Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-01-10
AT A FRENCH WEDDING.
Greer Features of the Festival Among
the Bourgeoisie.


the Bourgeoisie.
When marriages occur among the
bOurgeoiSie of Paris the participants,
relatives and guests resort to methods
d:stinctively French to celebrate the
event After the usual and necessary
ceremony the wedding party betakes
itself to some restaurant, often in the
suburbs, where a dejeuner has been
ordered, and when ample justice has
been done to the repast long drive,
/ varied with frequent stoppages at rural
cafes. is enjoyed, the programme term
mating with a good dinner and dance
at some place of refreshment Not sell
dom, indeed, is a dance improvised be-
/ fore the evening hour, and the space
! IN front OF some cafes in the neighbor-
! hood of Paris is paved with asphalt
for the express purpose of allowing
the votaries of Terpsichore to disport
themselves to- their hearts content
while halt has been made for re-
! fleshments and also for welcome
rest to- the weary steeds. 1t is no I'M
common ching to behold, while the
thing is at it's height, a dozen brides
and bridegrooms, each with their
troops of lively guests, bobbing up
and down to gay polka tune or Slid
ing along in the may waltz.
AS rule the utmost good humor
prevails, but now and then the har-
mony is disturbed by some unlucky in
cident, as, for instance, sudden and
| iLexplicable outburst Of jealousy on
the part of the bridegroom, who re
sonts the little attentions which the
| male guests deem it de rigueur to offer
to the heroine of the day. Only re-
Gently every halt made by a brake
conveying a wedding party was a sig
nal for the happy man who had just
appeared before ''Mr. lie Marie" with
! bewitching creature at his side to
| enter into single combat with an erst-
while close friend, whom he accused
of having cast too many admiring
chances in the direction Of the lady.
Thus there was a suggestion OF eXc1t-
! ing pugilistic encounters, in spite of
the desperate efforts of the company
to restore peace, and the war only end
ed when the bride, having valiantly
endeavored to interpose herself, came
in for storm of blows from her lrate
, lord and master and was conducted
back to the security of the parental
roof by her indignant mother.
The latest peculiar adventure has
been that of a lively bridegroom, who,
having treated his relatives and
friends to- the wonted banquet ON his
wedding day, candid1y confessed when
the bill was presented that he had mob
a sou in the world to pay for it. Here
was an awkward predicament. The
sum amounted to 125 francs. What
was to be done? The guests very
politely put AZ francs into plate
which was handed around, but, natur-
ally enough the landlord was not sat
isfied, and he had the entire "nOce,
bride, bridegroom, relatives and
friends. marched off amid gaping
and jeering crowd to the office OF the
local police commissary, where an ex-
! citing scene ensued between the father
/ of the young woman and his son-ln-
law. At last the matter was settled
by the father-in-law of the thoughtlcss
and impecunious bridegroom consent
ing to- pay the remainder OF the bill,
but he declined to give anything to the
walters, deeming the sacrifice which
| b was making heavy enough already
Mny bridegrooms squander all the
cash they have saved by years OF econ
omy and industry on the nuptial fes-
t1yities and start life on the morrow
without a sou.
Thursdays and Saturdays are general
" selected for the tying OF the nuptla
knot and the concomitant diversions
and it is particularly on the last after
noon of the week that crowds OF cnar-
a-banes and to be seen threading thel!
way through leafy avenues to ST. Clouc
and other popular suburban resorts
filled with gay parties, which cause rne
air to resound with songs and Jests.