The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-27

behind the reading desk, mounted to
his place and bowed to the assembled
company. Then he Immediately took
up the official marriage service and be-
gan to read the articles which lay down
the law in matters matrimonial.
AS he galloped along / caught the
phrases STIMULATING that the husba nd
| must be devoted to his wife, and fur
nish her with all that is necessary to
buy her wants. The wife, on the other
| hand, must respect her husband, and
follow him wherever he goes in the in
terests of the family. I did not hear
anything about the obligation to love,
honor and obey"
After the young couple had Joined
hands the mayor pronounced them man
and wife before the law. The whole
ceremony did not last more than ten
minutes. and directly 1t was over and
the mayor had congratulated the cou-
pie in a curt, official phrase, one of the
bridesmaids came round with an aims
bag and made the usual quote" for
the employees of the Marie. Then Nom
sieur lie Marie bowed hurriedly, and
fastened off to his luncheon.
Group Photographed
A few moments later we followed his
example. The first thing we had to do
on arriving at the West End restaurant
where the wedding breakfast was served
was to be photograp Pied. The group was
truly family one. There We're two
grandmothers and half dozen children
whose ages varied from seven years to
less than six months, and / could not
help smiling when, as we mounted the
| stairs to the second floor, | heard the
maitre d'hotel call out to one of the gar
cons: Prepare cradle up there for a
| baby"
| And when we reached the dining room
| there, sure enough, was the cradle, a long
! wicker basket, with a tiny mattress, a
clean napkin and pillow. The baby was
placed In it, and while it's father and
mother, its uncles and aunts and cousins
plied their knives and forks, baby sucked
its thumb and crowed with delight in its
corner, When made inquiries found
that the establishment in which we were
met made speciality of wedding break
fasts and dinners, sometimes having as
many as eight and nine parties at time,
and as 1t frequently happens that some
of the women folk are obliged to bring
their babies with them, they always keep
a stock OF cradles handy
The breakfast was a very lively one.
With their proverbial gayety the French
guests were anything but dull, and the
grandmothers were by no means the most
silent members of the party. On one side
of me l had a medical man. and on the
other major in the French army, re-
splendent In his red and gold uniform I
noticed that the ladies to right and left
of me made no objection when helped
them literally to white wine, and when |
asked for little water-as | was not in
the habit of taking my wine neat-both
my fair neighbors protested that 1t was
spelling the wine TO mix 1t with water.
The GarcOn's Zip
| should have remarked that before
anyone else was allowed TO sit down a
''garcon''-n accordance with the usual
custom-brought plate of bouillon ola
bouillon de la mariee") for the bride and
bridegroom. ut was served at a separate
table, and after the married couple had
finished this. the first course In their mar
ried life, the bride slipped a five-franc
piece under the plate. l shrewdy suspect
that this bouillon was invented by some
arttul waiter in search of an extra pour
boire.
When we had finished with the de-
jeuner, there was little music, and
then we drove out to St. Cloud, where
we had more wine, music and dane
| ing. After two and a half hours there
| the carriages We're again sent for. and
| we drove back to Paris through the Rois
| de Boulosne in the dark-propitious for
| fiirtations. Dinner was another merry
meal, and when the tables had been
cleared away the floor was given over to
| dancing By midnight / had had enough
| Of 1t, and discreetly took my leave.
| But ! left the majority of the party
including the most aged grandmother
at the restaurant. and the bride and
| bridegroom were among the most valiant
| OF the merrymakers. [ was assured that
nobody would think of going home before
| 6 o'clock In the morning. But after spend
| 1873 hours in celebrating the happy event.
l considered l had done my duty and de-
served a rest.