The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-12-08
0ueer Marriages

AANNA l-AAA AeSN1
! The ''most married. woman O
which there is any record was IN
douotedly the Harlem woman spokeI
OF by Evelyn in his diary, whose pro
penslty for remarrying had finally {,
be. checked by law. She married be
tSenty-hfth husband, and, being, nov
a widow, was prohibited om9rry il
future.
Many years ago, a man in Hartville
Ny, became attached to a young anC
beautiful damsel, who died before theil
intended marriage could be cOnsum.
mated. He then married the mother
of the deceased, who was some twenty
years his senior, but with whom he
lived quite happy until she was eighty
ana he sixty years of age. As the
wife had by this time become quite
decrepit, they adopted maid of some
thirty summers, who lived with them
a year and a half when the old lady
died. Before the time appointed for
/ the funeral, the man himself was tax
en- sick, on which account the funeral
services were postponed four weeks
| But In less than two weeks he sent for
a justice of the peace and was married
to the maid he had adopted. The
next day the couple applied 70 the
town for support, and week later the
man himself died, his funeral being
attended before that of his first wife,
and the woman he had so recently
marrtcG being the only mOurner.-
Human fOllyi is "vast and iliimitable -
When Socrates was asked whether
1t were better for a man to get marri-
ed or live single, he replied: 'Let him
do either and he will repent"
With due respect to Socrates, We
must reject to the above. We once
knew a fOrtune-hunting lady on the
wintry side of fifty. She was worth
about SlOO, 900, and died in less than a
month after the celebration of the nu-
ptial ceremonies. He inherited her
property, and never repented his mar
riage.
Among the ancient Germans it was
death for any woman to marry before
she was twenty years old. BY the
laws of Lycurgus the most special at
tentiOn was paid to the physical edu-
cation, and no delicate or sick women
were allowed to marry.
In the Royal Library of Paris is a
written contract, drawn up in 1897, be-
tween two persons of noted birth in
Armane. The document bound hus-
band and wife to faithful wedlOck for
seven years. 1t stipulated that the
parties should have the right to renew
the tie at that time if they mutually
agreed; but if not, the children were
to be equally divided; if the number
should chance not be even, they were
to draw lots for the odd one.
In BOrneo, marriages, which gener-
ally succeed a heightened routine of
enigmatical courtship peculiar TO these
peOple, are celebrated with 9Th great
pomp and considerable originality
The bride and bridegroom are conduct
ed from the opposite ends of the viii
lage to the spot where the ceremony
is performed. They are seated on two
bars of iron, symbolical of the vigor-
GUS and lasting blessings in store for
them. A cigar and betel leaf, careful
ly prepared with areca nut, are put
into the hands of each. One of the
officiating priests advances, waves
two fowls over the heads of the he
trothed, and, in long address to the !
Supreme Being, and a short one to |
the couple, calls down eternal bless
ings on them, implores that peace and |
attend their union, and 1
gives some temporal advice, some
times of a character more medical |
than sanity. The spiritual part be-
ing thus concluded, the material sue
ceeds. The beaus of the affirmed are |
knocked together four times; then the !
bridegroom puts mis- betel leaf and ci-
gar into the mouth of the bride-and |
thus they are acknowledged a welded |
couple, with the sanction of their re-
ligiOu. At later period on the nupt- |
ial evening, fowls are killed, the blood |
caught in two cups, and from its color
the priest foretells the happiness or
misery of the newly married. The |
is close by feast, much /
dancing and noisy music.