Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-03
Tyranny of CeremOnials.

In all societies we see the inevitable
tendencies of ceremonials to consol-
idate and become grievous tyranny.
Wedding and funeral customs are Pc
culiarly liable to this development.
The experience of Europe, and, in some
measure, of America, is repeated, with
aggravated circumstances, among the
poor but proud peasantry of far-off
India. The French peasant thinks it
wrong to marry until he has saved or
inherited mO&ey enough to set up
house; the Hindoo begins married life
by plunging into debt, and considers
himself fairly entitled to incur debt
for so laudable an object. This distinc.
ton Of custom and opinion is vital
one, and has more to do with the differ.
ence in their respective conditions than
soil, climate. and government. The
Hindoo is industrious and frugal in the
highest degree, but he is not prudent,
and is willing TO bequeath to his son
no better portion than that of paying
marriage debts incurred before his
birth. All Indian natives desire to
have male offspring, and none are will
ing to leave their daughters unmarried;
thus one generation crowds upon the
heels of another, and the industry of
the fEtuse is mortgaged for the neces-
sites of the present. The neces-
sary funds are borrowed at ruinous
rates of interest, and are expended,
not upon the necessary furnishings for
new household, but upon wedding
festivities and caste observances.
Throughout India one hears always the
same story. Not merely cultivators,
but also servants, soldiers, and govern
ment employees are more or less in
debted, usually from improvident
marriages. A "ghorawallah" stable
boy) i'll the receipt of seven rupees q
month. and laboring to pay off, along
with extortionate interest, his fathers
marriage debts, presents a sufficiently
hopeless spectacle, and is compelled in
his turn to leave his own liabilities as u
burden for his descendants. A servant
will ask his European master to ad-
vance him one hundred rupees, equiv
alent, perhaps, to one years wages.
For what purpose do you want so
much money ?" "Fer my daughters
marriage, Saheh." But how do you
propose to repay me ?" ~ will work
for you without wages until the money
is paid "That is all very we'll, but
how are you to lire in the meanwhile?"
My son is able to support me, Saheb."
Thus father and son are reduced to q
starvation allowance in order that the
daughter may marry, without any
dover except few tritling silver orna-
ments.
A TRAVELLED AMERICAN.-One of the
most travelled Americans is a gentle
man named Briggs, of Lewiston, Maine.
Taking $50. 900 with him he started
west, visited Colorado Springs, went
south as far as Arkansas, spent some
time in Kansas, stopping at all the at
tractive or notable cities, including Chi
cago and Detroit. and thence to Mon
treal. In the latter city he was noted
for his unsociability. A friend in the
same boarding house finally won his
confidence by appealing to his sympa-
thies. This friend admitted that he
had abscondel from Boston, and was
very repentant of his sins. Briggs felt
so interested in him that he became
very intimate, even accompanying him
on friendly visit to st. Adams. Here
his false friend clapped the irons on
him and carried him to Lewiston to
answer for swindliug his creditors out
of So .O0e.-Det''ou Press.
We cannot all be cabin passengers in
the voyage of life. Some must be be-
| fore the mast.