The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-31

Professional Match HHakers-Ise
frOtIaaIs ia nfancy-OGher Pc
cuIiar Customs.

From the japanese Times.l
The lower orders of the Japanese ems
ploy some married couple to make match
es Tor their sons, and these agents are
called pakodos or gO-oetweens. Betro- |
thai sometimes takes place in the infancy
or childhood of parties, but it is very of |
ten deferred till they are old enough to
have some voice In the matter themselves.
which, however, is denied them if they |
have parents living, When, by reason |
of the death of his parents, young man
is left free to manage the matter in his |
own behalf, he chooses a pair of go he |
tweens from among the friends or aev |
quaintainces, and through them maESe |
inquiries for suitable helpmate, affd /
when they report the discovery of one |
ne sends them to solicit her hand of hfr |
parents.
If the proposal suits her parents the |
bargain is made, and by their connivance |
meeting is arranged to take place be
tween some young people at some tea
house, unless they already know each !
only cast sly chances at each other, but
that in the present stage of affairs would |
be-a breach of japanese etiquette.
In arranging matters for the wedding,
fixing the day for it, etc., other go-be-
tweens are employed, whose Office expires
only when the two are made one. First, |
the young bridegroom sends the go be- |
tweens with the presents to the bride
elect. These may consist of variety OF
things varying according to the taste of |
the bridegroom, or his parents, provided |
only that certain things are included IN
the number; as, for instance, some edl- |
bic seaweed, and noshi, or stripes of dried |
and powdered awabi. The preparation
of the latter is made chiefly in the de-
partment of Ise. If noshi cannot be
obtained kind of dried fish will answer
the purpose. But whether the presents
be few or many, the bridegroom must
send written list of the articles along
with them, for which specified form is
furnished in the japanese works on the
subject.
These presents being received, and the
wedding day being fixed between the
BRIDES parents and 90 betweens, nothing
remains to be done but to await the APP
pointed time. Meanwhile the bride and
her family are occupied in preparing the
numerous presents to be made by them
to the parents and relatives of the bride |
groom on the night Of the wedding.
In the evening of the day set for the
nupitial ceremony, the bride dressed
throughout in white (the color of mourn
ing in Japan is escorted in the kango
or mormon (palanquin) by her parents
and invited relatives to the house of the
bridegroom. At the present day she is
1afi tbo aVfr &c hnnSa nv
tain females employed to receive her,
called machyoo-roo, who conduct her
into a separate apartment where she takes
little rest. 1t should be stated that she
left her fathers house having her head
covered with a wata booshi, acap made of
floss silk which entirely conceals the head
and face from view, and is not removed
until she becomes a wife. When sut-
fcient time has elapsed for the bride to
refresh herself, both she and the bride
/ groom proceed separately to the best room,
whore the young man seats himself at
one end of the tokOnoma, a sort of open
closet or recess in the wall opposite to the
entrance, which is considered the most
honorable place in the japanese house.
And the young lady takes her seat at the
opposite end of the tokonoma. The go be-
/ tweens also sit down, the male by the bride
! groom and the female by the bride. Two
other attendants, male and female, usual
| ly young persons, each bearing vessel
with long handle, used as receptacle
for sake, are likewise present to wait up
on the bride and bridegroom and fill their
cups. The long handled TASKS have a
paper butterfly attached to each; large
and small one represent male and fe-
male butterfly. The attendants who
| bear them are therefore called by these
names, and the ideas expressed by the
symbol is, that as butterflies always 60 in
pairs, so the husband and wife should ac-
company each other through life with
| like constancy.
Between the bride and groom is placed
a tray bearing three lacquered cups, one
upon another, the smallest at the top.
The two butterflies pour little sake from
both their TASKS into the uppermost cup,
while the bridegroom holds it to be filled
grasping it with both hands. He then
sips the wine three times in very slow,
formal manner, and passes the cup to the
bride, who takes it in her hands and takes
three similar sips under cover of her veil,
when she hands the cup to the female
butterfly, who sets it aside. The second
cup and the third are filled and emptied
in like manner, so that each party drinks
nine times Hence the ceremony is call
ed san san kudO, and forms the most i'm
portant part of the nuptial rites, for it
makes the parties husband and wife.
While this drinking is going on, one or
two male singers are seated behind the
screen in the same room, chanting songs
-, - .
They are now married, and the bride and
groom proceed to another room, where
they pay their respects to her parents by
drinking sake together; nominally, but
not really, going through the san sGn-kW-
do again. After that they are conduc
ted to another room, where the bride re-
moves her veil and exchanges her white
dress for one of bright and gay colors, and
the groom puts on the kami-shimo, or
japanese full dress, distinguished by the
wing-like shoulder pieces, and full trous-
ers, and then again they drink to each
other three times three cups, in natural
congratulation at the happy change that
has come over them, as indicated by their
change of dress.
This being done, there follows feast
to all in the house, who assemble in one
room, and regale themselves with the fare
that is set before them; and, having kept
up the festivities till about the dawn of
day, the wedding party breaks up. Three
days after the bride usually pays a visit
to her own parents, when another enter
tainment is made, to which the relatives
of the family are invited.
Henceforth the married woman is re
parded as having been absorbed, a. it
were, into the family of her husband, and