The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-08-08
zee FRENcH MARRIAeE sYsTEM.
A Curious Change in the Law Suggested
BY Paul Hervieu.

By Paul Hervieu.
At the present time a not inconsider-
able number Of Frenchmen are living in
the fear that the law may compel them
under penalty, to love their wives, says
the Paris correspondent OF the London *.
press It Is not that these men do NOT
ALREADY possess some sort Of affection
for their partners in life, but there Is
no knowing what awkward interpreta-
ton the women might put upon the new
reading OF the law.
Hitherto the French marriage code
has limited itself to declaring that the
contracting parties owe each other mu-
tual esteem, fidelity and succor Moth
ing is mentioned about love.
An eminent playwright, Paul Heryien
however, thinks that people who enter
the bonds Of wedlock should also be re.
qmred by law to love one another. NJ
Heryiew expressed his views before a
parliamentary committee formed to con-
slider certain reforms in the code, and
apparently a majority of the members
are inclined to share his view, ON the
ground that it is in the interests Of
morality for the law to recognize love
in matrimony
Curiously enough, love enters very
little indeed into the making Of the vast
majority OF French marriages. French
people, as a rule, marry because il is to
their mutual interests In aristocratie
marriages love IS seldom even taken into
consideration. It is purely a question
OF convention, Of deeorum, Of mutual
convenience.
Among the middle or burgeois classes
marriage is principally question q
pounds, shilings and pence. a manu-
facturer, a LAWYER, an official, an officer
or a merchant looks forward in contract.
ing a marriage to finding in the shape Of
his wife's dowry value corresponding te
the position he holds or the annual in.
come he derives from his profession o.
business.
One Of the first cares of French faith.
er is TO provide a dowry for each OF his
daughters, and according to the value
Of the dowry lie can command a more
Or less suitable husband for his daugh.
ter. The larger the dowry the more ex.
acting will lie become as 10 the statu,
OF a possible son-in-law.
Such marriages are nearly always ar.
ranged by the parents or near relative;
on both sides. The young Frenehmar
who decides ii is time to marry seldom
iives his choice on any particular girl
He allows his relatives to look around
for him. He manages to obtain, By
various well-known articles, view 81
the person who is suggested to him al
Ia suitable "parti", and If she is sufii.
GENTLY presentable to please him and
the two families can come to terms a.
regards money matters, the proposal is
made in due form.
A few weeks later the marriage takes
place. The girl, it will be seen, has
scarcely been consulted, but such is the
manner Of her bringing mp that she il
generally quite content to leave matri-
monial matters IN the hands al hel
father and TO accept the husband lie has
selected for her
In France hasty marriages. long en-.
gagements and breaches of promise are
practically unknown.
The desire to obtain a qlid pro QUO
in marriage extends even to the masses
TO the peasantry and the working class.
es. a small peasant farmer, who is the
proprietor Of five acres Of land and Il
cows would consider he had made an
extremely bad bargain if he were obliged
to marry his son to the daughter Of a
man who owned but three acres and sis
COWS.
Nevertheless, it is a remarkable fact
that the proportion of unhappy French
marriages is comparatively small. The
natural bent of the average French wo.
man is to become the comrade and the
friend Of her husband. She very fire.
quently takes keen interest in his
business affairs, and it does not appear
that the French method OF marrying
young people, with its absence Of any
preeonceived affection, works as badly
as might be imagined.
The impression that long residence
in France and close observation Of the
people have left upon me is that love
in the sense that is generally attached
TO the word, is not so frequent between
married couples as close, affectionate
friendship.
The placing Of the word love" in the
sacramental phrase which in France il
read to all persons about to contract
D'arriage, and to which they are obliged
to subscribe, will not alter the above
state of things.
II is interesting, however, to not that
the suggestion should have come from
a playwright, and such an eminent
literary man as Paul Hervieu, fol
French playmnghts have for many
years past done their best to ridieule
and to diseredit conjugal love New
Sun.