Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-02-01

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approaching destiny
The wedding generally takes Mace
when the bridegroom has attained his
twentieth year, and the bride is in her
sixteenth. Early in the morning of the
appointed day the trousseau of the latter
is carried to the bridegrooms house and
tastefully arranged in the rooms prepared
for the festival The images of the gods
and the patron saints of the two families
are also suspended there, before domes-
tic altar adorned with flowers and heaped
with offerings Lacquered tables support
dwarf cedars and figures representing the
Japanese Adam and Eve, accompanied
by their venerable attributes, the centen-
airy crane and tortoise. Finally to COM
plete the tableau by lesson of morals
and patriotism, there are always to be
found among the presents few packages
OF edible weed, mussels and dried fish,
which suggest to the young couple the
primitive nourishment and ancient SIM
plicity of the japanese people.
Towards noon, splendid procession
enters the halls thus prepared; the young
wife, clothed and yelled in white, ad.
vances, escorted by two bridesmaids and
followed by crowd of relations, neigh
bors and friends, in fcstal costumes gilt.
tering with brocade, scarlet, gauze and
embroidery. The two bridesmaids per-
form the honors of the house, arrange
the guests, order the courses of the col
lation, and fiutter from one group to an
other to see that all are served. They
are called the male and female butterfly,
which insects they are expected to repre-
sent in the style and ornament of their
garments.
With the exception of certain Budd-
hist sects, which admit nuptial benedic-
ton among their rites, priest never
takes any part in the celebration of Jap
anese marriage There is nsthng SINH
lar to publication of the bans, but the
police officer who has given permission
for nuptial festival in the quarter under
his guardianship, inscribes another couple
upon his list The public knowledge of
the act, therefore, is as complete as posi-
BILE.
In place of our sacramento Yes, they
have recourse to an expressive symbol.
Among the objects displayed in the mid.
die of the circle of guests there is metal
vase, shaped like basin, and furnished
with two spouts This utensil is ele-
gantly adorned with bands of coored pa
per. At certain signal one of the ladies
| of honor fills it with saki the other takes
it by the handle, lifts it as high as the
lips of the kneeling bride and bridegroom,
| and causes them to drink from it alter
nately, each from the spout on his or her
side, until the liquor is exhausted. 1t is
thus that, as husband and wife, they
must together drain the cup of coniugal
life, each drinking from one side, both
tasting the same ambrosia or the same
wormwood.
The poor classes-one may say, the
masses of the population-are generally
free from the social vices which are en-
cOuraged among the higher classes ythe
! license allowed to them. The house
holds of the shop-keepers, artisans, labor
| ers, and cultivators of the SOIL exact the
constant care and toll of the father and
mother, the union of their efforts, in order
to provide for the needs Of their families.
There arc welded couples who labor and
serve heroically for years, in order to pay
the expenses of their marriage festival
There is one rather amusing custom,
however, whereby this expense may be
avoided A couple Of respectable people
have daughter, who is acquainted with
good young fellow who would be an ex-
cellent husband for her, except that he
lacks the necessary means 10 give her ahe
customary wedding presents and keep a
free table for week for the two families.
The parents, coming home from the bath
one fine evening, do not find their daugh-
ter at home They inquire in the neigh.
borhood nobody has seen her, but all
the neighbors offer their services in assist
ing to find her. The parents accept the
offer, and the procession, constantly IN
creasing in numbers, passes from street
to street, until it reaches the dwelling OF
the lover. The latter, protected by his
closed screens, in vain pretends to be
dead he is at last Obliged to yield to the
demand Of the crowd He opens the door,
and the lost daughter, in tears, throws
herself at the feet of her parents, who
threaten her with their maledction.
Then, the tender hearted neighbors,
moved bv the scene, intercede; the mother
relents the father remains naughty ana
inexOrable the intercession Of the neigh
bOrs increases in eloquence, and the
Young man promises to be the most faith
full of sons-in-law. Finally, the resistance
of the father is overcome he pardoDs
his daughter. pardons the lover, and calls
the latter his son. All at once, as If by
magic, cups of saki circulate among the
crowd every one takes his or her place
on the mating of the room, the two out
laws are seated in the midst Of the circle,
drink their bowls of saki together, the
marriage is proclaimed in the presence OF
| a sufficient number Of witnesses, and the
| policc officer enters it upon his list the
next morning.
Bridal trips are unknown in Japan.
Instead of leaving the newly-wedded pair
TO themselves, every pretext is employed
| to overwhelm with visits and invitations
always accompanied with feasts and pro
longed libations Japan in Our Day, ty
Bayard Taylor.