Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-15
FRENCH MARRIAGE.
The Religio Civil Ceremony Ar.
ranged Between the Two
Families.

II. II. Haync in San Francisco Chronicle
Marriages are arranged in Franc, win
very few exceptions. on pure business pm
clpicS Trey don't sill voting girls III France
like calves and colts. rs they do i'll Gerinany,
but they sometimes come pretty close to IT,
The pr. sent marriage. laws of France are
very singular and belong to al ant;quated
state of society which was misllSed for So long
by the priesthood. Until man Is p years
old he Is compelled to ask permission Of his
parents to wed, AMI if his parents are dead
then he must seek permission from his grand
mother and grandfather. If he is turned
% he may serve his unwilling father and
mother with those documents at in
tervals of fortnight from each other,
called somnations reSpectru>e, or respectful
summons, and if the parents still remain
obstinate then the marie gives him permission
to paS>er outre, that is, to get married with
ont their consent. With the woman the age
of her freedom is fixed at u: but should she
undertake to get married even after that age
without full parental consent society would
have SO much to say a!N.ut it that she would
be almost cast on: amo.l,, the wicked Ones Of
the world This gives the parents quite a
despotic power over the matrimonial inclina-
th'iH VI tfclT INipN''l tllStiiIiE. s'tiHlliiS a
document throw n the medium of IA notary to
stubborn parents would he scandal far
more shocking than to break either one Of
the commandments.
Gencrally speaking, marriages i'll France
are arranged between the two families with
the help of IA notary. Sometimes, it Is true,
there is romance or n sentiment about tn
affair which tells g iovc siii;;.. ra"t'a:i, but
thls does not often happen. The usual way
is for the parents to arrange matters.
marriage having been considered advisable
between two families, the young couple are
informed of the fate which is in store for
them, and after few interviews in the pres
ence of third persons the banns are pub
lished, as they say in England, but not in the
same manner. In France the banns are put
up at the mairies mayors Offices, Of which
there are twenty in Paris alone They con-
sist of a notice postal on the doors of the
marie, where it remains for two weeks.
Usually there are two weddings; but one
alone-that at the marie, or the civil mar
riage-is made obligatory by the law. and
without it the religious marriage is entirely
void. The religious marriage is always cele-
brated after the civil ceremony and great
many persons disrcgardit altogether.
| have witnessed many weddings here in
Paris, both civil and religious ones, and
must say that usually they are not the I'M
| pressive affairs some writers would have us
believe them to be. The popular days for
weddings are Tuesdays and Saturdays The
fiances, their relations and their witnesses
have met for the purpose of proceeding to the
marie. The witnesses are by long odds the
most important personages in the group. He
is a lucky bridegroom who cen induce some
| great parsonage to serve him in this matri
mOnial capacity. A great deal depends upon
the standing of these witnesses and happy
are the couple who can boast that a states
man, an academcian or a nobleman is one Of
their friends ''for this occasion only" if nc
longer. Some of the invited guests have
brought their children dressed out like doll.
and as timid as mice. While the PARTY arr
taking their seats the marie is preparing him
self for the occasion. He wraps trcolored
scarf around his waist and it is this scarf
which alone confers on him the power t.
pronounce the words from the civil code
which no human power can afterwards sci
aside. When he is ready the hussier open.
the door leading into the public sale AM
cries out, "Monsieur lie Mairei" Everybody
stands up, the maire enters, sits down, and
then the audience do the same
The door leading into the street Is left wide
ve.i, and it must remain so during the entire
ceremony, for the law requires that civil
marriage shall he public one. Any one ha'
a right to enter, and, if there he any reason
for doing SO, to make an objection. At tn,
marie clerk is seated before desk, with q
large register before him. When their name.
are called the flowing couple" advance to tn.
platform, and, with their relatives and wit
nesses seat themselves in certain large plush
chairs, which are used exclusively for sucl
| occasions The clerk reads a part of the Law
| governing marriages, and then the mairs
asks both candidates for matriniony if they
consent to take each other for man and wife
When the progenitors Of the couple are pre-
sent, they are asked if they give their con
sent Then the marie reads from the civil
code the paragraphs descriptive of the right.
and duties of the spouses. He then declare.
them married, and the signing Of the recort
by the married couple and their witnesse.
completes the ceremony. Last of all there
is . collection taken up at the door, "poul
les pauvres."