The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-09-13

h.
'savoiryivre, = about to be Published.
Comtesse Genee lays down the follow.
ing rules and regulations. concerning
eourtship in France: 'sThe frst and
main duty of the intending husband is
to ascertain the amount of the dot. or
marriage portion. Ere this question is
settled to his satisfaction, no gentle
man has the right to lay his case be-
fore his intended faneee s parents, or.
II she be an orphan, her guardian
and next friends. The proper way to
go about it is this: Send a trusted
| friend to the persons in authority
that IS, the parents, guardians or next
friends-authorizing him to ascertain
| by direct questions what the girl 5 ex.
Ipeetations are-that IS, how much will
| be paid down upon the marriage con
tract, how much the parents are going
to leave her in the event of death.
and whatever other expectations she
may have from relatives, etc.
IF the promised dot comes within
| your expectations; then your represen-
tative may proceed to inquire how
much of an annual income the parents
| expect the husband to have. The in.
come demanded should in all cases be
commensurate with the dot. The re.
preventative reports the figures TO the
intending husband, and the latter must
then decide, with the assistance of his
own parents and his friends, whether
I n 4haxr e
happy life. Everything being salts
factory, the representative begs per-
mission of the intended bride S parents
to aequaint her with his client S in
tentions, to picture to her his person
atty, business, income, family and
connections. If the girl selected likes
the prospect, she viii tell the repre-
sentative all about herself. her school
ing, social ambitions, friends, etc, at
the same time authorizing him to re-
peat what she has said to the man
expecting to propose to her. The re-
preventative should go about this bust
ness automatically, and act as friend
and confidant of both parties.
'sThen follows the formal introduce
tion of the intended bridegroom, his
representative making the young peo
pie acquainted with each other in the
presence of their parents. If either of
the parties lost a parent, his or her
next of kin or the family notary should
be present at this first meeting. 1t
would be the height of improperly for
the man himself to ask the hand of a
girl from her parents or guardians.
This delicate business must be delegat
al oil a., u+a,, 70
sentative The representative will
don evening dress, white gloves and
tie, and after stating that the bride S
dot and prospects are perfectly suit
able, while the worthy parents on their
part have no fault TO find with the
suitor's income, business and connec-
tions, will make the formal proposal.
But the intended bride must know
nothing of these latter proceedings.
Indeed, if the representative is a man
of delicacy he will select for his visit
to the parents a time when he knows
the intended bride to be absent. The
parents viii receive the proposal kind
ly-alI preliminaries having been set
tied to everybody's satisfaction-but
custom and sentiment forbid to decide
upon their child's fate without con-
sulting her.
$50 the father will promise no more
than to do his best to represent the F,
case to his daughter in the fairest |
light The mother, on her part, will
declare Lucie, or Marie, must have at |
least three days to make up her mind |
and consider in her heart whether her |
love for the negotiator is strong enough |
4 4oI~ CT on 1
The representative thereupon swears |
by all the saints that three days is |
too long, that it will kill Alphonse to |
wait this small eternity. Well, make |
it twice twenty-four hours says t
mamma. not a minute earlier. And /
on the third morning after, the intend !
ed bridegroom having meanwhile been |
informed of the acceptance of his pro-
posal, drives up to the house in state, |
more white gloves and tie, big bout
auet of white flowers with white rib !
bons having gone before. The father /
receives him at the door of the apart |
nent; the mother sits waiting for him
in the parlor, and both are dressed In
their best. Courtesy demands an ex-
change of polite salutations and ex-
pressions of confidence and parental
love-
s'After fifteen minutes or so the bell
calls the intended bride into the par
or. The man makes her low obeis-
ance and expresses his undying graft
bude to her for the pleasure and honor
If having been accepted as her future
husband. This speech must neither be
Too long nor too formal. II would be
most indicate on the mans part to
rive expression to the JOY he feels in
200 extravagant style. When at the
md of a quarter of an hour, the young
nan takes his leave, the young lady
extends her hand to him, which he may
press
kissing during the period of be-
rothal is entirely out of the question,
s an indelicate act Of familiarity.
One of the tragedies of the high
rord lies in the pathetic fate of Bosom,
he ex-Prinee of Sagan, Due de Talley-
and, and who must not be COMPOUNDED
nth his son, the husband of Anna
iouIa. During the second half of the
ineteenth century he was the aTb1teP {