Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-10-14

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ty are synonymous, 4 nd a woman g
, moderate pretensions must be oneWhC
cannot walk without slave under
each arm to support her, whilst ;
perfect beauty is cdmel's load.
In Turkey, a child twelve or thir
teen years Of age is snatched from
the house of her parents, and con-
signed to the keeping Of an insolent
land ill-mannered boy only few years
older. She must h prself have be-
come a mother befor re the rules Of
eastern etiquette pt, indeed, al
ways strictly observed ALLOW her to
enjoy again a mother converse. In
the meantime, she remains generally
under the guardianship Of her moth
er-in-law, and is exposed to all the
rudeness and caprice of her boy hus-
band. A t times, if His victim show
no immediate signs of becoming a
mother, he takes it i hto his head to
repudiate her-in viii ch case she re-
turns to her parents house, where
she must wait three months, to see
whether her husband Is pleased to re-
pent his precipitate conduct, and de-
mand her back. Twice the husband
may repudiate his wife; but after the
third time he cannot, by the laws of
Islamism, receive her again, and she
may become the " ife OF another
When Il ark decides upon taking
a wife, his female friends inspect the
pedigree al hid personal qualifications
of the intended bride. Her hair is
shaken up and comb@d, to show that
lit is her own; her mo nth is examined
for false teeth; and her cheeks and
eyebrows are well scrubbed, that any
coloring matter may be removed.
The day before her marriage, the
bride goes to the bath, and is washed
by three or four women with great
care. This ceremony is SO solemn,
that her nearest relations walk be-
fore her with lighted torches in their
hands. In the wedding procession,
the bride rides with veil over her
face, accompanied by her servants,
who make a great clamor, and pre-
tend, as in the case Of Jephtha's
daughter, to lament her loss. The
Turks may marry their sisters, pro-
yided they begin with the eldest; for
if they begin with the youngest,
they cannot marry the Others. He
is allowed four lawful wives.
The shortest courtships are in
Georgia and Cireassia. Marriages
are often contracted from sudden res
oIution, and are celebrated either in
the church or in their own houses.
They come under 70 obligation, cz-
eept that made before witnesses, TO
be faithful, and not to be united to
another as long IS either lived The
ceremony is performed by putting a
crown on the heads of the bride and
bridegroom, using these words, and
naming the person: ''Let the ser
want of God (here the name) be
crowned by the servant Of God (here
the priests name.)" The garments
of the man and woman are now
seKed together, and the priest gives
them glass of wine, Of which both
partake; he then cuts the thread by
which their garments are held to-
gether, and all the ceremonies Of the
marriage are ended.
In Wallachia and Mloldavia mar
riage is br ought about BY the audac-
ity of party of reevers, or women
stealers, who take away the bride by
force from the house Of her relations,
and place her under the protection of
the bridegroom, to whom she IS mar.
ried without further ceremony.
In Zocatara they indulge in poly |
gamy, and may change their wives
at pleasure, by carrying them into
market, u public place, whore they
may also exchange With others, for
time or forever.
Among the ancient Assyrians, a
singular mode of providing husbands
for plain young ladies was adopted. |
Every year all their marriageable wo-
men were assembled, and put up to |
auction. A spirit of competition
among the rich men raised the price |
to very considerable sums, which
were appropriated to the purpose of
portioning off such young women as
were less handsome, and consequent
ly less admired The more ugly a |
girl was, the larger was her dowry,l