Wichita eagle., 1889-02-28
WEDDINGS IN PARIS.
The Great Resort for Parties of the
Middle Glasses.
Bride and Groom Go Hand-in-Hand tc
Church, Their Friends Grouped
Around Neutrality-suspicious. OF
Double Marriage.

The BOlS Qe NlncenneS Is a great resort
for wedding parties among the middle class,
as there is a restaurant there where they can
dance and have an entertainment, writes
Paris CORES pendent to the Baltimore Sun.
We saw two parties on previous visit. In
one instance the bride and groom were walk
ing hand-in-hand, with a group Of friends
around them, and boy was playing fiddle.
The other party were playing some sort OF
game chasing each other in circle. Both
brides were dressed in white, with nothing
on their heads but orange blossoms, though
the weather was quite cold. | attended the
wedding of my French landlady's nephew
on Saturday last. He is a very nice-looling
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 sheet of fools
cap, in an envelope to suit.
There was 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
rage of their daughter, while the opposite
page contained a 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. 1t was
few minutes after twelve when l arrived
at the church, and the wedding was IN
progress. 1t is not fashionable to be late at
wedding in Paris, as it is with US in Balti-
more. The Church of ST Merri, formerly
St Medeuc, is a Gothic structure, with a
beautiful portal in the Flamboyaut school,
no Ill,
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
SoASS-AA
very elegantly N black silk and there were
some thirty or forty relations and people
from the hotel IN attendance. priest, in
white satin surplice, embroidered with gold,
and an altar boy in red, with white surplice,
were performing the ceremony a large
man In a cooked hat, with silver lace and
uniform similar to that worn by our police,
was standing in the aisle holding a baton
with a silver knob on tho and in his hand
was told he was a beadle.
After awhile he went away, and was sue
ceeded by a smaller man with large silver
chain round his neck. When the bride
arose from her knees the beadle 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. / 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: 81 never did believe
III this here promiscuous kissin'." There
We're 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 10 the interior of the church to
nave look at il, and discovered two other
weddings in progress IN different chapeis
One party were attired exactly like those |
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
10 the hotel. about four in the afternoon,
walked into the dining room for a glass OF
water and found our wedding party seated
around the table with look of expectation.
while the stout French landladv was
busting about with the keys of the side
board. | felt that this was no time 10 drink
water, so beat a hasty retreat, Just catching
4 glimpse Of the blue bridesmaid as l went
out l have noticed several marriage ad-
yerusements in the papers here. One reads:
" Rare opportunity; pretty orphan, twenty
one years. $4,000 francs" Another: Great !
choice Of misses, and widow of forty, with
10000 francs
THOMAS TAsSER, a writer of the sixteenth
century, gives Us: Its an III wind turns
no good Better late than never - ..T,nolx
ere thou leap, and THE stone that is rolling
can gather no moss"
FIRST In war, first IN peace, aud first in
the hearts OF ms teAow-citlze ns' mot his
countrymenl, appeared in the resolutions
presented 10 the House OF REPRESENTATIVES
in December, 1920, presented by General
Henry Lee.