Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-09-25
Marriage in RgEnIt,

When an Egyptian wants wife, he is not
allGwet!to visit the harems of his friends to
select oBe, for Mohammed forbade men to
see the face of any woman they could marry,
that is to sny, any besides their mothers or
sisters Ashan is, therefore, obliged to eni.
pioy "khatbeh, or matchmaker, t0finCt one
fSf him, for which service of course, She ex
poets ''blacksteep'At is, payt.eHt ipAe.
7khatbeh having found girl, reeomihends
lhef to thelman as exceedingly beautiful and
eminehtlyl suitable to him THE father is
then waited upon to ascertain the do%ry he
requires; for all wives are purchased, as they
were IN spatriarchal days. WHEN Jacob had
no money to pdy for Rachel, he served her
iather seven years as an eqUivalenS,Ind, when
duped, was Ohliged,to serve a second time to
secure his prize. (Gen,, XXXIX.) Fathers
still refuse to give young daughter in mar
riage before au elder shall have been married,
The people of .Arrheria;i in Asiatie Turkey,
forbid younger son to marry before an elder:
and this is likewise the law of the. Hindoos.
The price of a wife varies from Eve shillings
to fifteen hundred dollars. The girl may not
be more than five or six years,old, but what
ever her age. two-thirds of the d6wrS''is at
once paid to the father, in the presence of
witnesses. The father then, or his represen-
tat1ve, says: 81 betroth to thee my daugh-
ter and the young man responds, stI accept
of such betrothal." Unless among the lower
classes, the father expends the d6WFy. in the
purchase "t dress, ornaments or funitIirel FIR
the.brida, which never becomes the property
Of her husband Even when betrothed: the
Intercourse of the parties is very restricted
The Arabs will not allow them to see each
other; but the Jews are not Quite so stringent.
The betrothals often continue for years before
the man demands his wife, thus: "Sampson
went down and talked to tile w6ioan,'' or es-
poused her, aud after time he returned to
take herr 4s.i'y, -.
Girls are demanded at the age or ten. and
between that and sixteen years; but after six
teen few men will seek them, and the dowry
expected is then proportionally low.
Glrls in Egypt are often mothers,at thirteen
and Srshdmothers at twenty-six; and III Per
sla they are said to be mothers at eleven and
grandmothers at twontytwoE When a man
demands his betrdthed, d day is. fixed for the
nuptials, and for seven nights before, he is
expected to give feast, which, however, is
furnished by the guests themselves.
| Thus one sends coffee, another rice, another
sugar, &c.
The principal time. for this continued feast
is the night before the consumnation.! Thb
! conduct is entrusted to the 'friend of the
bridegroom" (John iii. 29.) About the
middle Of thissday the Bride arrives at the
house and retires to the harem, where she
sits with hermother, sisters and female friends.
At the third or fourth watch of the night
three or four hours after sunset-the bride
groom, who has not yet seen :his fair one,
goes to the mosque to pray, accompanied by
''mashals,' or torches and lanterns, with
music. Upon his return he is introduced to
his bride, with whom, having given her at
tendants ,Preseirte rstire, he is. left, along.
He then throws off her vail, and for the first
e'sees her face: If satisfied he informs
the wetaen- without; who immediately express
thelr,joy by scrsapiihg. Zuggateet, (which
is echoed by the women in the house, and
then by those in the neighborhood.