Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
WEDDINGS AND LOVE
Not All the French Ceremo-
MES Without It.
INTERESTING GASES
FAMILY AND THE LEGAL ATTEN-
TON GIVEN.
Signing the Contract and Showing the
Presents Before Happy
Day.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


cause there are SO many weddings and be-
trothals at this season in the gay French
capital.
But now and then young man does fall
in love in good middle-class French So
cfety-I mean to say, in love with a young
girl whom he desires to marry said one
American.
L know of a case," replied the man from
Amiens. THE youth, being a student of
architecture in the Beaux-Arts, threw his
studies to the winds to marry year sooner.
His mother was wealthy"
"And the proper proceeding In such a
case is?' I asked.
The young man ought to charge a COM
mon friend to address himself to the family
OF that young girl, to learn If the demand
VIII be considered. If the response Is mega
tive, no one says anything. If satisfactory.
the young man demands to be presented
to-
the young girl?"
mo; to the family of the young girl
Then. II all continues satisfactory the
1ather. mother of near relative of the
youth puts on his frock coat and high hat
and makes the formal demand. The girl
does not assist at the interview. She is
called only later. when all money questions
have been settled"
But she ought to be told in advance
that she Is to be called. in order that she
may not be embarrassed
Surely; yet on the other hand she ought
to appear agreeably surprised and full of
amiability for her future relations. From
this date commence the exchange of visits
and receptions between the families
In word they are engaged?' said the
Engishman.
"Oh, no. not yet: the date of the betrothal
is generally agreed on during the third visit
OF the young man after he has been ac-
cepted."
"a great day for the girl" remarked the
old maid. She. too. is English.
And for the young man, quot! For the
first time he is permitted to contribute to
the adornment of his beloved, in Offering
her the ring called the betrothal ring. He
will have been careful to have preceded it,
that morning, by a fine,' big basket of flow
ers-all white. remark 1t; and then, in the
evening, in the presence Of the two fami
lies, he passes the ring over the third finger
of the left hand of the girl, and kisses her
for the first time!"
BEG pardonH' 1
Perfectly, monsieur. But yes, mademois-
selle; But 1 assure you. 1t is all that is
most true! How otherwise, when he shall
never have seen her alone before? a good
French mother can account for every min
ute of her unmarried daughters life!'
Except among the people,, corrected
another Frenchman.
The Engagement Ring.
Except also in the up-todate sets of the
aristocracy." corrected still another.
The conversation turned on the betrothal
ring. We call 1t the engagement ring.
THE young man will not forget, in buying
it, that it will be worn by his beloved all
her life: therefore it must be valuable and
admirable. Regularly 1t will be twin-stone
ring pearl and diamond, or pearl and ruby
said the first speaker.
Amy particular reason?
THE pearl symbolizes the young girl, and
f1,a hill tnv,f nyf hn t1l
man. or Wife
Two days later the girl offers the young
man. timidly, his engagement ring. Today
it is oftenest of carved gold with a single
stone. At the same time or shortly after
she will also offer him a watch and chain or
valuable scarfpin. Again, say within two
weeks she will hand him another scarfpin,
a watch charm and such useful little pieces
of jewelry as cuff links and shirt studs. Ac-
cording to their fortune, these objects will
be set with precious stones or not
She sees him every day now?" asked an
American.
Every day, taking care to send before
him always a bouquet or box of flowers en-
trely white. Her mother will naturally
stay in the room, but the young people may
whisper-dscreetly. The relatives of both
families now visit each other very often, at
dinners and family sorees in order to get
we'll used to each other"
.Of course, the engagement is already
announced by this time" remarked another
American.
yes; by word of mouth to friends and
relatives to whom Difference is due. These
respond by a visit of Fluctuations within
the week. All others can wait until they
receive either invitation-cards or 1ettres-
de-faire-part.'
Invitations to the wedding these we I'M
derstand; but what are lettres-de faire-
part?'
Signing the Contract.
aoTbay look very much like appraye6 uad-
ding invitations, except that they are dated
the day Of the religious marriage ceremony
and, instead of inviting, announce the fact.
They 'faire part, make outsiders 'partake
Of the family joy. quot"
What might be called the absent treat
ment?"
II suppose so. But all this is subsequent
to a very important function, the signing
of the marriage contract
Here, let me note a characteristic very
French indeed In America and even among
our very rich the marriage contract regu-
larly is unheard Of International marriages
have taught us what 1T is. The young peo-
pie and their parents sign 1t, STIMULATING the
financial details of the union. The peculi-
arity in France IS that the practice is SO
spread from the highest down to the lower
middle classes. In this land of innumerable
small fortunes. of innumerable small
RENTERS" living on the interest Of their in
VeStmentS, young Wnen they marry
are set up seriously. Take a young couple /
know of. The youths mother, widow, is
rich, but she has two sons. The girls par
ents are only half as rich, but she is an
only child. Therefore it was considered quite
proper when his mother held out for equal
sums. The girls parents made a sacrifice
and gave her 200,O00 francs. The widow
gave her son 200,0o0 francs. The contract
set forth that the regime was to be that OF
separate property And the stocks and
bonds were deposited In the Bank of France
AS far as betrothals and marriages go it
ends there; but l may add perhaps that
within two months of the wedding the
young wife gave A, general procuration''
(power of attorneyyto her husband There
fore it is he who touches the revenues of
both. -, Z,
The Legal Atmosphere.
ut must be rather delicate ceremony
your signing of the. contract remarked
the young american.
"Oh, 1 don't know" replied the Partisan,
who was doing most of the talking. TAX
ing place in a notary's Office the legal at
mosphere helps everyone. Note, also that
the bases of the contract ought to be per-