The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-11-09
HINDOO MARRIAGE.

Just opposite to my window. The YER
ger, whose grave and serious face isonly
a rare treat on week days, seemed to be
exceptionally busy, judging from the
number of times that he went in and
out of the church. I lad, however, not
long to wait before | saw some carriages
roll up to the gate and discharge their
burdens consisting of well-dressed la.
dies and gentlemen. This, of course,
led me at once to conclude that a mar
riage ceremony was going to be per-
formed. A very short time aiterward,
ven before l had finished my pipe, I
saw the newlv-married couple and
the same ladies and gentlemen
come out of the church and
make for their carriages, in which set.
Ting themselves, they drove Of to their
respective destinations, leaving nae in
great establishment to muse over the
rapidity anG simplicity Of the whole af-
fair. My establishment at the simplicity
of the whole ceremony may be consid-
cred an eSaggeration by those who con-
slider even the going to church a bore,
and who would rather write a letter to a
magistrate and get out q marriage Ii
cense and be done with the whole affair;
but they will believe my word when l
tell them that | am used to marriage
ceremonies in India which last for days
together, and involve rights the per.
Torrance of which would severely test
the patience Of a British clergyman
We're he to try it s~ingle.handed. 20 a
Hindoo, then, the marriage ceremony
itself is 4 great event III life, and II he IS
aston she'd at the simplicity of the west.
ern ceremonies it is.no wonder.
l Will here try to give 4 very brief aC-
count of the different steps that have to
be taken before Il couple become hus-
band and wife; and in order to 10 so
properly 1 shall have to divide the sub
ject into three heads: First, engage
ment; second, marriage; third, consun-
nation of marriage.
1t may seen, absurd to classify an ac-
count of a marriage ceremony in the
same way as one would classify differ
ent periods in a work on history, but
the reader will presently see that this
division is not arbitrary, and that the
nature of the subject admits Of it.
Under my first head wiz, engagement,
l am afraid l shall Eave the unpleasant
task of mentioning atthe outset p perhaps
to the great horror o!tle British maiden
that the pleasures of courtship are I'M
known to her sister iii India. The most
pleasant task of studying each others
aims and ambitions; those charming
afternoon walks when the future
plans are discussed, and
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 Efull enjoy
ment Of the pleasures that ] have only
partially able to describe. Because.
miss, the Hindoos are engaged in their
infancy; nay, l am ashamed to confess,
sometimes even before they are born;
Tor it happens. though not usually, that
the mothers in u friendly mood make a
VOW TO each other, that, if they give birth
to children of opposite sexes they will
be considered rs engaged; and iiinGou
vows are as sacred as their religion, il
not more so.
This being the unhappy state ofthlngs,
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 eek out n hus-
band for the little girl, who is hardly
able to lisp her fathers name.
l may mention here that the barber
is q very important fu%nctionarv in every
Hindoo household. No family can be
without him; and If the family is rich it
employs a barber of its own; but it not,
one barber serves several families.
The much-trusted barber, on receiv'
ing this onerous commission, at once
sets about in search of q husband. 1t
very often happens that he has his eye
already on some family who has g boy o
is not the case he actually goes to the
neighboring towns or villages in ques'
of one. If he sees Il ~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 i
everything is satisfactory he at once call
Upon the pater-iamilias of the families
and proposes for the boy. The parents
Of the boy, if they consider the proposal
worth entertaining, at once e for the
pundit Of the family and inquire of hin
as to the ominousness of the proposal
lIIS ilS Is SlppOS6u VI uGlGTllllIlt DN
means of the guardian stars of the box
and the girl. The pundit's consent be
ing given, certain religious ceremonie;
are performed. and the engagement il
reckoled as complete.
The parents Of the girl on hearing 0
the acceptance of the proposal reward
the barber and give presents to thei
friends and relations.
What amount of confidence i
placed in the barber can now be i'm
agined, from the fact that the parents O
the girl have not seen the boy but yet al
low their girlto be engaged to him trust
ing solely to the good sense and choice o
the barber. Unjust be mentioned here
the credit Of this family tunctionary
that he is as a rule very faithful, ant
with the proverbial canning of his pro
%tession. makes the best choice; yet i
cannot be deried 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
meniul is pern{cious in the extreme, ant
/ 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 well known, ar,
bad enough; how much worse the result
are likely to be if the engagements ar
made through n mental, l leave thu
reader to conjecture.
The engagement being complete, ]
come to my second head, which is mar
riage, The marriage ceremony, as
rule. takes place when the girl is abou'
eight OF nine years Of age. The date is
fixed by the mutual consent of the pa
rents of the children, with the concur
renee of the pundit Of the household
On the date thus fixed the father of til,