obtained which, they cannot marry
if not of age under any circumstances; but when no longer minors, and
that they have conformed to what the law prescribes, they may be united
notwithstanding the opposition of their parents, but it is a case which
scarcely ever occurs. There is much more of family attachments and bond
of union between relations in France than there is with us, and at
marriages, funerals, and baptisms, the most distant cousins are all
brought together to be present at the ceremony, which amongst the higher
and middle classes has rather a pleasing effect; the bride arrayed in a
long white flowing veil decorated with orange flowers has a most
interesting appearance. Before being performed at the church, it must be
registered at the mayoralty.

When any one is deceased, black drapery is hung up outside the house,
and the coffin is brought within sight and burning tapers fixed around
it, and every one who passes takes off his hat, and if he chooses,
sprinkles it with holy water; chaunting over the coffin at the church is
sometimes continued for two hours, and the effect is very impressive.
Wherever the funeral procession proceeds along the streets every one who
meets it takes off his hat; in fact in no country is there more respect
paid to the dead. When a child has lost both its parents, it generally
happens that some relation will take it, even sometimes a second or
third cousin; this will happen often amongst the poorer people, they
hold it as a sort of sacred duty for relations to assist each other, a
feeling that I could wish to see more general in England, as I have
known too many instances where even brothers exhibited instances of
affluence and poverty. In my own neighbourhood, there was a case of a
Mr. N. living in good style, with livery servants, etc., and his own
brother working for him at 1_s._ 8_d._ a day as a common labourer,
although his fall in life had been entirely caused by misfortune and not
by his prodigality or mismanagement; such a circumstance could not have
existed in France; the peasants would have hooted the rich brother every
time he showed his face. The French people are too apt to take those
affairs in their own hands, and express their indignation in no
unmeasured terms. They are very prone to act from the impulse of the
moment, and are easily aroused in any cause where they consider
injustice has been enacted, and many of the persons concerned in the
press are well aware of t