The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-15
UNIQUE MARRIAGES IN FRANCE

UNIQUE MARRIAGES IN FRANCE
Paris. Feb. l4-An era of domesticity
= beginning in the Paris theatres, and
apparently in real life: it even threatens
to reach as far as the French novel. where
it will be welcome relief from the nasty
psychology which succeeded TO the gross
naturalism of lola. The new movement
at present turns round the French mar
riaSe laws and would lead one To be-
lieve that, just as people have the gov
ernments they deserve, so they have the
morality which their marriage laws al
low them.
The incident in real life. which is a
practical verifica,ion of the playwright
| imagining. Is the abduction Tor elope-
Menp of Mademoiselle lie Play by DR..
Marcile, which has now happily ended in
marriage The story has affected the
Paris public more than Americans can
easily understand. In America a runa-
way couple get ahead Of the irate parent
| only just far enough 10 find a conven-
lent clergyman 10 marry them IN France
| they cannot be married at all until the
parents consent is obtained in due legal
form Hence, the young doctors spirit
| ing away of his beloved in an automobile
could only be intended to break the will
sent in the face of irremediate facts The
social position of the parties concerned.
the youth and beauty and spectacular
grace of the proceedings. with the spice
of rapid adventure, have won the hearts
! of the 10000 and more young men who
| crowd the Paris University courses. They
are just now blowing of their annual
excess of spirits by manifesting noisily
at the courses of the new professor whom
they admire and like, but whose appoint
ment has excited some unntelligible OPP
position, probably for opposition's sake.
The crowds in the amphitheatre of the
trand-new building of the medical fac
uIty have found no better catch for their
songs than
Enlev' moi. Marcile,
En- automobile,
(Abduct me, Marcie, In an sutomobile)
DIR. Marcile is a stout, CHEEKY faced
young man, who has passed his medical
exa-iina uon> j.. illiantly. and has i,sro!e
him the Dro.riss Ct an c,nsr,i'lc career.
He is also of good family, and has been
| accepted by the lie Play family, and his
betrothal to the daughter had been public
ly announced. Then, at the end of the
summer the engagement was suddenly
broken of, 1t is said because better
match had been found for the young lady
But she has not come of generation
of political economists for nothing Her
father. Senator LIE Play. is a son of the
founder Of the Conservative school of
social economy, and her mother is one
of the children of Michel Chevalier. the
friend Of Golden. while Madame Leroy
Beaulieu. wife of the distinguished liv-
ing economist, is her aunt She is barely
twenty; and il is only after twenty-five
years of age that French children can
marry without their parents consent
(and then only after three respectful sum-
monses have been served at intervals of
a month, giving three months time TO
find means Of preventing an obnoxious
marriage) Mademoiselle lie Play dealt
with the law practically as her grand
fathers might have done in theory. She
went walking with a friend. and at con-
venient corner DR.. Marcile dashed up
in an automobile; she stepped in, TO her
companions horror. and the mechanician
steered straight away from Paris. A trip
bers of each family. Then the parents
relented, and this week has seen the civil
marriage before the Mayor-the only one
which the strict French law recognizes
and the religious ceremony in church
The theatrical piece corresponding with
this comedy in real life is running at the
Gymnase with a success showing where
the sympathies of the public lie. 1t is by
Pierre Wolff and is called lie Secret de
Poichinelle" A most worthy couple
wish to marry off their only son. as par
ents do in France. To their surprise he
declines. and confesses that he has been
living in what We Americans might al
most call a common law marriage Tor
four years, and has son of his own to
whom he is devotedly attached. In the
play q am afraid not often in real life),
the parents are sympathetically touched
by their sons confession, but are afraid
to own their feelings to each other. Be
fore long the father finds his way into the
young household. and becomes the bond
slave of the grandchild, so suddenly
thrust upon him. But he dares not ac-
knowledge what he has done to his wife.
whom he respects for her uncompromis-
she hears that the child is i'll. and finds
her way TO him. Both parents are pleased
with the young woman, though she is
OF a position inferior to that of their son.
The whole play turns on the fear OF hus-
band and wife to acknowledge to each
other that they are willing and DESTROYS
that their son should consecrate his I'M
ion by legal marriage. After three acts
they learn to know each others mind.
and every one is happy, amid scenes OK
domestic love-mother and child. husband
and wife grandparents. and the rest
scores which have long been absent from
tire French stage.
Here. too the story has for its founda-
ton the fact that French law does not
recognize the rights of young men and
women TO marry without their parents
consent / fear that in real life this
worI. not be given as IN the play; but
the success OF the piece IS encouraging.
There ere such cases on every side among
families attaching importance 70 money
or social position or family unions Dur
ing the past year one Of the Princes de
Broelie was married reiigiousiy In . Rom
an Catholic church IN London 10 a lady
OF his own rank The marriage Is not
valid In French law. a. the young man
Is not OF the required age; and his mother.
besides refusing her consent. has obtain
I'd an order from the courts prohibiting
rnder severe penalties the lady from IS
ing the name or title OF the Prince. yet
al the rest q the family. which l. IN
;casely religious. Acknowledges the mar
Rage as valid and binding in conscience