Year: 1877

Marrying in France. -I 4

 That young girls and young men m France are sedulously kept apart, that wooing and winning are unnecessary preliminaries to French marriage, are facts that have been much commented upon; but hoeo they marry in France, and the etiquette of that very formal and buiness-like ceremonial, an1 the preliminaries considered necessary thereto, are, we believe, but little un- derstood on our side of the water.

 The first thing to be done is to go through that time-honored formality called popping the question. But a French aspirant for matrimonial honors is not allowed to make his proposals in person to the young lady. That would be sad breach of les conrendnces, and would probably horrify the je'pe per- sonne out of her seven senses. A friend is charged with the delicate office of asking her parents, not if they will ac- cept M. So-and-so for son-in-law, but if it would be agreeable to them to con- slider him in that possible light. Should the answer prove favorable, the gentle man may desire an interview with the lady's parents or guardians, at which interview the young lady must not be present. In this first interview all business questions, including the inn portant one of the dowry, and the all most equally important one of the young mans fortune, expectations, etc., are settled. Should all these preliminaries be favorably arranged, second inter- view is decided upon, and the day and hour vigorously settled beforehand. Exactly at the specified time the future bridegrooln must present himself, care fully but not too carefully dressed-that point is essential. His betrothed, in elegant but simple attire, awaits his coming, surrounded by her parents and relatives. After this first visit he is en- titled to be received as a pretendu, but must request admission to this privileg ge either by writing or through one of his near relatives. Permission once ac- corded, he is then for the first time pre- sented to his lady-lOve as her future husband, and may afterwards visit the house on an intimate but not familiar footing. He must always come in full dress, nor can his ,fancee receive him in other than a very careful toilet. A morning dress, no matter how fresh or tasteful, is completely inadmissible. The gentlman must invariably send his .fdncee a bouquet on the days that he intends to call. The engaged pair must never be permitted to indulge in a tete- a-tete, nor can they call each other by their first names without using the pre- fixes of monsieur and mademOiselle. An engagement ought to be kept secret, and should be announced only a few days before the signing of the contract. Of course, French engagements are usually very brief, such life of con- straint and formality being agreeable to neither party.

 These preliminary formalities having been scrupulously gone through with, next comes the question of the wedding, couple must be married twice over, once at the mayorality, in accordance with the law, and once at church to satisfy religious scruples. This latter cere- mony is by no means essential to the legality of the marriage; but not to be married in church is considered a proof of ,irreligion and republicanism of the most ultra type. Now comes an amount of bother which, to our extremely simple ideas as regards marriage, appears to be at once stupid and unnecessary. As 8