Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-01-29
All the WORLDS wives.

| 40 n T'TfIG 7 Flfi ~ Il.' t.l
4 In Ceylon, the marriage proposal is
brought about by the man first sending
money to her whom he wishes to become
his wife, to purchase her clothes These
shc sells for stipulated sum, generally
asking as much as she thinks requisite for
them to begin the world with. In the eve
ming he calls on her with the ward robe, at
her father house, and they pass the night
in each others company. Next morning,
if mutually satisfied, they appoint the day
Of marriage. They arc permitted to sepa
rate..wheucver they please and SO frequent.
ly avail themselves Of the privilege, that
they sometimes change dozen times before
their nclinatons are wholly suitel.
In Chinese Tartary a kind Of male poly
aamy is practiccd, and plurality of hus-
bands is highly respected In Thibet it is
customary for the brothers Of a family to
have a wife in common, and they generally
live in harmony and comfort with her.
Among the Calmucks the ceremony Of mar
riage is performed on horseback. The girl
is lirst mounted and permitted to ride off at
full speed, when lover mounts hor'e and
gallops after her Ifhe overtakes the frgi.
tive, she becomes his wife, and the marriage
is consumated on the spot. 1t is said that
no instance is known of n Calmuck girl ever
being overtakcn unless she was reully fond
Of her pursucr.
Russia seems to be the most prcposterous
country in Europe in the trca.lucat Of wom-
en-. The nuptual ceremonies, all and sin
gular, are based upon the idea of the degra'
la,on of the female. When tie parents
have agreed upon the match, the bride is
examined by a number Of women to see if
she has any bodily defect. On her wedding
she is crowned with garland Of woman
hood, to denote the bitterness Of the mar
riagc state. She is exhortcd TO be obediont
to her husband, and it is custom in some
of ,he districts for the newly married wife to
present the bridegroom with whip, in to.
ken Of Submission, and With this he seldom
fails to show his authority. in that cold
aud cruel country husbands ere sometimes
known to torture their wives to death,
without any punishment for the murder
Ii woman proves barren, her husband
generally prevails on her to retire into aeon
vent and leave him ut liberty. If he fails
10 persuasion, he is permitted TO whip ler
into submission.
Whetherit il be the result Of. ''"f
oppression, or Of their savage climate, or tne
unnatural hot air Of the stove heated de-
partments, it is certain that more un!ovely
race Of woman than the Russian would e
difficult to find. ''They want says an
Engli.h traveller, The genuine favor which
only nature can give" That charming
irlnncss and elasticity of flesh, SO injespen
siblc requisite to constitute beauty and SO
delicious to the touch, EXISTS not among the
Russian females, or in very few Of them.
On the banks Of the Senegal and among
many African tribes, the matrimonial prize
most sought after is abundance Of flesh. -
TO obtain corpulcncc is the only real comi-
ness. y ;5mae who can moye with the aid
of two men is but "A moderate beauty, while
the lady who cannot stir, aud is only to lie
moved On camel, is estimated > perfect
paragon.
Nor is this queer fancy for obesity il
women confined to the savage Of the torid
zone, since we read in Wrazhall's travels in
Russia, that 'n order TO possess a preemi-
ncnt degree Of lovci;ncss, u woman must
weigh at least two hundred weipht." The
Impress Elizabeth and Catharine III, both
consi Tered fno women, were Of this massive
kind.
In Hipdostan the women have a peculiar
veDaration for marriage, as it is part Of
the popular creed that those females who
die virgins are excluded from the joys of
paradise. In that precious country the
women begin to bear children at about the
age OF twelve and some even at eleven
The proximity Of the natives to the burning
sun, which ripens men Ind women as well
as plants at the earliest period in those
tropical attitudes, is assigned as the cause.
The Distinguishing marks of the Hindoo
wife are the most profound fidelity, submis.
sion and attachment TO her husband.