The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-10-21
LAPLAND 1ovB-NrAK1Na.


in large stock of brandy, and his parents,
relatives and friends meet in ns great num-
bers as possible, to treat the friends of tho
bride desired. Neither bride or bridegroom
is expected to betray anxiety or interest in
| the proceedings the Arctic Mrs. Grundy,
! who is very strict in such matters, would
! be very much scandalzcd if they should.
! Besides the great mass Of relatives and
| friends, of aunts and fourth cousins, who
must attend, there is a still greatcrnumbcr Of
outsiders, who are attracted by their curl
| osity to sec whether any body gets the nit
| ten. The intensity of their curiosity is to
some extent determined by tho amount of
! brandy circulating. On the side of the
I gallant there is a spokesman called .SOgn-
Onaire. Brandy flask in hand, he goes over
| to the other party, and offers liquid hospi-
tality to the father and mother of the young
lady. This is signal of indiscriminate
attack of similar nature by the entire in
vadinG party upon the lady's friends
Everybody drinks to her father, everybody
drinks to her mother, and she herself is
borne in grateful memory. When all are
sufficiently clated, the proposal is embodied
in long speech vibrating between poetry
and prose. Her parents ask to sec tho
kileh, the wooing presents. If they are
accepted the matter is settled, and there is
nothing more but to 60 the next day to the
parson, to get tthem published. Most match
cs arc made at the fairs and great festivals,
but theyrare never made without brandy
Indeed, 'Courting with brandy is n pro-
verb among Lsplanders equivalent to the
French CONNIE IL .Eam. When the lady is
rich, and the sutor is not, he very often
throws his brandy away. The influence of
riches in matrimonial matters is nowhere
felt more stronly than here; dress counts
for nothing: one sheepskin is as good as
another. Rank is determined only by the
number of reindeer man owns. Practi-
cally, marriage is n mere matter of bargain
and sale. Still. the Laplanders recognize
the sacredncss of the relation in their way.
The silver which they pay for their bride
must not be in the shape of rIx dollars, il
must be made up into ornaments. This is
better than nothing. If n mnrrinp pn j. hrn-
ken of, the party who takes divorce gen.
orally returns the bridal presents, and the
more conscientious add gift for the vast.
ed brandy. So, too, when the parents say,
no many are so generous as to pay for tho
brandy. As all the relatives have u word
to say, there is generally good deal of
quarrelling before the answer is agreed
upon, and some management is required,
oftentimes. to make it favorable
Pastor Fjellstrom tells of wedding in
Jockmock in which he was interested for
the wooer. Several attempts had been
made in vain before he was engaged as
spokesman. An old woman overwhelmed
everything and deafened everybody with
opposition to the match. When he camo
in she yelled out: No, no, it shan't be;
not even if the hesh-eater's son comes, no
shan't havo her. Fjellstrom, then stu
dent, saw that nothing could be dono so
whispered to u magistrate, who was also
enlisted on the same side, to get tho old
woman out Of the way somehow or other.
Soon she found herself in the street she
growlcd about tho door like Il gad fly in al
empty barrel ratified and slam med, shrick-
cd and sworc but conld not get in, as the
magistrate held the door. Meantime tho
matter was successfully concluded. FELL
strom had brought better brandy; his faith
er WAS the parson; he spoke better, and
IT
were ready to go to the parsons the door
was opened and the old hag rushed in; but
she was too late.
The Importance of having an influential
spokesman can hardly be over estimated.
They are often paid for their services. An
odd affair came off in Aricploug at the last
fair An old widowcr, bearing the eupho-
NOUS name of Styx, struck with tho
crazy iden--so all his country people thought
it-of making advances to the widow of
foreigner, who held her head above every
body else in the village, a. her husband had
been district magistrate. Styx, who saw
that the matter would be one of great diff
fculty, went to the richest man in the village,
aud begged him to be his spokesman. He
thought that his age and standing would
have their influence, and offered him. in
case Of success, n brass kettle, which, like
Homer's heroes, he described. They could
not gree, however: tic desired spokesman
wanted the kettle al any rate. while Styx
would give it to him if be succeeded. Tho
whole party was remarkable; Styx was
seventy years old-his Dulcinea sixty, and
the spokesinanOyereighty. Although StyK
could not make the brass kettle bargain,
be kept his courage up. and resolved to do
AS we'll a. ho could in person. He weut
to her and said You have cows, | have
reindeer-look at me am just like yonr
first husband and more of the same sort.
The whole thing seemed SO comic TO tho
proud Sigrid Stozada. that far from getting