New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-10
Curious Customs.

Herbert Spencer remarks that monogamy
is not the only kind Of marriage we arc, in
deed, early taught by our Bible lessons. But
though the conception Of polygamy IS thus
made somewhat familiar, It does not occur to
US that polygamy Is also q possible arrange
inent; and we are surprised en- first learning
that It not only exists, but once was ex-
tremciy general. When VIC contemplate
these marital Institutions, unlike ctr own, We
cannot at first think they can be pract!ccd
with sense Of propriety like that with which
that in tribe bordering one Of the Central
African lakes, the women were quite dis
gusted on hearing that in England man has
only one wife. This Is a feeling By no means
peculiar to them. An intelligent Kandvan
chief, with whom Mr.. Bradley visited the
Feddahs, was scandalized at the utter bar
barism Of living with only one wife, and never
parting until separated by death. 1t was, he
said, "just Ike wanderocs," {monkeys.)
Again, one would suppose that, as a matter
Of course, monogamy, polygany, and polyan-
dry, IN its several varieties, exhausted the
possible forms of marriage.
An utterly unexpected form is furnished US
BY one Of the African tribes. Marriage
among them is for so many days in the week
commonly for four days in tho week, which is
the wife, during the of days. being regarded
as an Independent woman, who may do as
she pieascs. We arc a little surprised, 100,
on reading that by some Of the Hell tribes Of
India, uniaithfulness ON the part Of the htts-
band is held to be very grave oGense, but
unfaithfulne5s on the part of the wife very
trivial one. We assume, as being seifcvi-
dent, that good usage Of a wife by her hus-
band implies, among other things, entire ab-
ssnce Of violence; and hence it seems scarcely
! imaginable that in some places the opposite
criterion holds. Yet 1t does so among the
| Tartars. A nurse-maid Of mine, writes Mrs.
Anderson in her Tartar Steppcs," left ME
20 be married, and some short time after she
went to the Natchalnick Of the place to make
a complaint against her husband. lie in
CURED into the matter, when she cooly told
him her husband did not love her. BE
cause she replied, "he never whipped
her''-a statement which must be rejected as
incredible, were it not for the analogous fact
that among the South African races white
master who docs not thrash his men is rid-
culed and reproacicd as not worthy to be
called q master.
Among domestic customs, again, who, Il he
had been set to Imagine all possible ano.Ua-
lies, would have bit upon that which Is found
among Basqucs, and has existed among other
races-the custom that on the birth Of child
the husband goes to bed and receives the con-
gratulations of his friends, while his wife re-
turns to her household work? Or who.
among the results Of having q son born,
would dream Of that which occurs among
some Polynesian races, where the father is
forthwith disposscssed Of his property, and
becomes simply guardian Of it on behalf Of
the infant. The varieties Of hlial relations
and Of accompanying sentiments continually
show us things equally strange, and al first
sight unaccountable. 1t seems hardly cred-
BILE that it should be anywhere thought a
duty on the part Of the children to bury their
parents alive. Yet It is so thought among
the Fjians, Of whom we read also, that the
parents thus put out Of the way 90 to their
graves with smiling faces. Scarcely less in
credible does 1t seem that mans affection
should be regarded as more ftly shown to-
ward the children Of others than toward his
own children. Yet the Hill tribes Of India
supply an example.