The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-09
Fash,en ~ Rrprosinz.

The custom which reserves the right
Of proposing to the stronger sex is not
b universal as many suppose, An
lsraeiitish widow had, by law, power
Of claiming in marriage the brother of
her deceased husband in which case.
as the privilege of the male was trans,
ferred to the female, that of the female
was likewise transferred to the male
de had the power of refusing; the re-
fusel, however, was attended with
some notifying circumstances; the
woman who ne bad thus sighted was
tn come unto him in tie presence of the
elders of the city AID to loose the shoe
from his foot and spit in his face. A
custom somewhat similar to this re-
mains at present among some of the
Indian tribes. When q wife dies the
husband is obliged to marry the sister,
or In her stead the woman whom the
family of the deceased wife shall choose
for HIM. A widow is also obliged to
marry one Of the brothers of the de-
ceased husband, if he has died without
children. and she is still of age 10 have
any. Exactly the same thing takes
place in the Caroline island; and there
the woman may demand such brother
to marry her. In one state of New
Grenada the right of asking is promi.-
cuously exercised by both sexes; WHO,
when they feel the passion to love, de-
clare it without the least embarrass-
ment; and among the Cossacks the
same thing Is said to be carried still
further, and the women more generally
court than the men. When a Young
lady falls in love with man, she is not
In the least ashamed to go to his
fathers house and reveal her passion
in the most pathetic manner, and to
promise submissive obedience If lie will
accept Of her for wife. Should the
insensible man pretend any ex-
cuse, she tells him she is resolved never
to go out of the house till he gives his
consent; and accordingly taking up
heI lodging remains there. If he still
obstinately refuses her, his case be-
comes exceedingly distressing; the
church is commonly on her side, and
to turn her out would provoke all her
kindred to revenge her honor; so that
he has nc method left but to betake
himself to flight till she is otherwise
disposed of. AS the two sexes in
Greece had but little intercourse with
each other, and lover was seldom
favored with an opportunity of telling
his passion to his mistress, he used to
discover it by inscribing her name on
the walls of his house, on the bark of
the trees of public walk, or the leaves
o. his book; II was customary for him
also TO deck the door of the house
where his fair one lived with flowers
and garlands; to make libations of
wine before it, in the manner that was
practiced at the temple of Cupid.
When love affair did not prosper in
the hands of Greek, he did not en-
deavor to become more engaging in his
manner and person; he did not lavish
his fortune in presents, or become more
obliglng and assiduous in his addresses,
bu: Immediately had recourse to incan-
tatlon and philters; in composing and
dispensing of which the women of
Thessaly were reckoned the most
famous, and drove a traffic in them of
incoasiderable advantage. These
potions were given by the women to
the men, as we'll as by the men to the
women, and were generally SO violent
in their operation as for some time to
deprive the person who took them of
sense, and not uncommonly of life.