Sacramento daily record-union., 1880-12-07
TEE BErRorHAL OF A PRINCE.

His highness, the Gaekwar of Baroda,
was, as is well known, married last Jan.
uary, and the Times of India says The
story of his courtship is as thoroughly east
ern as anything in the arabian Nights.
The young Maharajah himself Loyalty felt
or feigned that he had no right whatever
to meddle in such matter as the selection
of consort for himself, a matter which
exclusively belonged to his affectionate
mother. And her Highness, the Maharani
Jumnabel Saheb, as the head of the
Gaekwar family, had to desire the Dewan
himself to "lend his utmost personal
assistance in the delicate business.
Matchmaking, says Sir Madava Row, in
his account of the progress of the State OF
Baroda, is fraught with pleasant ankle
ties for any mother, and in the present in
stance the mother is one of the highest
ladies of the land. Trusted emissaries
started from Baroda and went to divers
countries, some travelling in disguise, and
others with pomp and circumstance. In
short time descriptive letters, illustrative
photographs, and complete horoscopes
wonderfully showing all the planets
upon their best behavior, poured in
upon the Maharani in almost en-
barrassing abundance. The blessing of
the tutelary deities were devoutly in
yoked, the good will of the priests was
propriated, and astrologers in solemn con-
clave were hidden to unerringly interpret
the mystic influences of the zodiac. But
the Maharani was also desirous OF fulfill
ing more prosaic conditions, and she had
to satisfy in her choice such worldly
persons as the Governor. Generals agent
and the Dewan of the State. Maratha
girls are, however, almost always married
young, and as the Gaekwar's marriage had
been deferred until he was IL years old, it
was not only necessary that his bride
should be a young lady of high fam
lily, of health and beauty, education
and accomplishments, but that she
should be of sdolescent age. 1t
was almost impossible to find girl
approaching to the required ideal who was
still unmarried or unengaged. Even when
the poorest parents were approached they
were proud enough to disdain to send their
daughters to Baroda, as if on inspection,
even on the chance of being married to the
first Maratha prince in India. Things
came to deadlock, and the queen. mother
had to press the Dewan to rellnqulsh high
politics for time, and set out for the
Dsccan in search of an eligible lady. Ac-
companied by band of the Maharani's
relatives and dependents, he started for
Poona on the curious quest. 1t had been
arranged, he says, that just at that time
several girls reported eligible should hap
pen by pure accident to be present at
Poona. We saw them, but we could not
decidedly approve of any," The rest of
the story must be told in the words Of the
same high authority "This result per.
picked her Highness not little. The
quarters supposed available had been ex-
hausted. The marriage of the Maharajah
could not be postponed beyond the next
season and yet the most plastic Shastrees
OF the palace could not cite authority to
perform the marriage ceremony without
bride. Her Highness, therefore, di-
rected the Dewan to extend the
politico- aesthetic exploration beyond
the Bombay Presidency. This was,
of course, done; and the predestined
| sharer of the young Gaekwar's fortunes
was at last found on the banks of the
Canvery." The Tanjore family, to which
the bride belongs, had long been in
timately connected with Sir Madava Row,
and the marriage, 30 far as those who were
present at Baroda during the marriage
festivities could possibly judge, was de.
cidedly popular among the Sirdars and
Maratha people generally, while the
English residents Of Baroda were pleased
to find in the orphaned niece of the Prin-
cess of Tanjore young lady who had en-.
joyed all the great advantages OF a
thorough English education. London
| Globe,