Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-30

/ groom IL conducted into the inner depart
ment ofthe house, where no persons are al.
| lowed 70 enter, except bis father, priest and
the barber. AS be passes through a narrow
entry the young women throw at him q
I copious shower of pastry made of raw rice
1 and m0lasses. The place for the marriage
| ceremony is furnished thus: Two painted
seats Of board for the bridegroom and the
bride; some other aushuns, small pieces OF
carpet for the priest and the parents; set Of
all sorts of household furniture used BY them,
and small throne, containing some images
Of their gods. The service is conducted in
| the Sanscrit language, which none but the
| priests can understand. After the prelimi-
nary service the young couple look at each
| other for the first time, which is called
| sheo6toHiFsty--4go interview. This good
] interview, OF rather first interview relieves
the young man from his doubts and fears in
I regard to the bride, and she, toe, feels a like
anxiety. Her face is covered with vail,
and she can not see her husband; she only
knows that she is going to marry some one,
| and her definite knowledge of him ends with
this fact. They require the bridegroom to
stand on piece ofpainted board, then the
bride is brought, sitting on similar seat,
and supported by two or four men, as the
ease requires. By them she is raised in the
air, and as the bridegroom looks eagerly. the
face then being unvailed, some young women
| give blows on his back, sides and shoulders.
| Receiving the first-expected blow from the
| gentler sex, he turns to the direction from
| whence 1t comes, and others favor him with
more from various quarters. He, no doubt,
feels very badly, and greatly confused, and
# he be stout and grown-up, young man,
he bears these blows with manly fortitude,
and If not, he cries little.
| have heard of some boys, who, unable to
| bear these invasions, looking up cried aloud,
! ma, shall not marry They then ex-
| change two flower garlands, which can be
done in Bengal all the year round. The
| priest then binds their four hands with a
! cord made of flowers, and causes them to
| recognize each other as lawful husband and
wife. The guests remain sitting during
this part of the ceremony, and the father Of
! the bride, her uncle, or mother, is required
| to take part in the ceremony, and dedicate
her to the bridegroom. At the conclusion
the priests receive their fees, according to
some fixed orders. For instance, if the
bridegroom pays So to the priest of the bride,
her father is required to pay double the sum
to the other priest The entertainment OF
the guests then takes place in the yard, hall,
porticos and other places. The Brahmins
sit in one place, the Shoodras in another,
and thus each, according TO the rank held in
the caste system. Some difficulties vet dis
turb the bridegroom in the dining-room.
The women contrive various sorts Of fun to
plague him.. They set cakes made of rags,
rice made of white corks on the plate, and
milk composed of Vi hite chalk and water
good things are, of course, given by-and-by,
but these he dare not touch lest there be
other hidden difficulties. In order to give
some distinct idea of the fun the young wo-
men practice on this occasion, l would men
tion the sad case of my uncle. They dug a
vat in the floor, four feet square aud as many
ieet deep purposely TO perpetrate joke upon
| mo Of 81 "a a g
the seat, supported by frail sticks. Poor
nnclel unconscious Of the hidden trap, sat on
II, and down he went, In order to add more
| to his embarrassment, there was water at the
bottom Of the vat. Judging from these, and
witnessing other kinds of plagnes, l should
say the marriage night is rather hard time
for Bengalee bridegroom. .r
| The bdshdr ghor, or brides chamber, l.
crowded with women during the night, who
entertain the married couple with songs,
make the bridegroom sing and answer, if
| he can, some puzzling questions enigmas,
&c. The reader will notice that here there
| is allowed free intercourse in speech between
the men and the women. But it should
here be explained that these women must be
sisters of the bride or her, brothers wives,
near or distant relations. Her mother or
aunts, who in law woEld be such to the
bridegroom, do not enter into the mirth of
the bashar ghOr. The next morning his
father has to pay some money to the follow
ing persons the policeman of the village,
tho man who teaches in the school, the
Brahmin who teaches free the Sanscrit
scholars, the men who take care of the tenn
pie, images, &C.. the poor, low caste people,
and a generous sum to the women who en-
terrain, or rather, plague the night previous.
he then starts for his own village with his
wife and some of the servants. Both she
and her mother bathe in tears as they part,
Being received at his house, he stands in the
yard on q painted seat, and the girl before
\ him on dish with milk in it. She holds q
live fish in her right hand, and he stretches
out and puts his hand on her head Seven
married women walk round them seven
times, blowing some shunko, and pouring
water on the ground from pitcher as they
walk. DO rr-.r
Then comes the "bride's feast" at whiel
hundreds of different castles are invited, if sht
besa Brahmin. The persons invited from thS
relatives and friends see the face of the bride
and put some money in her hand. When
they see her, the attendant maid takes of
the vail from her face and she closes hel
eyes, This mode is very good indeed, fol
no body can notice the color or size Of hel
eyes, whether they are dark-blue, brunette
large, small or cross. When her own cast,
sit at the dinner, she brings little rice L
some Of theleading men.
The full shoLJdi, or bed made of flowers
together with large quantity of spices, con
fections, fruits and clothes, are sent by he
father on the third day after the marriage
which are distributed TO the families in I'll,
neighborhood. After staying through eigh
days, she returns to her fathers house, anJ
occasionally goes to her new home until shl
attains her thirteenth year, when she com
mences regular married life. As it is m,
desire to relate the scenes of Hindoo life, it
manners, customs and peculiarities as faith
fully as the rules of propriety will allow,
should say that there is a second mRrriag
y which occurs during two or three years afte
the first, which forbear TO describe. 'Erll
PHILOSOPHY OPPOSED 10 RoGUERY.-
Rogues are rarely philosophers, or they
would not be rogues. The equilibrium .
things, so nicely adjusted to universal fair
dealing, is disturbed by the slightest deyis
ton from right; as on strings stretched il
/ every direction, a thrill passes to the socia
limit of the central offending blow, Th
culprit feels, although he may be uneon
scious Of the feeling, that all unseen power
and intelligences are in league against hin
By dint Of self-c0ntrol be may bear an IN
moved face; but his soul is alert and snspi
cious, ano whisper, look, OF a rustl
l frightens him. No cunning can effectuall
evade this law; the more artful 90 a littl
: farther, that is ALL It Is q curious fact, tbs
} in its operation the expertest Theft taker
: the world Is habit--not in great things n,
cessarily, but Just as much In little thing
nOta wise, ohssrylng or thoughtful man
: 1 habit. but even more cOmmOnlV a simpl