Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-04-25
Marrying in France.

That young girls and young men in
France are sedulOusly kept apart, that
Woolng and winning are unnecessary
preliminaries to French marriage,
are facts that have been much com
mented upon; but hoaC they marry in
France, and the etiquette of that very
formal and business-like ceremonial,
and the preliminaries considered neces-
sary thereto. are, we believe, but little
understood Oh our side OF the water.
The first thing to be done is to go
through that time-honored formality
called popping the question. But
French asprant for matrimonial hon
ors is not allowed to make his propo-
sails in person to the young lady. That
would be a sad breach Of les co,lre1adn-
ces. and would probably horrify the
Jellne perSOnne out of her seven senses.
A friend is charged with the delicate
office of asking her parents, not If
they will accept NJ. So-and-so for a
son-in-law, but if it would be agreea-
bic to them to consider him in that
possible light. Should the answer
prove favorable, the gentleman may
desire an interview with the lady's
parents or guardians, at which inter
view the young lady must not be pres
ent. In this first interview all business
questions, including the important one.
OF the dowry and the almost equally
important one of the young man for
tune, expectations, etc., are settled;
Should All these preliminaries be
fayorably arranged, a second in
terview is decided upon, and
the day and hour vigorously settled be-
forehand. Exactly at the specified
time the future bridegroom must
present himself, carefully but not too
carefully dressed-that point is essen
tial. His betrothed, i'll elegant but
simple attire, awaits his coming, sur
rounded by her parents and relatives.
After this first visit he is entitled to
be received as a prete7lOtu, but must
request admission to this privilege
either by writing or through one OF his
near relatives. Permission once ac-
corded. he is then for the first time
presented to his lady-loye as her future
husband, and may afterWard visit the
house on an intimate bat not a famil-
full dress, nor can his Hdncee receive
him in o.her than a very careful toilet.
4 mOrning-dreSs, no matter how fresh
or tasteful, is completely inadmisSible.
| The gentleman must Invariably send
his Iidncee a bouquet On the days that
he intends to call. Ine engaged pair
must never be permitted to indulge in
a tete-d-tete, nor can they call each
other by their first names without
using the preliXeS OF monsieur and
madem0iselle. An engagement o.ght
t. be kept secret, and should be official
| ly announced only few days before
the signing of the contract. OF course,
French engagements are usually very
! brief. such a life of constraint and
| formallty being agreeable to neither
| party.
These preliminary formalties hay
ing been scrupulously gone through
with, next comes the question of the
wedding, or rather weddings, for our
French couple must he married twice
over, once AZ the Mayoralty, in ac-
cordance with the law, and once at
church, to satisfy religious scruples.
/ This latter ceremony Is by no means
essential to the legality OF the mar
riage but not to be married in church
is considered proof of irreligion and
repI blicaniSm of the most ultra type.
Now comes an amount OF bother
which, to our extremely simple ideas
asregardS marriage, appears to be 1T
once stupid and unnecessary. AS a
necessary preliminary to the civil mar
riage. the bride and groom must arm
themselves with halt a dozen docu-
nents each First comes the dct2 de
2tutSSd2sct. or birth-certiiicate then the
consent IN writing Of both parents, or,
If either or both of them be dead, the
proofs of their decease, and the con-
sent Of grandparents or guardians in
their stead. Ii You are sixty years of
age, and have parents still living, this
written consent is still Indispensable.
unless, indeed, you go through the
tormality of the. tlots s0nlmatlotlS
reSpectueQSes, which consists in ere
Spectfully summoning' your recalci-
trant parents three times to show
cause why YOU should not espouse the
beloved Of Your heart, after which you
can do as you please. But such pro-
ceeding is looked upon with so much
disfavor by French society that it is
only Tes0fted to In very eX-
IRENE cases. If you are an ofi-
Ger III the army. you must get the per-
mission of the Minister or War TO your
nuptials and he will not grant II un-
less the bride possesses either dowry
OF thirty thousand francs or a settled
income of twelve hundred francs a
year. An these consents obtained,
next comes the publication of the bans,
which takes place not only IN the
,hnrrh. hnt also at the mayoraltN.