Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-06-18
Strange Marriage Gus
toms.

| Al SCyiou Iu0 uidiiidSS pIOpO
sal is brought about by the mar
sending money to her whom b,
wishes to become his wife to pur
lchase her clothes. In the eve
ming he calls ON her at her fathers
house, and they pass the night il
each others company. Next morn
ing, if mutually satisfied, they
appoint the day of marriage
They are permitted to separate
whenever they please, and so often
avail themselves of this privi.
lege, that they change a dozen
times before their inclinations are
wholly suited. In Chinese Tarta.
ry a kind of male polygamy is prac-
ticed, and a plurality of husbands
is highly respected. In Thibet, it
is customary for the brothers of a
family to have wife in common,
and they generally live in harmo-
ny and comfort with her. Among
the Calmucks the ceremony of
marriage is performed on horse
back. The girl is first mounted
and permitted to ride off at full
speed, when lover takes horse
and gallops after her. If he over
takes the fugitive, she becomes his
wife and the marriage is consum-
mated on the sptot. 1t is said
that no instance is known of
Calmuck girl ever being overtaken
unless she was really fond of her
pursuer. Russia appears to be the
most preposterous country in Eu-
rope in the treatment of women.
The nuptial ceremonies, all sim
gular, are based upon the degrade
ton Of the female. When the
parents have agreed upon a match,
the bride is examined by num-
Der of women to see if she has
any bodily defect. On her we'd
ding day she is crowned with a
garland of wormwood, to denote
the bitterness of the married
state. She is exhorted to be obe-
dent to her husband, and it is
custom in some of the districts
for the newly married wife to
present the bridegroom with
whip in token of submission, and
with this he seldom fails to show
his authority. In that cold and
cruel country husbands are some
times known to torture their wives
to death, without any punishment
for the murder. fla woman prove
barren, her husband generally
prevails on her to retire to a con-
vent, and leave him at liberty
If he fails in persuasion he is per-
nltted to whip herlnto submission.
it be the result of this
'ystem of oppression, or of their
Iavagc climate, rof the unnatural
lot air of their stove-heated apart
nents, it is certain that more
lnlovely race of women than the
Russian would be difficult to find.
They want. says an English
writer, "the genuine flavor which
My nature can give" The charm
ng frmness and elasticity of flesh,
o indispensably necessary to con-
titute beauty, and SO delicious to
he touch, exists not among the
,ussian females, or in very few of
hem. On the banks of the
senegal and among many Afri-
an tribes, the matrimonial prize
lost sought after is abundance of
esh. To obtain corpulence is the
My real comeliness. A female
Tho can move with the aid of two
len is but moderate beauty5
,hile the lady who cannot stir
nd is only to be moved on a
amel, is estimated a perfect para
on. Nor is this queer fancy for
besity in the woman confined to
ne savages of the torrid zone,
nee we read in Wranzell's trav-
Is in Russia, that Sin order to pos
,ss a preeminent degreeof love-
ness, a woman must weigh at
,ast two hundred pounds"