Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-01-08
How They MARRY IN GERMANY.


TO marriage as is possessed by mem bers Of the
gentIer sex. q like that adjective better than
softer, as being less ambiguous.) Ladies. /
= fancy, are endov ed with special Ia en-, for
the study Of marriage alliances, descents, and
pedigrees--such matters, in short, as pedan-
TIC individuals might call " the preiminares,
ooncomitants, consequents, and various rela.
tIons Of cOnnubial life"
These being my sentiments, the above my
testimony, it is no marvel that when the de-
sire Of knowing something about what in Ger
many are called "silver weddings" and
golden weddings" came upon me, that |
should address myself for information to a
German lady.
She sat down, and applied hersefto the task
OF exposition, with the true gusto OF one who
is about to be employed in some highly con-
genial occupation. Some Of my readers who
are acquainted with Eastern romance may re-
member how, at the end Of each days march
little paunchy FadlAdeen sat himself down.
shut his little eyes--the better to favor med.
itation-aud pronounced bis opinions oracu-
! larly; all the while he did so. never oeasing
to interlace his little fingers, and twrl bis lit
/ tie thumbs. Whenever party" falls into
this attitude and adopts this bearing, it is a
sure sign of some highly elaborate utterance
speedily coming to pass--of the intention to
deal with the case iu hand from the beginning
onwards to exhaustion. Such was the atti-
tude and bearing assumed for the occasion by
my German lady informant.
The silver wedding" said ,he musinQly,
the golden wedding. Oh yes but will
begin with the real wedding. No, (after a
pause.) ! must go back further-must begin
. vii NJ.
still in short, with the beginning"
Somewhat apprehensve that my fair inform
ant would commence with the birth, rearing,
and education Of the two illustrative lovers
that were in process of time to become two
'Ponses, (bride and bridegroom lastly, hus-
band and wife not forgetting to expatiate on
the little rulings which disturb the current
o. all true love, ventured to tell my fair
friend that the very slightest notice of prelim.
inaries would suffice for the occasion. She
bowed assent
When in Germany gentleman expert
ences tender sentiment for lady" (thus
spoke my informant " the fret thing he does
is to speak to her mamma and papa. II mann
ma and papa look approviugly. then the gen.
tlemRn asks consent to pay his addresses to
the young lady; II not, there the matter
ends"
l opened my eyes.
" Has the young lady nothing to say on ber
own behalf" demanded /.
" Not much It's not like in England. We
do things differeuty in Germany. Our way
is betiet-far better"
" Why better - | somewhat hurriedly ex-
claimed more hurredly, perhaps, than might
have seemed polite.
MLu halter ~ o,ho.I 4, - l.
cause Il is
could not be otherwise than satisfied with
the lady-like logic of the answer.
=" IL the lady's papa and mamma see no OBJ
lection, and if the gen,leman's papa and nam
ma zee no objection, the two young people
exchange rings, become engaged, call them
selves bride and bridegroom, and advertise
their engagement IN the newspapers"
" Pleasant" though. |.
-" But II the lady should happen to see
gentleman she loyes better remarked |,
deferentally.
Quick as quick could be, my last words
were caught up.
woman never loves twice." observed
my informant. "Women are not like men"
did not argue the point, but went on def |
erentially, to suggest the hypothetical case Of
change of feeling and opinion on the gentle |
mans part
"A German young gentleman is only too
happy to get good wife, said she " lie
doesen't want to change his mind. He wants
somebody to clean his pire. cook for him.
make his coffee, and bring his slippers. Ger
mans are quite different from Englishmen."
Different! How; Whyi"
Because they are,' said she.
Cnull ho 9th ID IL
If engagements are thus irrevocable."
inquired, why don't the young people get
married at once
II was stupid question | ought to have
reflected upon the pecuniary means. That
was not, however, the point of view from which
my fair questioner contemplated the marriage
pos ostponemenl.
The bride and bridegroom wait long
time-years sometimes, she informed me-
- occupied in studying each Others characters.
Moreover, it is pretty practice, at least, in
some parts of Fatherland, for the lady, how
ever poor, to furnish the house, and find all
the linen"
1t was explained to me that lady's want
Of dover did not prevent this, inasmuch as
each of her friends would give present--none
Of the trumpery trinkets such as people give
'n thls pouutI1i put goous buOnthhtlhl mousse
hold goods-one, a wheelbarrowful of crock
sry, we may say another, a stove yet anoth-
er, what shall we say IA bed, perhaps, and
thus to eyey detail. In Germany almost the
majority Of people are Government employees
and in this case mans income is known to !
The farthest penny. A young lady does not
expect to begin welded life with all the lux
uries owened by her parents.
" At any rate, continued my informant, =
. early marriages are more frequent in Ger 4
many than in England; aud inssmuch as the
battle of life is mere easily fought in Germrny l
han here, am disposed to think that, upon \
The whole, married life is happier. The we'd
ling day being fixed, we come to the polteIs
,bend'
" II you consult your German dictionary" /
said she, "you will find that potter means !
a great nose-what your English boys call
kicking up great row. WE'LL bride and
bridegroom. brides friends and bridegrooms {
friends meet together on the evening before
the wedding, and eat and drink and make {
merry together. As to amusements, they are !
a matter OF taste, and vary, as you may sup
pose, with the rank Of bride and bridegroom;
but singing, dancing music, and blindman's
buff are usual. Well, the next day comes !
The wedding, of which / need remark no
nore,' observed my fair informant, than
l.N A