The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-05-27
. nURTSHIP IN PARIS.
o,,,,o-,,,r;s@s for the Lovers to Be-
come Acc, c,.,uainted.

| come Ac,, TAINTED.
AS French families are unprotected by
the state in respect to keeping men at a
they themselves have taken
| distance, Il il allowing no pri-
the matter IN han~- tInder no cir
yacy before marriage. ~tioW-
| cumstances is an engaged person =,
| ed TO remain alone; the mother or elder
sister is ever present at the interviews.
But, Notwithstanding the presence of
| the third person, the young engaged
couple talk freely of their future pros
| poets, and frequently indulge in lovers
quarrels. The fiance is daily invited to
| dine with his future wife's family. Sit
ting side by side. many word of fond
ness and love is whispered in the young
lady's ear out of the hearing of the len
lent papa and mamma. Going in and
out of the dining-room, they slyly man
age to be the last couple, and have
been told that it is wonderful W much
can be whispered in the short walking
space lying between the parlor and the
| dining-room. Parents similarly ignore
these innocent priyacies; they remember
when, in years gone by, they trespassed
| in the same way. Mutual acquaintance
/ is made at the house of mutual friends.
The young people may dance with each
| other as much as they like. At party
| the mamma generally carries on an ami
| mated conversation with friends of her
| own age, and does not listen to the les
| sons of love which her future son-in-law
sees fit to give her daughter while sitting
as far as it is possible from the maternal
aop aVI t.
/ tial view of such a courtship, it is not
| perhaps as fruitful in results of acquaint-
anceShip as those of longer duration
and extended permission of private as
sociations. But, however long court
| ship may last who is the man or woman
who does not persist in putting on his
| Sunday manners as well as his Sunday
clothes as long as it lasts? George Eliot
| ably puts this question in Middle
| march when she says: Inference may
| seem large, but really life could never
have gone on at any period but for the
| liberal allowance OF conclusions which
| have facilitated marriage under the
| difficulties of civilization. Has anyone
| pinched into the pilulous smallness the
| cobweb prematrimonial acquaintance
ship"
As rule, during courtship the young
| lady does not call nor visit at the house
| of her betrothed, no dinners or festivi-
| ties take place there until after the mar
riage. All the members of his family,
however, are frequently invited by the
parents of the young lady to meet all of
| her relations and form circle of alli-
ance. They are all expected to formally
| coll on aaab ntba1. of
year, if closer ties of sociability are
not maintained. 1t is not considered
bon ton for the engaged couple to call
each other by their Christian name with
out the prefix of miss or Mr.. The French
| thee and thou are reserved for after mar
riage, and now frequently are used as
an endearing way for husband and wife
| to speak to each other only in the pri
| v3cy of a tCte-a-tete. Presents are ex-
| changed only the day before the mar
| riage ceremony. 1t is the future hus-
| bands duty to furnish the house He
| of course cOnsults the taste of his bride,
and especially that OF her mother, who
| has more experience, and who thorough
ly knows the wishes of her daughter.
| The trousseau and all the house linen
are provided by the bride The sum
| expended on the trousseau is often men
| toned in the contract with the amount
of the dover. A girl who will bring
| $50, 600 into the new household general
" has \ trOusSeau worth s., 900 1t is
| customary for the bridegroom to offer
presents in proportion to his wealth
jewels, laces, and carriages are expect
| ed of the man who can afford them. II
his mother has no girls she presents her
| future daughter with portion of the
| diamonds and laces which she would
have reserved for her own daughters.
Laces and Jewels are thus handed down
and kept from generation to generation.
! Relatives on both sides are expected to
| offer something more precious than a
| long array of nickel-plated cake-baskets.
cruet-siands, and napkin-rings. As
you see, to maintain these expensive
traditions it is impossible for the French
to have large families, for it is nation
| al and family pride for parents to give as
| large dover as their fortunes will allow,
with the proviso, however, of keeping
| the larger portion for themselves, for it
does not enter into the customs to lessen
the Importance of their own establish
ments for the marriage settlement of
their children. This custom of dover
| exists in all classes of people who have
| anything to give. Small tradespeOple
will set up shop for their children;
peasants and farmers wi give so many
head of cattle or a portion of their land.
| Others, whose income can not be
| divided, drawn papers to pay certain
amount of it yearly to their children,
and lawsuits, which force parents to
1--we up to the terms stipulated in mar
riage contracts, are often the subject OF
court discussions.
The ceremony of signing the contract
| opens the wedding festivities. 1t usually
takes place the day before the civil and
religious marriages, at the house of the
bride The contract is signed in the
presence of the family lawyers, by the
bride, bridegroom, parents and wit
neSses, Just before guests arrive, who
| have been invited to the reception. a
musical soiree, or ball. The bride for
| this entertainment wears her last girlish
party-dress, light pink or blue gauze.
simply made la VERGE, adorned with
no jewels but those she has been allowed
to wear in her girlhood small
pearls, and turquoise.-C0r. Brooklyn
Eagle.
Discovering a Demon.
Zone of the most wearisome and try