Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-03-25
French Courtship and Marriage.

Did you ever see a French wedding?
Here you are, on the Place St. Sulpice.
There to your right is the small Widowed, /
inquisition looking building, around which
the young Seminaists-in their trailing,
dlngy gowns, Don Bassillo hats, and with
downcast eyes-are disconsolately 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.
Sulpice, with its two open towers. 1t is
gloomy enough withaa-ssilent and solemn.
The very gliding is reflected but dimly, and
the salnts-painted in the hour of their
martyrdom, and not of their qualification
give rise to feelings 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 H.
lumine the isles. On the stone floor q rich
carpet has been laid, rows of velvet and
gold surround the altar, and on the altar
itself the masses Of white camelias, roses,
Jassamines, and white lilacs almost exclude
the sight of the sacred images the aisles
are filled with the new straw chairs the
sacrlstsns are in their best; the beggars in
their worst-for that is their wedding gar
ment. All standin waiting round the door.
On the steps is the Suisse, looking to the
unlnltlated uncommonly like the drum-ma-
Jor OF a regiment, all goldlace, with cock
ed hat and feathers, and a sword by his
slde-ln hand a long pole with a silver
knob. HIS legs are models, and he knows
1t. Now the carriages arrive. The Suisse
stamps his stick upon the stones, and down
gets the bride, led by her mother--fath-
ers are rather in the background on these
occasions. The organs peal, and the whole
procession, headed by the Suisse, marches
up to the altar. Then the aisles fill with
every sort of magnifcence of dress-one,
two, three hundred, or even a thousand
people. Everybody whose name was even
known to either bride or bridegroom comes
OF course to the wedding, or at leaso to
church.
While the question, j" will thou take this
man I" is addressed to the bride, she takes
forever her leave of material control, but
turning with a profound courtesy to her
mother to ask her permission to answer,
Mamma responds by another inclination,
and then her daughter says the eyes
which gives her freedom
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 SCUM
ding silver pole, goes through the crowd
with downcast eyes, and a fine velvet bag
In his hand, soliciting contributions, "paur
pauvres, all vous plait," They then ad-
journ to the vestry and then, for the first
time, the bridegroom calls his wife by her
Christian nam~e-though the timid bride
dare not drop the "Monsieur" till some
days after she has become a wife. Then
there is feasting at home, dressing, dan
cling, and a little crying; then the bride,
installed in her home byher mother, leaves
forever the paternal roof.
Now, in all probability, the two princi-
pal actors have never spoken twenty SEN
fences to each other since they were first
introduced. This is the way they court in
France.
/ One lady says to another, "my daughter
|, is l8. She has SO mueh"-every girl has
a dowry, if it be but 500 francs. you
have known her from a child. You see
| so many men-cannot you think of one to
/; suit her ?"
!. Of course the lady cantor men are as
eager to marry in France, as girls to get
, husbands-it is an increase offortune, and
5 a patent of responsibility, in all stations,
) mall professions. The young man IS spoken
to, and of course the young lady is named
to him. A party is given and they meet
or sometimes the girl is taken to the opera,
> and the lover examines her through his
glass. If satisfied with the survey, he is
! allowed to pay her q visit. Then the girl