The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-08-14
The Wife MARKET iae Rssssia.

Sitting up. all night with couple of Russian
ladies might or might not suggest the idea of
telling you something of the marriage customs of
this strange country. A French writer, whose
name forget, has truly said "The Russians
are nation of polite savages,' remark that is
not very apt, but it helps us toward proper I'M
derstanding Of the social condition of the people,
The rich are very rich /; the poor are very poor
The mobiles courtly, polite, and as refined in
manners as those of the same class in Germany;
but the serfs, or those who belonged to the no.
bes With the soil, before the emancipation, are
rude and not half civilized.
Almost as soon as il girl is born, 10 tie better
ranks Of society, her parents begin 10 prepare the
dpsfy she must have when ehe goes to her hus-
band. For this is indispensable in the eyes of
any Russian young gentleman who proposes to
bf married. She must furnish everything for an
outfit in life, even TO dozen new shirts for her
coming husband
| have heard of lady of rank and wealth
who had prepared costly dowry of silks, linen,
jewels plate ETC., for her beloved daughter, who
died as she come to be twenty years old. The
mother resolved to endow six girls with these
riches, and actually advertised for them. host
OF applicants came, and she selected six. None
c:AEs.n had lovers But now they had a re-
/ ,a.gaged, and, with the husband, took the dowry
and paid the rich lady by promising to pray for
tie repose of her daughters soul.
In no country is the arrangement of terms
carried on with more caution ami completeness
than in Russia The young man goes to the
house of his proposed bride, and counts over The
dresses, examines the furniture, and sees 10 the
whole with his own eyes, before he commits him
self to the irrevocabe bargain In high Ii e such
things are conducted with more apparent de!ica-
cy, hut the facts are ascertained with accuracy,
the business being in the hands of broker or
notary The trosseGu is exposed in public before
the wedding day
At Whitsunday there is curious cnstonI
which is gradually giving way with the advance
of civilization. The young people OF u neighbor-
hood come together, and the girls stand in II row
like so many statues, draped, indeed, and not
only draped, but dressed in their best, and paint
ed too fer the young ladies, and the Older ones
also of this country, cosmestics freely, and Il
box of lady's paint is very comrHon present for
young man to make 20 the girl he likes. BE.
bind tie row Of girls are their mothers the
young men having made known their choice, the
terms are settled between the parents Of the par
ties.
The ladies in Russia are very anxious 10 marry
becaus they have no liberty before Marriage
They are kept constantly under the maternal eye
until they are given up 10 the husband, and then
thew take their own course, which is a round OF
gaiety and dissipation, only regulated by their
means of Indulgence. The Greek Church, like the
Roman, permits no divorce but the Emperor,
like the Pope, can grant special dispensations.
The Greek priest must marry once ; but if his
wife dies he cannot marry again No one in
Russia can be married more than three times