The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-06

acter as marriage In certain cantOns-in Mis-
solonghi for instance betrothed young man
enjoys all the rights of a husband. They delay
the celebration of the union until the promise Of
its first fruits. If the future bridegroom, after
the conscientious celebration of his betrOthal,
were to draw back from completing his engage
ment, his refusal would cost him his life. A
story is told of betrothed young man who took
refuge on board Portuguese ship on the eve OF
his wedding. He died at Lisbon of a stab with
a knife 1t is difficult to break off marriage
which Is not yet completed, nothing is easier
than to undo it when it is done. The papas, or
priests, are not incorruptible, and, if you know
by which end to handle them. will contrive to
discover in the most regular union five or SIX ln-
formalites, sufficient to annul the marriage
Alter having lived with your wife forty years,
they will make lG point OF conscience to de-
clare that you have been enormously married,
and that the person IN question Is nothing to
you. But it costs very dear, as Panurge says.
If it pleases you to have been married, whilst it
dlSpleases you to be married still, divorce shines
for all the world. Certain ladies are to be seen
in Athens who have been divorced three times,
and who could ask their three husbands to dim
ner without the publics having right to find
fault with them But divorce is luxury which
humble people scarcely ever indulge in.
The rural districts are tenanted by exemplary
households. The honest creatures pass their
lives without passion and without coquetry.
Once married, the most elegant peasant girl
takes no trouble to please even her husband ;
her whole pleasure and her glory consist in rear
ing the greatest possible number of children.
She is pei fectly satisfied with her own appear
ance, If she can take a walk on Sunday, prece-
ded by her husband and followed by five or six
| of her progeny. She takes no care to hide on
sustain the formidable source whence the whole
little family have drawn their sustenance. She
advances with majestic and protruding step, like
goose. The song says, 81 Sink down, ye noun
tains, that may behold Athina-Athina my
beloved, who walks like GOOSE" Mothers ol
families have profound pity for women who
! have the misfortune to be without children
| When journeying, the travellers were asked by
all the men whether they were married by tht
women if their mothers had many children.
is said that when King Otho was going abOu
the country with his young queen, to show he
to the people, the wife of demarque, or mayor
who came to compliment her sovereign, tapped
her uncermoniousty on the stomach, asking
:" When are you going to give us an heirY
| The rivalry of the mothers of families ought, IL
twenty years, to have doubled the population o
the kingdom; but the fever has put things il
order. In summer children die off like flies
Those who survive are mostly spndle-shankeC
and potbellied until they attain their thirteenth
or fourteenth year. The parents rescue all the,
can, and don't oyertask themselves in bewailins
the rest; they know that up to thirteen year
their children existence is precarous. A higl
functionary was once asked how many childrel
he had had He answered, reckoning them OIL
his fingers, "Eeven or twelve; don't know
exactly; have seven left"