The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-15
a French Marriage In High Life
CUPID AMONG THE oAuLs.


Hanover Square wedding beyond the
fresh toilettes of the guests, the favors worn
by the servants and the brides paraphcr-
malta. Every part Of the programme, ex-
cept the kissing and Handwriting in the
vestry-room, is gone through with stately
formality. The organ is played by a
MAESTRO, and the Mass chantod by singers
from the Opera House A beadle. in
three-cornered hat, silk stockings, tights,
and profusion OF shouldcr-knots, mar
shals the happy couple to the altar This
tunctionary is none Of your vulgar spirited
BUNDLES. lie has been chosen by the Sac
rlsty for his lofty stature, imposing pres
ence, and the red ribbon adjoining his breast
which was won in a battle field. The pas
sage up the aisle is thickly carpeted, to
protect the brides thin-shod feet and snowy
train from flags which unwashed pentents
may have trodden half an hour earlier.
But the beadlc manages to strike the pave
ment, rs he advances, with musical ca
dcnce, with his silvcr-mounted staff of Of
flee. One feels that there is no romantic
under-current nor side plot as the stately
ceremony goes forward. It is as business
like as the signing of foreign office pro-
tocol; for the alliance between the two high
contracting parties is essentially based on
pecuniary interests. The bride. generally.
is not more than half way through her
teens. She has never been out of the sight
Of her mother or her governess yet this
youthful creature betrays no more agitation
than if she were going to lead off quad
rifle at children's party. She does credit
to her dancing master as she curtseys to
the bridegroom, who, attended by two wit
nesses and the haldequin-beare awaits
her in front of ore of the two arm-c chairs
standing before the altar. Rows of hand
some priedieuS are placed behind the seats
of honor and speedily filled by relatives
the next-of-kin being placed close to the
bride and bridegroom. Witnesses are
chosen for their rank or worldly influence.
NJ. Theirs acted during his three years
reign as witness on several occasions.
There are four at every wedding, two ap-
pearing by the side of each spouse. An
English spectator misses the bridesmaids.
1t would be contrary to all French ideas of
propriety to take young girl out of a con-
vent school in order to let her play prom
inent part at any wedding not her own. A
new feature of aristocratic weddings is the
admixture of white roses with the obliga-
tory orange blossoms. Last year the Com
Jesse de Chambord sent bouquet of the
former to Legitimist bride, the white rose
being regarded in Catholic countries as al
most sacred to the Virgin. Hence the
fashion which l notice. The numerous
princesses of the House of Bourbon resid-
ing in Paris follow the example Of the roy
al reclusc of Frohsdorf This is at once
a cheap and graceful way of showing an
interest in aristocratic young ladies about
to contract matrimonial engagements: and
when the present is made in honor OF the
Virgin the donor considers herself blessed
in giving. Another novelty is the presence
of muslin in brides toiettes. The reason
is that La Sainte Mousseline is associated
with the first communion and conventual
professions. Wearing muslin is, at Eau
bourg st. German weddings, more a sign
of political reaction than evidence of wish
to follow in the matter of simple attire at
st. Paul's injunctions The other day,
when inspecting bridal trousseau with
country cousin Ga lady, of course), fresh
from England, at a fashionable mantua-
we were told that nothing was bet.
ter for trade than holy muslin. My cousin
is a frequent reader of Keble, and was
panied to hear of the mercantile advantages
of a mode having, as she imagined, a re-
ligious origin. But, not perceving the
shade which passed over her countenance,
the fluent tradeswoman ran on expatiating
on the floods of Malines ace" which were
needed to give the proper tougnouye to
bride descended from the Crusaders. There
were Malines insertions and quillings and
fl t and gathered applications and cascades
and poufs, and finally a veil sufficiently long
and ample to fall into the train and run to
the very verge thereof. In fact, the mus
lin was used pretty much as wire is in
~, 9 Go;,l 1,r,,, -,
the capillary scaffoldings now erect on la
dies heads. eff you knew all the time,
money and invention spent upon that robe -
said the dressmaker with a triumphant
smile. 'Was there ever anything more
light and airy? And you see the masses of
real lace are adjusted in a way TO show the
rich quality of the silk underskirt" The
Bishop of Orleans, when the Fusion seem
ed probable. was frequently asked to pro-
nounce, at Faubourg St. German weddings
the nuptal, Denedicton and the eXhorta-
tons to young couples entering the ma.ri-
monial state. But since the split between
the Legitmists and the Due de Broglie,
Monsignor Dupanloup has not been often
seen at St. Clottde's where on these inter
esting occasions, in which the Marshal
President ofiiciates as best man, the allocu-
ton is delivered by some Jesuit having Il
reputation for delicate taste and eloquence.
Monsignor Bauer few years ago was much
run after by aristocratic parents about to
marry their children. But since the siege
this fortunate ecclesiastic has retired to
suburban domain at Chation, and seldom
energies from his grounds.
The preacher is expected TO take it for
granted that the couple he eXhorts have
married for love. | have heard n priest
announce to wedding congregation that
bride and bridegroom whom we all knew
were brought together through the agency
of matrimo ial bureau were attached to
each other from their cradles. liz is also
expected to exhort the bride to initiate the
virtues of her worthy respectable, or saint
ly mother. CThe last adjective is only ap
piled to the dead, and it never fails to set
the assistance weepng.) This is the
only passage in which the bride has occa-
sion to wipe her eyes. Nobody in France
is placed on so high pedestal as the moth
er. Veneration for her has survived all
the revolutionary dwellings Frenchmen
believe from infancy to old age in the good
ness of their mothers. French women are
not judicous in the treatment of infants
They have not the tenderness of the Rus
sian for the baby, the educational instincts
of the German, nor the pity for helpless in
fancy which leads the Irish woman to sac
ritce herself alike TO her child or to her
nursing But as her sons or daughters
grow up, maternal instincts, which seem to
have lain dormant whilst the children were
in the nursery, become active. The French
woman at this stage becomes u sort of Prov
idence to her offspring avery hen in watch
full and well-judged solicitude for their in
terests. She rises at dawn to see that les
sons are prepared, walks with her girl to
the lecture room at the academy, is pres
ent while the professor is instructing her,
takes her to Mass, to walk, to confession,
to parties, and slaves and pinehes herself
to give her handsome outfit after she has
deprived herself of half her income TO Sc
cure to her an advantageous match. This
exemplary parent develops into delicious
grandmamma. She leads her grandchildren
through paths of pleasantness, and is the
buffer between them and the disagreeabe
facts of existence with which infancy must
he familiarizp1 She wonll swallow