bride
or bridegroom comes, OF course, to the wedding,
| or at least to church.
| When the question 60 Wilt thou take this man.
is addressed to the bride, she takes forever her
leave Of maternal control by turning with ii
profound courtesy to her mother to ask her per-
mission to answer. Mother responds by another
inclination, and then her daughter says yes, -
which gives her her freedom evermore
The youngest sister or cousin of either bride
or bridegroom then, handed by the youngest
gentleman of the party, preceded by our friend
| of the fine legs with his sounding silver pole
goes through the crowd, with downcast eyes
and fine velvet bag in hand, soliciting con-
tributions Pour les pauvres, sill vous plat.
Then they adjourn,t to the vestry; and then, for
the first time, the bridegroom calls his wife by
her Christian name-though the timid bride
does not drop the 6 'Monseur" till some days
after she has been a wife Then there is a
feasting at home, dressing, dancing, and Il little
crying then the bride, installed in her home
by her mother, leaves forever the paternal roof
Now, in all probability, the two principa
actors Of this scene have never spoken twenty
sentences to each other since they were first in
troduced This is the way they court in France
One lady says to another. "My daughter il
eighteen. She has SO much EVERY girl has
dowry, if it is but 500 francs "You hav,
known her from a child. You see so man,
young men-cannot you think of one to sui
her ~
Ofeourse the lady can for men are as eagel
to marry in France as girls to get husbands
it is an increase of fortune, and patent of re
spectabllity, in all stations, in all professions
The young man is spoken to, and of course tn
young lady named to him. A party is given
and they meet, or sometimes the girl is taken t
the opera, and the lover examines her throug
his glass. If satisfied with the survey, he i
allowed to pay visit. Then the girl, suppose
to be in entire ignorance of the proceedings u
to this point is asked how she would like so
and-so for a husband
Now, it is hut Just to say that if the cir
does not approve, the negotiation goes no fur
ther; but as she has never spoken to this suitor
and knows she will not speak to any fltur
suitor, if the man is tolerably good looking, an
his tailor has done his duty, why, she--bein
assured by her parents that the money is al
right--generally says yes. Then the mamm
of the bridegroom comes, one evening when tn
> house has been set in order and every bod
dressed in his best and after the first saluta
tiops, she rises, and, in a solemn voice, asks tn
hand of Mmlle. Estelle - for Mons. Achill
-. Then the mamma on the opposite side {
the house rises and accepts the offer; Nlmlle
Estele weeps and throws herself into her futur
mammals arms; whilst the son-in-law emhra
ces the mother of his intended. The pappa
shake hands, the betrothed lovers, released frol
paternal arms mutually bow to each other
and the servants bring in tea,
Then the lawyers set to work to draw up cor
tracts; the mamma orders new dresses, ETC., fC
her daughters, and puts new caps and dress'
on herself The bridegroom comes every ever
ing with a grand bouquet, which he offers I
Mademoiselle, firts an hour or two with Il
mother, bows to the daughter, and goes Of
The bride elect has only TO embroider quiet
by her mothers side, smile, blush, and simpe
Then the negotiating lady comes in graz
e. state, proceeded by an enormous trunk. Man
ma and the bride receive her never, of cours
= needing the trunk. Then the lady makes
speech, opens the trunk, and presents the brit
with the cOrbeiHe-namely, the wedding -dres
,s veil, and wreath, two or three cashmere shawl
ditto, velvet dresses, set Of furs, set of la
icunces, set of diamonds, watch, a ian,
ls prayer hoook, and purse Of gold, These cor
lrstn .As sgiAssrsem, IL ssssrr, tbs lady ss