Hans played his part admirably, and
was even complimented by the worthy old
magistrate for his conduct, when he gave him as
a reward half of the forty dollars which I
handed over. Then, having once secured his
reward, with consummate ability he began to
find extenuating circumstances for me—"that
I was an Englishman, unconscious of the law,
&c."—till at last we all three became excellent
friends, and, at a wink from Hans, I asked them
both to come up to the house and sup with me.
They accepted readily, and under the influence
of a stiff glass of hot grog with, and a good
London cigar, the old Foged's heart relented so
far, that he actually offered to remit the fine. Of
course I refused, and begged him to distribute
it amongst the poor, only asking him not to let
my name figure in the paper.

MODERN FRENCH MARRIAGES.

FRENCH laws and customs respecting
marriage, although they cannot erase and obliterate
the natural distinction of sex, confer complete
equality and fraternity. A Frenchwoman is
not only a wife at bed and board, she is also a
partner in business and a joint proprietor, without
whose consultation and consent no important,
step can be taken. She knows when a bill is
due, as well as, or better than, her husband. She
can consent to, or forbid, her children's
marriage. She never sinks her maiden name, but
attaches it to that of her spouse in a form very
little differing from that of commercial
associations. Mr. White starts a concern with Mr.
Black; they announce their joint undertaking
as WHITE AND BLACK. M. White married to
Mdlle. Black, are known to the world as
WHITE-BLACK. A hyphen, or an AND, makes
all the difference. The same kind of fraternity
also frequently occurs—quite as a matter of
course, existing in the nature of things—in the
talk talked, in the books read, in the songs
listened to, and in the double meanings laughed
at jointly by a Frenchman and his wife.

But while the laws of property and marriage
do all they can to rivet the chains of matrimony,
there are other influences which work in an
opposite direction. Thus, moments of repulsion
are sure to occur between a girl firmly grounded
in a religion of rituals, scrupulous of small
observances, and looking no further, and a man
who believes few religious dogmas, or, if he
admits their spirit, will not be fettered by their
letter. But above every other cause likely to
prove the germ of future estrangement, is the
way in which French matches are made.

Many of the French themselves are far from
being satisfied on this head, and have even the
boldness to quote with approbation the advantages
offered by the English system as far as
happiness is concerned. Some acknowledge it
in theory, and would, if they could, reconcile
two opposites—interest and disinterestedness
As they cannot, the sacrifice required by
disinterestedness proves much too hard to be
accomplished. Like the young man in Scripture, they
risk their chance of heaven rather than give up
large possessions. The amount of recent literature
relating to marriage, shows the heaving
of the popular mind. We have The Dramas
of Marriage, by Benjamin Gastneau; The
Manufacture of Marriages, by Paul Féval;
The Marriages of To-day, by Philibert
Audebrand; and The Marriages of Paris, by
Edmond About. Among all these matrimonial
lucubrations, we greatly prefer M. Thévenin's
"Marriage in the Nineteenth Century, as it is,
and as it ought to be," which is at the same time
serious, sensible, and pleasant.

French society, according to M. Thévenin,
distinguishes two sorts of marriages; one called
"of reason," the other "of inclination." An
excellent treatise might be written on the
respectable words which, in every age, society has
employed to designate, or rather to screen, the
ugliest realities. Every day we hear swindlers
talk of honour, fanatics of moderation, poltroons
of courage. In the wars of nations, both sides
fight in the name of justice, right, and humanity.
Marriage is not exempt from the same reproach.
To call one sort of marriage "a marriage of
reason," is to beg the question, close all debate,
and condemn marriages of any other sort. It
is the old story of one-half of the human race
despising the prejudices of the other half, while
religiously adhering to their own. What right
have certain marriages to assume to themselves
the sole and exclusive patronage of reason?

By "marriages of reason" is generally
understood marriages concluded under the following
conditions, varying in form according to the
position of the contracting parties, but exactly
the same in principle: equality of fortune,
position, and social relations. Any infraction of
the rule is certain ruin.

Marriage, for these algebrists of the human
heart, is an equation whose terms must be on
both sides identical. Unfortunately, the
unknown quantity thence resulting, often upsets
their wisest and wariest calculations. How
can we expect it to be otherwise, when we
remember the means employed to make sure of
the equilibrium which is declared indispensable
between the two belligerents? For the parties,
who are to become man and wife, begin by
making mutual war.

The strategy of the matrimonial campaign is
this:—A young man, getting on for thirty, tired
of a single life, without parents, or expecting
soon to lose them, exercising a profession whose
seriousness is more suited to a family man than
to a bachelor, or possessing a handsome
competency of which a wife alone can do the honours
—this young man desires to marry. In his
more or less extended circle of acquaintance,
he does not know a single girl whose outward
charms have made much impression on him, or
whose fortune is large enough to tempt him;
nevertheless, he wishes to get married. He
confides his intentions to two or three friends.
Oh! mon Dieu, he will not be over-particular.
Provided the young lady belong to a well-considered