Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-22
PariSian Marriages.
How the Preliminaries are Arranged What Constitutes a Fashionable Trous-
From the Parisian.l

What Constitutes a Fashionable Trous-
 
 From the Parisan.l
 Our lady readers will perhaps be interested
 to know how grand marriage is arranged at
 Paris. The preliminaries generally
 ranged between the two families with the
 help of the notaries; less often the mar
 riage is more romantic and springs purely
 from love, in which case the traditional steps
 of courtship and marriage are much modified.
 Supposing, however, that a marriage has
 been recognized as advisable between two families, the first thing to do is to arrange
 interview between the young folks. For this purpose some neutral ground is generally chosen-a reception at a friends house, a
 concert, a ball and the theatres. The opera is preferred by the world of fashion, the opera comique is popular with the bourgeoisie and the provincials. The young man sits in
 the orchestra, and the young girl. dressed in her best is placed in front ofa box. Between the acts tilo JossssS n,aiff,eJzSa visit to the box and is presented. The next day he pays visit to the father and makes a formal de- mand of the young ladys hand. If he is accepted he begins to pay court to the young girl. Every day, at this stage of the proceedings, the young man is admitted to the house of his future as if he were one of the family He is called by his Christian name. The day after the accordailles, or his acceptation by the family he presents his
 
 pearl or two pears mounted with two dia- monds. You may see these rings by the score in the jewellers shops. Every day, too, he sends boquet of flowers. Nowadays these boquets are splendid and cost small fortune, for 1t is the custom to envelop them with lace, which is sometimes replaced by watered ribbon, on which the name of the young girl is embroidered. In aristocratic families the first person to whom the mar riage is announced is the Pope, who sends his benediction by telegraph, on the day of
 the ceremony at the church The mother
 accompanied by her daughter, visits her friends in order to inform them of the happy news. In Madame de Sevigne's days ayoung girls wedding trousseau only contained three
 dresses. In the year of grace 1880, we'd ding trousseau in high life is 8 very grand affair and comprises twelve dresses, all made up with stockings, shoes, sun shades and hats to match. The trousseau together with the linen is worth from twenty to fifty thousand francs In the trousseau of the Princess Isabella de Groy, the wife of Archduke Frederick of Austria, and all the linen IS counted by the gross. There are twelve dozens of everything. The wedding presents, the corbeille, no longer sent in a basket covered with bows and ruches of ribbon: The modern corbeille is piece of furniture, chiffonier, work table or what not. A few presents only are placed in it and the rest are sent. purse full of gold is always hidden in one of the drawers it is the share of the poor, the charity purse. It is no longer the custom for the bridegroom to present the traditional cashmere shawl That has gone out of fash ion. The ''corbeille'' of high life now con- tains two lace dresses, one white and one black, two velvet dresses, not made up, two 1 or three satin dresses and two fancy dresses, mantles and sortfes de bal. Fans of all de- grees of splendor, scent-bottles necessaire and card-case are indispensable. 'B1bel ots D too, are represented in the 'corbeille" ! by groups in Saxe, Louis XIV chateiaines, fans painted by Vatican, any agreeable and precious knick-knack which the fancy of the bridegroom can suggest and the curios- I ity shops furnish. On everything the young lady's crest, motto and monogram figure, and on her church service her armorial Hbearings, with all their quarterings, will be displayed au grand complet In the matter of jewelry l we may add that pearls are now esteemed higher than diamonds. necklace of pearls of five rows is worth five hundred thousand francs or one hundred thousand dollars It is no longer the custom to exhibit on the day of the signing of the contract the presents given to the bride by her Friends and rela- lives. In England they publish the list of ] the presents and their donors in The Court Journal and the local newspapers. Here the I bride, thanks each of those who have thought \ of her, and adds their tributes of friendship I to the others. On the day of her marriage ! the bride wears only the jewels that have { been given to, her by her motherf and. her husband.