The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-12-02
MODES OF COURTSHIP.

Taking it for granted that the declaration
. Of the sentiment Of love is a privilege Of the
men, founded on nature, and sanctioned BY
custom, the various modes Of making that
declaration 10y them. and Of accepting OF re
fusing it by the women. were we able to
/ give perfect account OF it, would make one
T OF the most curious and entertaing parts of
human history, ani equally furnish matter
Of speculation for the fine lady and the phil
. osopheT. We can, however. exhibit but little
/ Of this entertainment. while we treat Of the
. ancient inhabitants o. the east. who. strangers
to sentiment and delicacv Of feeling. bought
bride with the same dispassi0nate coolDess
and deliberation as they would have done an
OK OF an ass. and even in the review Of 9th
er nations, historical information does not
enable us 10 make it so complete as we could
I wish
Il u taken as a general rule thst the de-
claration Of love was the peculiar privilege
] OF men hut as all general rules are liable to
4 some exceptions. there are als0 few in this
An lsraelitish widow. had. hv law. a power
OF claiming in marriage the brother Of her de-
ceased husband in which case. as the priv
ilece Of the male was transferred to the fe-
male. that Of the female was likewise trans
ferred TO the male. He had the power of "a
fusinC: the refusal. however. was attended
with some mortifvfnC circumstances. the
woman whom ne had thus sighted was 70
come unto him in the presence If the elders
Of the citv. and 70 loose the shoe from his
foot and to sDit i'm his face
To man. by nature bold and intrepid. and
vested with unlimited power of asking. re-
fuSal was If little consequence : hut no wo-
man, more timid and modest ard whose
power Of asking was limited 70 the brethren
. Of her deceased husband II was not only an
anr'nt hut real injury, rs everyone vyouId
conclude that the refusal arose from some
well-Grounded cause, and would therefore.
despiSe the woman. so that she could have
but little chance Of future husband -
Hence. perhaps. IL was thought necessary IN
Ak some public stigma on the bastard who
was so ungallant as not 10 comply With the
. addresses Of a woman.
A custom somewhat similar 70 This re-
mains at present among the Hurous and Tro-
quoiS. When q wife dies the husband IS
obliged 70 marry the sister. or. in her stead.
the woman whom the family Of the deceased
wife shall choose for him. widow is also
obliged to marry one nf the brothers Of the
deceased husband. II he has died without
children. and she IS stin Of an AGE IN have
anv. Evactlv the same thing takes pIaca in
the Carolina Island and there. rs well ne
among the HurOnS. the women may demand
such brother IN marry her. though we are
not informed whether they eyer exert the
power
In the TSthmuS of Darian. We are told the
right ~ asking Is nrornisruous1v evn-+a,t t,
both sexes who when the feel the nsssfo,
NJ love. declare II without the least a~,r,,-
rassment: and in the Ukraine the Same
thing Is said to he carried stiH further and
the women more renoraHv court than the
men When a Young woman falls i'm love
with a man she is not in the least ashamed
To 90 70 hiS7father's house and reveal bar
passion i'm a most pathetic manner. and IN
promise submissive obedience If he win ar
cept of her for a wife. Should the fusansf
hle man pretend anv excuse. she tells him
she Is resolved never To 90 ont Of the bousa
till he gives his consent and. arror7inolv
taking M her lodging remains there Tfba
still ohStinateIy refuses his case becomes
exceedingly distressing. the Church fs cou-
monty on her side, and 10 turn her out vyAuId
provoke al her kindred 70 rrvanre her Bop-
OF 50 that he has no mpthud left hut 70 be
take himself tn fight till she is otherwise
disposed Of
As the two sexes Of Greece had hut little
intercourse with each other and a lover was
seldom favored with an opportunity of tell
ing his passion 70 his mistress. he used To
discover II by inScrihing her name on the
walls ~ his hnuse, on the bark ~ the trees of
a public walk. OF the leaves of his hook II
was customary for him also tn deck the door
Of the house where his fair one lived with
flowers and earlands: 10 make Iihations Of
wine before 10 in the manner that was prac-
tised at the temple OF Cupid
Such were the common methods ~ discav-
erinC the passion Of love: the methods Of
prosecuting il were still more extraordinary.
and less rpconcilahle to civilization and rnod
principles. When = love affair did not pros
per in the hands Of a Greek he did not en-
dpavor to become more encaCinrfn his man
ner and person; he did not lavish his for
in presents. OF become more ohlirfnp or as-
sidu0us in his addresses. but Immediately
mad recourse to inrantations and nhiItprs. in
composing and dispensing Of which the wo-
men Of ThesSalv were reck0ned the most IA
nous. and drove a traffic in them Of no in
considerable advantage These potiors
were given hv the women to the mon. aS
well as hy the men to the women. and were
generally as violent in their operations as for
some time TO deprive the person who took
them Of sense, and not uncommonlv nf life