Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1882-11-04

Amorg the prnte Chinese, and e>r,-
ciaiiy among the higher classes. the affair
Is u much longer and more serious ole.
rom the almost Turkish s.rictness
with which females are secluded. II Is
comparatively rare tia, a couple see
each othe, previous 10 betrothal. and still
more SO that there should be auv ac-
qualntancc between them. This has
gwen rise TO the necessary employment
OF character equivalent 10 the bazalan
or marriage broker of ancient Brittany.
to Mr.. Foy's parisian Matrimonial
AgeAcy Office, or the daily marriage in
the abstract, the broaer will find you a
fitting partner first, and negotiate the
transfer after. If You are less purely
philosophical, and wish to consul, your
OWL tastes as Well as the interests aud
increase of the nation, You are only tu
name the party, aud the broker becomes
your accredited ambassador. There is,
however, one preliminary point to be
ascertained. Has your intended the
same surname as yourself? Ii SO, it Is
fatal difficulty, as the laws of China
would not permit the marriage Ii,
however. she is Chum and YOU are LIE,
or she Is kwan or Iu, and YOU rejoice
In any other patronyHlic monysyllable,
the next step Is for the broker to Obtain
from each tablet containing the name,
age, date and hourof birth, etc. These
are then taken to Il dIviner an compared,
to see II the union promises happiness
II the answer Is favorable land crossing
the palm with silver is found to be IL
e1tectnal with foftune-tellcr, III China
as 1t Is eIse"hercl, and the gates ar,
equal, that Is If the station and wealt
OF the two families are similar, til,
t proposal Is made III due form The
Wedding presents are then sent, aud, i
accepted, the young couple is consldcl
as legally betrothed. A lucky day mus
be fixed Tor the wedding, aud hers oul
friend the divlner Is called upon. Prev
ious to the great day the bridegroom
gets new hat and takes neA name
While the lady, whose hair has hithcrt,
hung down to her heels In single heav,
plalt, at the time becomes inflated int
the style OF halr-dressing prevalen
among Chinese married ladies', whicl
consists III twisting the hair into tn,
form OF an exaggerated teapot, an,
supporting it III that shape with mar
low plate of gold or Jade over the fore
head, and whole system of bodkln
behind 1t. On the wedding morning
presents ard congratulations are sen
to the bridegroom, and among the res
a PAIR OF geese not sent, as we NIGH
imagine, by some wicked wag or IRE
cla1mable bachelor as personal rehec
ton on the intellectual state of his friend
but as an emblem of domestic unity an
affection. The ladies', too, in China IL
well as selsewhere, indulge III a little fash
lonable crying on the occasion, aud S
the relatives OF the bride spend til
morning with her, weeping over he
impending departure, or, more probably
their own spinsterhood.
Cold Winters.
The following statistics of the goo
old winters are curious In 4Ol, til
Black Sea was entirely frozen over. l
1853, not only the Black Sea, but til
Straits of the Dardanelles, were 1roze
over, the snow In SO ne plac IS ros
fifty feet high. In 800, the great rivel
Of Europc-tho Danube, the Elbe, etc
were SO hard frozen as to bear heav
wagons for month. In $50, the Adr
attic was frozen. IN 991, cverythin
was frozen the crops totally failed
and famine and p"stilence closed tb
, year. Ia 1O67, the most of the traye
ers in Germany were If, zen to death o
, the roads. Ia 1913, the Pc was froze
from Cremona to tn sea the VIII
: casks were burst, aud even the tree
, split by the action OF the frost with In
: mense noise. In 1896, the Danube va
!. frozen to the bottom, and remained Ion
In that state. In 1926. the crops whoiI
wears before sold in England at 81
shllllngs the quarter, rose to tw
pounds. Ia 1899, the crops failed i
Scotland, and such famine ensue
) that the poor were reduced to fecI\ 9
c grass. and many perlsncd mIAcraDiy
l the fields. The successive winter,
I 1892 33 81 were ui.commonly sever
r It once showed forty days without Il
= terruptlon. In 146S. the wine dIstribl
: tel to the sol .icrs III FI4uler. Wa, cl
a with ilatchet- Iu 1854, the winter "
# excess,yei, c,li Most o; the LolIi
: were killed Coaches drove along Il
g Thames. the Ice OF which was eleyt
$ inches thick. III 1909 occurred the ca
z winter. The iro.ts Penetrated tLr
II yards into the ground. III 1916, boot
e were erected and fairs held Oh Il
5 Thames. In 17ii an1 17i5 the stron
( es. ale III England, erpoeei 10 the a
: WAS covered III less than fifteen miuut
;, with ice ala eighth III III inc.l thick.
5 lsJ9, ard again IN lel1, the whit.
{ were remarkably cod. Ia 1914 tie
7 va- a fair on the frozen Thames.
Curious Coins.