Marriage In France

Loverscannot enter lightly into wedock in France. A hasty marriage is a legal Impossibility. The formaliües bat must L complled with before the mayor ma; tic the knot sometimes exend over spvfral months. Only the Ivil marriage is recognized in law. Our own form of marriage by prlest or minister is regarded by Frenen law as practically a civil ceremony, as it involves filinsc a certificate with the board of health. Under the French law a girl may not marry unt.il she is after 15 years cid ánd a man until he is more han 18. I{ the girl has been betrayed his section oí t!:e law is not opera;ive. Men under 25 and women under 21 must have the consent of their fahers and tnothers. After that age the consent of the father alone is necessary. The father may withhold his consent for three months. The son or the daughter must ask him three times. If he refuses the third time and both are of legal age they may be married without the paternal blessing. When the vvoman is 25 and the man is 30 they are required to ask the father only twice. The asking must be through a notary. who makes au official record of the fact. After the man has passed 30 and the woman 2'5 years the law supposes that they have acquired enough wisdom not to need the sanction of their parenU After having waited for the approv il of the head of the home and received it the patiënt French lovers must post at the mairie of their arrondissement (each ward in Paris has its mayor) on two successive Sundays the announcement that Armand is going to marry Suzette and that if anyboay lias any objection he or she shall file it with the mayor or h's assistant. If nobody has objection the lovers may be united three days after the posting of the second notice. If there should be objection the mayor looks into it. This investigation is systematic and may take another week - maybe more. If the objection turns out not to be legal Armand and Suzette may stand up before the mayor, sign their names in a big book, and get out a certifícate. If they are good Catholics (Suzette usually is, although Armand like as not may be a freethinker) they will go to the priest and get mar ried again. As a rule the priest who performs the religious ceremony is a witness at the civil service. A priest is not aliowed to give a certifícate of marriage or marry a couple who have not previously been married by the mayor. If the mayor does not comply with the letter of the law in regard to all ante-nuptial requiremeuts he is liable to imprisonment for six months. A citizen of Prance who returns to his country with the intention of living there, after marrying in a foreign land, must within three moiitbs ofter his return have hit certifícate registered at the office of the mayor nearest the piace where he resides. The Count de Castellane will, therefore, have his marriage certifícate - the civil onc, although the other would be accepted - registered when he eets to France.