The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-05-16
WEDDINGS IN PARIS.
The Great Resort for Parties Of the
Middle Glasses.
Bride and Groom Go Hand-in-Hand to
Church, Their Friends Grouped
Around Them-Description of
Double Marriage.

The Bois de Vincennes IS great resort
for wedding parties amongthe middle class,
as there is a restaurant there Wnere they can
dance and have an entertainment, writes
Paris correspondent to the Baltimore Sun.
We saw two parties on previous Vlslt. In
one instance the bride and groom were walk
ing hand-in-hand, with group OF friends
around them, and boy was playing a fiddle.
The other party were playing some sort Of
game chasing each other iii circle Both
brides were dressed in white, with nothing
on their heads but orange blossoms, though
the weather was quite cold. I attended the
wedding of nv French landlady's nephew
on SATURDAY. last. He is very nice-looklng
young man with very little to say, especially
if you do not speak French. Each Of the
guests of the hotel was furnished with an
invitation nearly as large as snect OF FOOLS
cap, in an envelope to suit.
There was a monogram Of the initials OF
the bride and groom at the top Of the paper,
and on one page a request from the father
and mother of the bride that you would
honor them with your company at the mar
mage Of their daughter, while the opposite
page contained similar invitation from our
landlady with respect to her nephew. At
the bottom of the sheet there was state
ment to the effect that the wedding would
take place at midday precisely in the Church
of st. Merri, in The Rue st. Martin. It was
a few minutes after twelve when l arrived
at the church, and the wedding was in
progress. 1t is not fashionable to be late at
a wedding in Paris, as it is with us in Balt
more. The Church of st. Merri, formerly
St. Mederc, is Gothic structure, with a
beautiful portal in the Flamboyant school
The Roman Catholic churches of Paris
are all built on the same general principles.
There is high vaulted roof over the main
building, supported by several rows of col
umns. Behind these columns or pillars are
recesses built in the side of the church,
which are known as chapels. There are
usually paintings on the walls of the chap
els; and they are furnished with affairs and
candles. The pulpit is commonly in the
middle Of the church and the organ over the
entrance. There are no peWs, chairs TAX
ing their places. found the wedding party
in one of the chapels. The bride was
dressed in white satin, with a long white
veil, while the groom wore a dress suit.
They were seated in chairs near the altar,
and behind them was bridesmaid dressed
In short blue dress and dark red hat.
The groomsman was dressed like the
groom. Our landlady was there, dressed
very elegantly in black silk, and there were
some thirty or forty relations and people
from the hotel in attendance. A priest, in
white satin surpice, embroidered with gold,
and an altar boy in red, with white surpice,
were performing the ceremony. A large
man in cooked hat, with silver lace, and a
uniform similar to that worn by our police,
was standing in the aisle holding a baton
with silver knob on the end in his hand.
was told he was beadle.
After awhile he went away, and was sue
ceeded by smaller man with large silver
chain round his neck. When the bride
arose from her mees the beaile would care
fully arrange her veil on a chair behind her
kept vacant for that purpose. All at once
the bridesmaid left her seat, and accom-
panied by the groomsman, walked about
among the people taking up collection in
blue bag she held in her hand. After she
returned to her seat the deputy beadle
struck his cane on the pavement and led the
way out of the chapel to a room where the
register is kept and the names were duly
inscribed. Then congratulations were in
order, and nearly everyone kissed the bride,
first on one cheek and then on the other.
shook hands with the bride but did not kiss
her. I never care to kiss another mans
wife when he is standing by looking at me.
Besides, as a native of North Carolina
once remarked to me: {" I never did believe
il this here promiscuous kissin'." There
were number of poor old women watch
ing the ceremony in the church with great
interest, and when the bridal party stepped
into their carriages several women, with
babies in their arms, offered flowers for
sale. After the bride and groom had left
returned to the interior Of the church to
have a look at it, and discovered two other
weddings in progress in different chapels.
One party were attired exactly like those I
have just described, bridesmaids and all,
while the other bride was in dark dress
with short lace veil, and her bridesmaid
wore bonnet and brown dress.
This bride looked past thirty, while the
groom had evidently not had the hair on top
of his head cut for some time, for the reason
that there was none there. When returned
to the hotel, about four in the afternoon,
walked into the dining groom for glass Of
water and found our wedding party seated
around the table with a look Of expectation,
while the stout French landlady was
busting about with the keys of the side
board. I felt that this was no time to drink
water, so beat hasty retreat, just catching
glimpse Of the blue bridesmaid as went
out 7 have noticed several marriage ad-
vertisements in the papers here. One reads:
"Rare opportunity; pretty orphan, twenty
one years, 500, 900 francs" Another: "Great
choice Of misses, and widow Of forty, with
100000 francs"
PRESIDENTIAL POETRY.