Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-08-23
fLship and Marriage.
rY DO THESE THINGS IN FRANC.


Did YOU ever see a French wedding p
Here you are on the Place st. Sulpioe.-
Houses built for the great and rich, now de-
teriorated and degraded into cordial lodging
houses. are on all the other sides; but i'm
the centre is the beautiful edidce with its
two open towers. II is gloomy enough with
in-silont aud solemn. But now all is bright.
If the light Of day comes but dimly through
the windows, hundreds ofwax candles illume
the aisles. On the stone noof a rich carpet
has been laid, rows Of velvet and gold sur
round the altar, and on the alter itself the
masses Of white camelias, roses, iessamines,
and while lilacs, almost exclude the sight Of
the sacred images. The aisles are filed with
new straw chairs the saeristaus are in their
best the begsArs in their worst, for that is
their wedding garment. All stand in wait
ing around the door. On the steps is the
Suisse, looking to Che unitiated uncommonly
like the drum majdr Of a regiment, all gold
lace, with cooked hat and feathers, and q
sword by his side-in hand q long pole with
silver knob. His legs are models and he
Knows it. Now the carriage arrives. The
Suisse stamps his stick upon the stones, and
down gets the bride, led by her mother
fathers arc rather in the background on
these occasions. The organs peal, and the
whO@ procession, headed by the Suisse,
marches up to the altar. Then the aisles
I'LL with every sort Of magnifcence of dress
-one, two, three hundred or even a thousand
people. Everybody whose name was ever
known TO either bride or bridegroom comes,
Of course, to the wedding, or at least to the
church.
While the question, wilt thou take this
man is addressed to the bride, she takes
-. n-o. Ion-o ~ -. .ko... oook,,l H.
earning with q profound courtesy to her
mother, to ask her permission to answer
Mamma responds by another inclination,
and then her daughter says the : yes which
gives 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, and his sounding silver pole, goes
aboutkbrough the crowd with downcast eyes,,
and n hne, velvet bag in her hand, soliciting
contributions. : Pour les pduvreS, sal 1ous
plat They then adjourn 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 Monsieur till
some days after she has become a wife,
Then there is f%easting OF home, dressing,
dancing, and a little crying; then the bride,
installed in her new home by her mother,
leaves for ever the maternal roof.
Now in all probability, the two principal
actors have never spoken twenty sentences
70 each other since they were first introdu-
ced. This Is the way they court in France.
One lady says to another, My daughter is
eighteen. She has 80 much Every girl
mas q dOwny, il il be but FIVE hundred francs.
You have known her from a child. You
sec so many men-cannot you think of one
"a. III 10 nc $500 H. L. - e..
men are as eager TO marry in France, as girls
are to get husbands it is an increase of for
tune and q patent Of responsibility in all
stations, in all professions. The young men
is spoken to and Of course the young lady is
r. nfAsede5p bmA-naEtzs given and they
opera, and the lover examines her through
his glass. IL satisfied with the survey, he is
allowed to pay her a visit. Then the girl
supposed to be in utter ignorance of the pro
ceedings up to this point, is asked how she
would like so and so for a husband. Now i
is Just to say, if the girl does not approve
the negotiations go no further but as she ha'
never spoken to this sutton, and she will no
speak to any future sutton if the man /
tdlerably good looking, and his tailor ha
done his dety, why she, being assured b.
her parents that the money is all right
gracefully says yes Then the mamma Q
the bridegroom comes, one evening whenth
house as been set in order, and e~verybOd,
dressed in their best aud after the first sslu
tation she rises, and in asolemn ask
the hand Of Mad'le-, for Mons. Achili
Then the mamma on the opposite OF tn
house rises and accepts the offer; MadIl
weeps aud throws herself into the futur
mammals arms whilst the son-in-law en-
braces the mother Of the intended. II
- A. -A..Nhn Inuor1 a.
leased from parental arms, mutually bow
ench other, and the servants bring in the tet
lnp the lawyers set to work to draw u
lois tke mamTaa orders new dresse
etg. Tor her daughter, and puts new caps az
dresses on herself. The bridegroom conn
severy evening with a grand bouquet, whie
he offers to Md'lle, hirts an hour or two Wi
the mother, BOWS to the daughter, and go
of. The bride elect hus only to embrOid
quietly by her mothers side, smile, blush al
simper. Then the negotiating lady com
in grand state, preceded by an enormo'
trunk. Mamma and the bride receive he
never Of course needing the trunk. The
the lady makes a speech, opens the trun
and presents the bride with the cOrbeil
namely the wedding dress, veil and wreat
two or three Cashmere shawls, ditto velV
dresses, a set Of furs, a set Of lace houne
a set Of diamonds, q watch, n fan, a pray
book, and q purse ofgold. These com FRI
the bridegroom. In return the lady gets
bracelet from the bride, and many thanks
the bracelet and the husband. The mott
,scolds the intended when no comes home Il
at night. The bride says, "Ah, Monsieur
blushes aud throws herself into her mothe
arms. Then the mamma gives her prese
to the bridegroom, six cambric shirts and
white eravats, the whole trimmed with
eve to the future pocket handkorchiefs of
bride for after the wedding day, what II
would be bedecked with lace? At lasteor
the signing Of the contract. The bride Ia
one step into the werld, she receivessher
itors, aud speaks, nay, converses with all,
cept the intended; that would be improI
She gives a token Of affection to her unu
ried relatives, bought from the purse in
corbeihe.
The wonders Of the esrbeille are displa
in one room, whilst the trosSeau Of the b
given by the mother, is exhibited in the
er. Embroidery, lineH, cambrics, laoes,
are lavished on the personal under-elott
of the bride, made up in dozens and doi
Of each article, piles on piles Of table clio
sheets, towels, &c., all marked with embT
cred marks and tied with pink and blue
bons. This is the way they manage maj
ges in France.
WmowA-Young Widows ere alv
l;the. ey ever meet one with a smile
httering word. Can any one tell VIII!
foung widows pay very s~crupalous after