Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-08-27
The Wife Market n Russia

The Wife Market n Russia
Sitting up all night with q couple Of Rus
sian ladies' might or migit not suggest the
idea of telling you something of The marriage
customs Of this strange country. "A French
writer, whose name 1 forget, has truly said,
"thc Russians are a nation Of polite savages,"
a remark that is not very apt, but it helps us
toward q proper understanding of tho social
condition Of the people. The rich arc very
rich tho poor are very poor. The mobiles arc
cou:tly, polite and as refined in manners as
those of the same class in Germany, but the
scrfs, or those who belonged to tho mobiles,
with the soil, before the emancipation, are
rude und not half civilized
Almost as soon as i girl is born, in tho bet
ter ranks OF society, her parents begin to pre-
pare the dowry she must have when she goes
to her husband for this is indispensable in
the eyes Of all Russian young gentleman who
propose to DC married.. Shn Gust furnish
everything for an outfit III life, even to q doz-
en- new shirts for her coming husband.
l have beard of Il lady Of rauk and wealth
who had prepared a costly dowry Of silks,
linen, jewels, plate, &c, fur her beloved
daughter, who died as she came to be twenty
years old. The mother resolved to cndow
six girls with these riches,d18& actually sdvcr.
tiscd for them. A host of17flIicants came,
and she selected six. NonS'of them hal
lovers but nov that they had y respectable
dowry secured, each girl WAS speedily engaged,
and with the husband, took the dowry, and
paid the rich lady by promising to pray for
tho rcposc Of her daughters soul.
In no country is the arrangement of terms
carried on with moro caution and completeness
than in Russia. The young man goes to the
house Of his proposed bride aud counts over
the dresses and examines the furniture, and
sees to the whole with his own eyes, before he
commits himself to tie irrcvocablo bargain
In high lie such tliur - arc conducted with
more apparent dclicacy but the facts arc as.
contained with accuracy, tho business being
in the hands Of q broker or a notary. The
erousseau is exposed in public boforo tho wod-
ding day.
At Whiteunday tbcro ia a curious custom,
which is gradually giving way with tho ,ad.
vance of civilization. The Young people ola
ucigborhood como together, and the girls,
stand in a row, like SO many statues, drapcd,
indeed, and not only draped, but dressed in
their best, and painted, too ; for tho young
ladies, and the older ones also, Of this country,
use cosmetics freely, and a box of lsdy's
paint is a very common present for a young
man to mako to the girl he likes. Behind
the row of girl arc their mothers. The young
mon having made known their choice, tho
terms arc settled between tho parents of tho
parties.
The ladies in Russia arc very anxious to
marry, because they have no liberty before
marriage. They arc kept constantly under
the maternal eye until they are given up to
Tho husband, and then they take their own
course, which is round Of gayoty and die
s%ipation, only regulated by their means of in.
.!dulgcuc. Tho Crook Church, like tho Ro.
man, permits no divorce; but the Emperor,
like tho Popo, can grant special dispousations.
-, u nriost can marry onco, and il his
I;s, ill., 10 nn marry again. No ono 10
Russia can DO married more t,.." . '"''
Isl. Rsersbu,y Les@.
----~->--7a 80
A GERMAN CUsToM.--A letterSf from tSSNei.
mar says they have two very pretty customs
thSre connected with the erection @of houses
5onois that a young child always drivesthe.
first nail into one Of the timbers, and an fhs
s~oription is made upon tho 'good bearing tho
name and age Of the child aaate of erection,
30. Thon whom tho housSis raised q fcw
planks are laid for flooring in an upper story,
when tho m~aster.builder, his workmen and all
| well.dispoaod fvioads assemble to sing a song
Of praise to God for tho safe accomplishment
thus far Of their undertaking. Then a band
Of music plays, numerous bottles Of vine are
drink, and thereare speeches, toasts and hug
sas from stentoriau German throats.
Charleston Courier.
-----~>%
HALF a cranberry, IL is said, bound on q
cMa will soon kill it,