Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-09-04
Gboitt Mlistellmpy.
Iapland Ioye-Making.

When a young gentleman in Lspland
desires to assume new responsibilities he
lays in a large stock of brandy, and his
parents relatives and friends meet in as great
numbers as possible, to treat the friends of
the bride desired. Neither bride nor BRIDE
groom is expected to betray anxiety OF in
terest in the proceedings; the Arctic Mrs
Grundy whU is very strict in such matters.
would be very much scsndaIized if they
should Besides the great mass of relatives
and friends. of aunfs and fourth COUSINS who
must attend, there is still greater of out
siders. who are attracted by their curiosity
to see whether anybody gets the mitten-
The intensity of their curiosity is to some
extent determined hy the amount of brandy
circulating. On the side of the gallsnt
there is spokesmen called Soononaius :
BRANDY flask in hand, he goes over to the
other party, and offers liquid hospitality to
the father and mother of the young ladv :
This is signal for an irdiscriminate attack
of similar nature by the entire invading
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 sufficient
ly elated, the proposal is embodied in a long
speech, vibrating between poetry and prose.
Her parents ask to see the 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 them
published. Most matches are made at the
fairs and great festivals, but they are never
made without brandy. Indeed, "Courting
with Brandy" is a proverb among Laplard-
ers equivalent to the French conn,e IL fdut
When the lady is rich, and the suitor is not,
be very often throws his brandy away. The
influence of riches in matrimonial matters
is nowhere felt more strongly than here:
dress counts for nothing; one sheepskin is
as good as another. Rank is determined
only by the Number OF reindeer man ou ms.
Practically, marriage is mere matter of
bargain and sale. Still, the Laplanders re-
cognize the sacredness of the relation in
their way. The silver which they pay for
their brides must not be in the shape of six
dollars-it must be made up into ornaaents.
This is better than nothing. If marriage
is broken of, the party who takes divorce
generally returns the bridal presents,and the
more, conscientious add gift for the wasted
brandy. So, too, when parents say mo,
many are SO generous as 10 paw for the
brandy AS all the relatives have word
to sav, there is generally good deal oI
quarrelng before the answer is agreed up.
on, and some management is required, often
times, to make it favorable.
Pastor FjelIstorms tells Of wedding ir
. Jeckmock in which he was interested fol
the wooer. Several attempts had been made
in vain before he was engaged as spokes
mar. An old woman overwhelmed every
thing and deafen d everybody with her op
position to the match. When he came il
she yelled out: "No, no. it shan't be; no
even if the fesheater's son comes, he shan
have her," Fjellstrom, then student, saw
that nothing could be doEe SO long as th
old hsrpy was around. and whispered to
magistrate, who was also enlisted on tb
same side, to get the old woman out Of ta'
way somehow or other. Soon she toun
herself in the street: she growled about tn
door like CAD fy in an empty barrel; rat
tied and slammed, shrieked and swore, bu
could not get in, as the magistrate held m
door, Meantime the matter as successful
ly concluded Fjellsiro m had brought bet
ter brandy; his father was the Parson, b
spoke better, Ind offered few more pre-
sents. When they were ready to 60 to tn