The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-12-22
MARRYING /. FRANCE
Official Obstacles That Bar the
Way to the Ceremony.
THE WORRIES OF A FlANCE.

He Has to Brave the insolence and tho
indifference Of tho Civil Officers In
His Efforts to Accomplish the Neces
sary Preliminary Formaiities,
Marrying in France is not aI easy
matter On the contrary. the civil of.
fcers seem to employ ingenuity Ill pr
ting as many obstacles as possible In
the way of those who contemplate.
matrimony
Take the case Of French eiiiZtqt
who until recently resided i'll tie
Eighth reimbursement of Paris. but
who removed 10 The Ninth and then
began to accomplish the formalitics
necessary for his marriage.
Smiling and happy. as man about
to wed should be, he presented himself
at the marie Of the Ninth ward with
The following documents. which he
had previously obtained at the niairie
Of the Eighth reimbursement: His
birth certificate. his discharge from he
army, the death certificate OF his par.
cnts and the certificate of his first
marriage, for he had been married
once already.
On Saturday afternoon ut O'Clock
business 1t Is to attend to matters af.
fectinS the "etat civil" EyiDg the ris.
ltor coldly. the functionary asked.
what do you WANT
ITO get married replied the other.
smiling
ITS closed
BEG pardon1s
II said 1t was closed for marriages.
Come back ON Monday or Thursday"
why Monday or Thursday instead
Of Tuesday or Friday! What reason?"
How should | know And do you
think care2 IT'S like that-that's all
| know
On the Monday the fiance returned.
Tie had recovered his good humor and
his smile. and the first document he
banded to the employee Mt the marie
was his birth certificate. which had
cost him originally francs
whats thati" exclaimed the func-
tionary. with nm air of surprise Its
too DID,
What do you mean too old z.
II mean what say. Your eerti6.
cate was made out eight years ago.
and 1t has been used already. don't
want that. must have one that Is
not older than three months.
But my birthday does not change
To-. Ian 81, Iii. u
ument. which is official. Why do you
want one that Is not more than three
months old?"
why? You are too inquisltive.
The fiance was still smiling, hut in n
rather faint hearted fashion.
Where Is your military mcnoran-
dun book?" asked the employee
Il haven't got one.
what. You haven't got one? And
you come here and expect to get mar
ried without .liyret mllitaIre? No;
you're joking. You can't be serious
Yes. ! am. I'm an officer on the
reserve list
"Show me your mobilization order
That's n secret order which have
not the right to show you. The army
regulations are opposed to IL, Here Is
my discharge That IL all can show
you"
"Ali right; we'll see.
Then the fiance lnterpolated:
Why must yom have a military doc.
ument?"
ITO show that yon are really a
Frenchman."
Isn't my birth certificate suilicicptf'
Il have no time for discussion.
Where Is the document showing that
your first union was dissolved g
"voici"
That's not what want. | must
have copy Of the act Of transcript
fiOn."
THE document I've Just given YOU
cost me 2 francs at the marie at Ncull-
ly. Where must apply for the ether?
At Neuilly?"
mo. Go to the registrar of the tri-
buEal of the Seine"
The tiance made for the door. ran
downstairs aud jumped into taxi.
motor In few minutes he was at
the registrars office.
Monsieur replied the assistant
registrar. the registers from Neuiliy
have not come back yet But youll I've
sure to find them there, and they'll lie
able to give you NIL the Information
you want"
Another taximotor cab. and ten min.
utes later the distracted tianee was nj
the marie Of Neuilly.
ayes: understand replied the OH
cial after the visitor had cxplai.l~j
the object of his call, But we can't
give you what you want under forty
eight hours"
~ suppose | must wait" said the
1ance.
Two days later, armed with com
plete dossicr. he returned Ia the mario
Of the Eighth reimbursement. Ills
smile had come back; he felt that vie
tory was nigh
AT LAST he exclaimed triumphant
~ as the functionary came forward
1--WE got them all now
"Quite right" replied the other aftel
glance at the various documents
But did understand you to say yor
wanted to be married on the lath?'
"Yes. that's the date"
"In that case I'm very sorry. me 4
sieur. but that does not leave lis the
legal time in which to publish the
panns. You will have 10 postpone Tho
date Of the ceremony
Then the flance's smile "cane or
for good. and doub. whether he vii
recover II before the wedding day
Paris Letter In London Poet
Can you believe your senses
When two Of them, taste and smell, having
been impaired If not utterly destroyed b!