The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-21
MARRIAGE in FRANCE.
Curious Matrimonial Customs
Which Dispense With
THE PRELIMINARY OF COURTSHIP.
Decidedly Peculiar ways-The Rule
of Exacting Dowry Prevails
Among all classes-Attended TO in
business Like NIanner-onIy Civil
Marriages Recognized by the Law.
sp,eial Corrgpondence ofNs InillIigsneer.

Special Correspondence Of The HitRig,nor
PARIS, Feb. S,-The marriage customs
OF France are decidedly peculiar. II
describe them intelligently We mustre
fer first OF all to those delightful preli
minaries Of wedlock which are summed
up in America under the general name
OF courtship. At once, however, a diff
Guilty arises, for the things embraced in
that name to American thoughts are
conspicuous by their absence. In oul
country We always think OF courtship as
something which has for its basis an
intimate companionship between the
two parties, and which finds its express
sion in quiet moonlight walks and in
the occasional monopoly Of the parlor
together. Somewhere, too, are Ameri-
can lovers brought face to lace during
their courtshipwith a great crisis. As
a rule they dread this in anticipation
but II usually turns out to be anything
but dreadful ordeal in practice. What
we refer to is the custom commonly
spoken Of as popping the question.
II will be noted, too, that American
candidates for matrimonial felicity are
referred to, in what we have said oil
them, as lovers; which, as a general
thing, is emphatically what they are,
and what strong popular sentiment
requires them TO be. These are our
time.honored American notions, and
they are so much enjoyed as rule, and
seem to be so necessary to proper adj
justment of things matrimonial, that
we can hardly. conceive how it would be
possible to get along without them.
But the French manage TO do 30. 1t
will seem like singular statement, but
it is only the truth to say, that in the
upper and middle classes oil this coun-
try, courtship, rs we understand 1t. is
almost entirely unknown. The prelim-
inaries OF wedlock are all arranged by
third parties, One is spared hero the
the happy Wretchedness OF falling in
love as wellgs the miserable delight OF
making personal proposal. 1t would
seem indeedas though love cut scarcely
any figure in the arrangements, and as
TO Hio0HtiHhS tNAhStSsI "Ath Shty N|S
moon for witness, young couples in
France-from fear either Of the man in
the moon or man in the abstract-are
forbidden such things. Custom, in
fact, is so very strict that it does not al
low them to be alone together for even
quiet ttsd tete in the drawing room.
Nor is this all but il is only undsr q
strict system OF parental oversight that
the couple are permitted to correspond
with each other.
MARRIAGES ARE FEW.
One wonders how, under a system
like this, the matrimonial ranks are
ever recruited, and this query opens the
way for some further astonishing state
ments. The celibate state is more com.
mon than with us. In America the
presumption would be, with reference
to the average young man with fair
prospects in life, that after while he
will take unto himself better half
whereas in France one would be war
ranted in promising, unless the young
man had expressed distinct purpose
10 the contrary, that he would remain
single. AS to girls, it would really
seem as though their chance of getting
married depended entirely upon how
much money they have. To speak here
Of the "matrimonial market" is not o
misnomer. There are exceptions to all
rules, but these exceptions do not in
validate the rule, and the rule in France
is that girl who is well brought up,
but whose parents or friends are unable
TO give her dowry, will not be troubled
with an offer OF marriage. She could
easily enough pick up husband from
the classes she holds to be beneath her,
but the caste feeling is as rigid in
France as are the marriage customs
and hence our well raised, well educated
French girl, lacking respectable dot
as it is called, will presumably live on
TO the end Of her days in single blessed
ness.
From this rule OF exacting dowry
with his vile one can hardly except
even the humblest workman. The
bride must always bring something to
the union. II she is 30 poor as not to
have a few hundred francs laid up lol
her wedding day, then her dot will tech.
nically consist Of her wardrobe, and
possibly few articles OF furniture
with, perchance, a skilful pair OF hands
and an understanding on both sides
that she is to help out on household
expenses by daily labor in somo shop.
And here, by the way, is a suggestion Of
the argument which the French Offer
in justification OF their custom What
they say is, that amongst the poorer
classes the wages OF the man are so low
that, but for help from the other side
OF the house, 1t would be impossible iot
the married couple to subsist, and in 10.
gard To those who are higher up in the
social scale, the difficulty, they say, is
tho same. Young men in an ordinary
way OF business get scarcely enough u
support themselves, and to undertake
the support Of another, without q
proper provision for an increase OF
funds, would be an act Of imprudent
rashnessj especially as French women
are fond OF luxury and have such
extravagant tastes in dress. This is the
putting OF the case from the French
point Of view, and II is surely plausible
II not entirely satisfactory.
FRENCH THRIFT.
To this custom must be credited
largo measure Of the provorbial French
thrift. The advent OF girl baby into
tho family marks q new era in house
hold management. This atom OF hu
mainly. II she is finally to marry, mus
have dol, and even thus early do tht
thoughtful parents begin to economic