The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-16
LOVE BY LAW IN FRANCE.
PROPOSAL TO CHANGE FRENCH
MARRIAGE SYSTEM.

Mercmary "Dst~ That HISS Been Cont
ddered an Important Part q Maf9
r1aSe Settiemmt-Hsw Proposals Ard
Made-The Helpful French Wlf0
At the present time not incondderablA
number OF Frenohmen arc living tn tho
fear that tho law may compel than, undA1
penalty, to love their wives, ssyy the PaxiA
correspondent OF tho London E1prsssi
1t is not that these msn do not already
possess some sort Of affection for thei1
partners In life, but there b no moving
what awkward Interpretation the ladies'
might put upon tho new reading Of tbs
law.
Hitherto the French marriage code ha1
limited itself to declaring that tho COM
tracing parties owe each other mutual
esteem, fidelity and sucoor. Nothing u
mentioned about love.
An eminent playwright, N. Paul Hervieus
however, thinks that people who ente1
the bonds OF wedlock should also be ro-
quired by law to love one another. NJ
Hervieu expressed his views before Parlia<
mentary committee formed to consider orr
tain reforms in the code, and apparently q
majority OF the members are inclined I'd
share his view, on the ground that 1t Is III
the interests Of morality for the law I'd
recognize love in matrimony.
Curiously enough, love enters very little
indeed into the making OF the vast majority
OF French marriages. French people, as q
rule, marry because it Is to their mutual ins
terests. In aristocratio marriages love ID
seldom even taken into consideration. II
is purely a question Of convention, Of de-
corum Of mutual convenience.
Among the middle or bourgeois olassea
marriage is principally question Of poundss
shillings and pence. A manufacturer Q
lawyer, an official, an officer or a merohant
looks forward in contracting marriage I'd
finding in the shape Of his wifes dowry
holds or the annual income he derives from
his profession or business
Ono Of the first cares Of French fatnsS
Is to provide dowry for each Of his
daughters, and according to the value Of
the dowry he can command . more or less
suitable husband for his daughter. Tho
larger the dowry the moro exaoting win
he become as to the status of possible
son-in-law.
Such marriages arc nearly always ar
TduBSu ny lu6 pdIcuUo OT ucdT ECldIIVC3
on both sides. The young Frenchman
who decides it is time to marry SELDOM
fixes his choice on any particular girl
He allows his relatives to look around
for him. He manages to obtain, by va
rious we'll known articles, view OF the
person who Ii suggested to him as a suit>
able "parti,' and If she is sufficiently pre%
sentable to please him and the two fami1
lies can come to terms as regards money
matters the proposal is made in due form.
I-4- Al
place. The girl, it will be seen, has
scarcely been consulted, but such is the
manner Of her bringing up that she is gem
orally quite content to leave matrimonial
matters in the hands Of her father and
to accept the husband he has selected for
her.
In France hasty marriages. long en-
gagements and breaches OF promise are
practically unknown
The desire to obtain quid FRO quo In
marriage extends even to the Masses to
the peasantry and the working classes.
A small peasant farmer who is the pro-
prietor Of five acres of land and ten COWS
would consider he had made an extremely
bad bargain II he were Obliged to marry
his son to the daughter Of a man who owned
but three acres and six cows
Nevertheless, it is a remarkable fact that
the proportion of unhappy French mar:
riages Is comparatively small. The natural
bent Of the average French woman is to
become the comrade and the friend Of her
husband. She very frequently, takes. =
keen interest in his business affairs, and II
does not appear that the French method
Of marrying young people, with its absence
of any preconoeived affection, works an
badly as might be imagined.
The impression. that long residence In
France and close observation Of the
the sense that Is generally attached to the
word, ia not 80 frequent between married
oonples as close, afec'ionate friendship.
The placing of the word -love" in the
saoramental phrase which in France u
rage, and to which they are Obliged to
'subscribe will not alter the above state Of
things.
It is interesting. however, to note that
the suggestion should have come from q
man as NJ. Paul Hervieu. for French play.
wrights have for many years past hone their
best to ridicule and to discredit conjugal
love.
In broad French comedy the husband
Ia invariably made to appear ridiculous;
in France marriage Is distinctly depicted
since the time of Alexandra Dumas
French novelsts have steadily avoided
the honest sentimental love and happy
ever afterward' stories. It is no uncom..
the upper middle classes smile with in.
dulpent amusement at the naive love Of
Marius and Cosette as told in Victor HugoH
lies Miserables" Tho modern girl cam
not conceive Of love without material com-
fort, and the we'll bred girl would never
allow heveelf to fall in love with an i'm.
pecunious man.
All things considered, therefore, it ID
perhaps as we'll for the sake Of true ro1
manoo that Paul Herv!eu's suggestion
should be adopted and that the word
.love" should be inserted In the marriage