Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-10

When 1t comes to be passed young folks
in France may legally marry at the age of
twenty-one The extraordinary lawsuit
the respectful summons''-whieh sons even
forty years of age have feared to bring
against their parents, Will be abolished;
and one simple publication will replace for
melities which at the present hour pre-
vent innumerable other matches.
Long Time Between Kisses.
Doubtless the vast majority of young
girls in France will continue marrying with
the consent of their parents after the Lee
mire law is passed; and perhaps even the
majority of young men; but parents, on
their sides, will know their children are
free at the age of twenty-one; and this
will do away with many tyrannies-such as
for an engaged couple interposing six
months between the kiss on the hand and
the kiss on the cheek
In the ideal system of old France the
marriageable girl says to her father:
have always been obedient. | have effaced
myself, kept my eyes on the ground l am
now entitled to husband. Find me one.
Thousands of girls are saying 1t at the
very hour: and the life-work of their par
ents since their birth has been to fit them
selves to give satisfactory answer, as:
Patience. You shall have your little hus-
band. As we give you dot of 100000
frarcs. you know we have the right to be
exacting as to the young man. Patience,
we are occupied with your AFFAIR."
The plain girl, or disagreeable girl, or
weakly girl with well-to-do parents has
a place of superiority in France. Men who
could not bring themselves to make love to
her find the nerve to take one plunge and
demand-or accept-her hand without pre-
liuIinarieS, from her father. This Is what
Is really meant by marrying In haste and
repenting at leisure.
Nowhere, note, are there so many girls
OF this description. All over France, where
prudent marriages and prudent living have
raised up uniquely numerous class of
small but sufficient incomes from invest
merits, manageable girls are ticketed with
the exact figure of their dot, or marriage
portion, in way the family sinking fund.
When their girl friends talk OF them they
have precise data, as.
Suzanne Is proud, now that her father
has refused the young doctor She told
Marie that, with $4,000 francs dot, her
mother thinks she ought to get. rising
politician. How about Befthe?"
Her father courts the new young notary
But what will you? The purchase of old
Vasseur's practice cost the young man S0.-
600 francs. A simple calculation shows he
ought to marry 10000 francs
Berthe has only 1900 francs dot, but
don't fear she Is their only child and they
will sacrifice themselves to get a rising
notary into their family"
Method of Proposing.
OF course, there are lovely creatures
capable of turning young mems heads. and
any quantity of just nice girls. with money
and without 1t. When a young man falls
In love with one such he does not go and
say to her:
at love you'll" because % her parents
would consider it dishonorable, even were
they poor and he match-because until
the age of twenty-five they know he can
not possibly make good; and CD 1t might
make the girl faint and CD he does not
get the chance.
Instead he goes and tells his mother
His mother tells his father. His father
takes q bath, puts on his frock coat and
high hat hunts up his brother or his busi-
ness partner; and together they call on a
rela tive or near friend of the parents OF
tbs. girl They have a talk and go away.
The friend or relative talks with the
parents of the girl, Ii all things promise
well notes are exchanged by the same
intermediary-note concerning fortune.
family and position. II is only after max
ing sure OF real Appropriateness that the
principals meet
The principals3 | refer to the parents
It Is possible that the young folks may
know each other and their parents be prac-
tica1iy unacquainted--of late years young
folks .of the same world meet each other
at strictly private dancing classes. skate
together at the ice palace and play tennis
and golf with the girls mothers holding
a bead on them with their opera glasses
1t Is even conceivable that the youth may
have stammered formal phrase. Ike May
ask my mother for your
1t Ia seldom ventured. Suppose that NJ
mother should fall to make good2 The