The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-11-29

of Calmuck girl ever being overta
ken unless she is really fond of he
Ipursuer. tEttIi
The Arabs divide their affections
between their horses and their wives
and regard the purity of blood IN the
former quite as much as in their of,
spring. Polygamy is practiced only
by the rich, and divorces are rare.
In Ceylon the marriage proposal
is brought about by the man first
sending to her whom he wishes to
become his wife, to purchase her
clothes. These she sells for stipu-
lated sum generally asking as much
as she thinks requisite for them to
begin the world with. In the even
ling he calls on her with the wardrobe,
at her fathers house, and they pass
the night in each others company
Next morning, if mutually satisfied,
they appoint the day of marriage
They are permitted to separate when
ever they please, and so frequently
avail themselves of this privilege that
they sometimes change dozen times
before their inclinations are wholly
suited. q .-FE atnrasH -
In Hindoostan the women have q
peculiar veneratiOn for marriage, as
it is part of the popular creed that
those women who die virgins are eX-
cluded from the joys of paradise. In
that precocious country the women
begin to bear children about the age
of twelve, some even at eleven. The
proximity of the natives to the burn
ing sun, which ripens men and wo-
men, as well as plants, at the s.T,ii;;es.
period in those tropical latitudes, is
assigned as the cause The distin-
guished marks of the Hindoo wife are
the most profound fidelity, submis.
sion and attachment to her husband.
On the banks of the Senegal and
among many African tribes. the mat
rimonial prize most sought after is
the abundance of flesh. To obtain
corpulence is regarded as the only
comeliness. A female who moves
with the aid of two men is but q mod
crate beauty : while the lady who
cannot stir, and is only TO be moved
on a camel, is estimated as perfect
paragon.
Nor is this queer obesity in woman
confined to the savage of the torrid
zone, since we read in WraXall' s
Travels in Russia, that in order to
possess any degree of loveliness, a
woman must weigh at least two hun
dred weight" The Empress Eliza
beth and Catharine XI., both account
ed very fine women, were of, this
massive kind.
In Italy matches are made with
proverbial levity, and marriage VOWS,
if reports speak true, are easily bro
ken. Young virgins are systematic
ally bartered and sold by their pa
rents, and young people are married
every day who never saw each other
before. Concubinage is constant
remedy these ill advised and deceit
full marriages, and the peculiar italian
cicisbeo indicates the idemnity which
custom describes for the fair sex fet-
tered to husbands unloyed- 5tC
In France, as has often been re-
marked, women monopolize all the
society and a large share Of business
life. The coffee houses, the theaters,
the shops, the carbarets or drinking
shops are filled with women. Woman
lord it at all assemblies, and are bet
ter informed and more capable mes
sengers than men. Marriage is look
ed upon not so much as matter Of
affection as of interest, and the sa-
credness of the tie is proportionately
slender.
Marriage in Sweden is commonly
governed wholly by the will of the
parents, and is founded upon inter
est. A stolen match is almost un-
heard of, and persons of either sex
seldom marry before the age of TWEEN
ty-five or thirty. Divorces are very
rare. EFEu .sFfH sfEf
Russia appears to be the mostpros-
porous country in Europe in its treat
ment of woman. The nuptial cere-
monies, all and singular, are based
upon the idea of the degradation OF
the female When the parents have
agreed upon the match, ths bride is
lexamined by number of women to
see if she has any bodily defect. On
her wedding day she is crowned with
garland of wOrmwOOd, to denote
the bitterness of the married state.
She is exhorted to be obedient to her
husband, and il is a custom in some
districts for a newly married wife to
present the bridegroom with a whip,
i'm token of submission, and with this
he seldom fails to show his authority
In that cold and crnel country, hus
bands are sometimes known to tor.
ture their wives to death without any
punishment for the murder. Ii 8
woman proves barren, the husband
generally prevails on her toretife in.
to a convent and leave him at liberty,
If he fails in persuasion, he is per
mitted to whip her into obedience.
Such is the slavery in which Mus
covites are kept by their parents and
guardians, that they are not allowed
to dispute any union agreed upon by
their elders, however odious or in.
compatible it may be- THIS extends
lso far that officers in the army art
not permitted to marrywithout Tho
jcohsent of the sovereign, and wives
whom they. do not want are ever
sometimes forced upon them.
| Whether it be the result of this
System of oppression, or of their saw
faee climate, or Of the unnatural hot
ar of their stove heated apartments
lit is certain that more unlovely sci
of women than the Russian would bt
difficult to find. "They want" say.
an English traveller, 8" the genuin,
flavor which only nature can give
That charming firmness and elastiei
/ ty of flesh, SO indisputably requisite
Ito constitute beauty. and. SO deiiciou'
Ito the touch, exist not among the
Russian females, or in very few o
them"
We are told by the Aleutian Island
ers, who form part of our Russian
american acquisition that they msr
Try one, two or three wives, as they