The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-11-01

10 Tie great horror OF the BRUSH m1lCer
that the pleasures of courtship are I'M
known to her sister in India. The most
pleasant task Of studying each others
aims and ambitions; those charming
afternoon walks when the future
many other such delights which my ex.
perience will not allow Of my mention-
ing, are things unknown to an engaged
Hindoo couple. But why? asks "a young
maiden, who, is perhaps, in full enjoy.
ment of the pleasures that have only
partially been able to describe. Because.
| miss, the Hindoos are engaged in their
infancy; nay, am ashamed to confess,
sometimes even before they are born;
for it happens. though not usually, that
the mothers in friendly mood make q
VOW to each other, that, ifthey give birth
to children of oppositei sexes they will
be considered as engaged; .and Hin1oo
VOWS are as sacred rs their religion, il
not more so.
This being the unhappy state ofthings
cour. ship and its pleasures are evidently
out of the question. But. however, !
must not forget to mention that these
| engagements before marriage are rare
and exceptional, and the proper age for
engagement is when the child is three
years old.
On or about the third birthday of the
girl. her parents and other near rela-
tives begin. to show anxiety about hel
engagement, and the barber Of the
house is summoned to seek out hus-
band for the little girl, who is hardly
able to lisp her fathers name.
is very important functiOnarv in every
Hindoo household. No family can be
without him: and if the family is rich it
employs barber of its own; but if not,
one barber serves several families.
The much-trusted barrier, on receiv-
ing this OnerOus commission, at once
sets about in search of q husband. It
very often happens that he has his eye
already on some family who has boy o
the same age as the girl; but when this
is not the case he actually goes to the
neighboring towns or villages in quest
of one. If he sees nice-looking,
healthy boy playing about he at once,
detective like, makes private in.
Quiries concerning the responsibility,
caste and wealth Of the parents, and il
everything is satisfactory he at once calls
Upon the pater-familias Of the families
and proposes for the boy. The parents
Of the boy, if they consider the proposal
worth entertaining, at once send for the
pundit of the family and inquire of i'm
as to the ominousness of the proposal.
This he is supposed to determine by
means of the Guardian stars of the boy
and the girl. The pundit's consent be-
ing given, certain religious ceremonies
are performed. and the engagement is
recko1ed as complete.
The parents of the girl on hearing O.!
the acceptance of the proposal reward
the barber and give presents to their
friends and relations.
What amount of confidence is
placed in the barber can now be i'm
agined, from the fact that the parents of
the girl have not seen the boy but yet al
low their girl to be engaged to him trust
ing solely to the good sense and choice of
the barber. 1t must be mentioned here, to
the credit OF this family tunctionary,
that he is as rule very faithful, and
with the proverbial clnning of his pro-
fession. makes the best choice; vet it
cannot be denied that fearful misrepre
sensations are sometimes made, which
in the after life of these innocent chill
dren have disastrous results.
This system Of engagement through a
mental is pernicious in the extreme, and
l do not know how it has come about.
know French engagements are very Oft
en- made by the parents Of the parties.
and the results, as is we'll known, are
bad enough: how much worse the results
are likely to be if the engagements are
made through mental, / leave the
reader to conjecture.
The engagement being complete, I
come to my second head, which is mar
rage. The marriage ceremony, as a
70 lyoo v0io tbn v;r1 nh
eight OF nine years of age. The date is
fixed by the mutual consent of the pa
rents Of the children, with the concur.
r. nee of the pundit of the household.
On the date thus fixed the father of the
bridegroom arrives at the brides house
with the bridegroom and u large party
of his friends and relations.
It is the bounden duty of the girls
parents to entertain this party as we'll
az they can for three days. All sorts of
provisions are made for their entertain
ment, and to do this no amount of pains
and money are spent. The accommoda-
ton and entertainment invariably cost
so much that il the girls parents are not
rich they get into debt, 50 much so, That
marriage debts have become proverbial
in India.
On the very first evening of the arrival
the marriage ceremony is commenced.
A huge fire is lighted in a room, round
which the guests and the couple to be
married sit, while tho pundit goes on
performing certain ceremonies. At about
of the boy is tied TO that of the girls, and
they are made to 20 round the goddess
of fir several times. This completes the
ceremony. and the nuptial knot is sup.
posed 70 be tied. which rome, nay, not
even the death of the husband, can I'M
tie.
The whole procedure is fearfullv
firing to tho poor children, who very
often faint with sheer exhaust on,
caused by sleeplness and excite ment.
It IS more trying for the girl than the
boy. for the former has to keep a thick
veil on so that no one may have glimpse
of her face, not even the husband, but
who, perhaps, considering his age,
would be the last person DESTROYS OF
looking at his future partner for life.
This custom of not letting the face of