The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-05-31
lIow Naldens Of Sicily Get Husbands.

The. following is description of q
scene which goes on every Sunday
morning in the hospital at Palermo:
The long do m tories were clean and
orderly. but the curious and peculiar
feature Of this establishment was the
pa latorio or receptiOn-room. Picture
a large, long room the greater portion
OF which is divided Of from the sides
and further end by an iron grating
which forms cage, entered only by
well-barred street door, through which
visitors from the outer world are adj
mitted
Here they sit on benches to converse
with those on the othe. side of the iron
grating. Once a week, however, Sun
day mornings, from ten to twelve, this
place is the scene OF the most novel and
ludicrOus courtships ever described.
One of the objects of this motherly es-
tablishment is to find fit and proper
husbands for the girls under its charge.
The fit and proper Eere is much ike
the fit and roper of society-the one
requisition being that the young man is
bound to show himself in possession of
sufficient means TO maintain wife in
comfort before he is allowed to aspire to
the hand of one of those precious dam,
sells.
Having given in his credentials of fit
ness to the guardian, he receives card
which admits him next Sunday morn
ing to an inspection Of the candidate
for matrimony. There, sitting on q
low him to remain sitting, he awaits the
-
of the Lady Superior accompanied by
girl. She had been selec ed by order
Of seniority and capacity for household
work from the hundred or more between
90 enteen TO twenty-one waiting for
youth to deliver them from their
prison.
The two young people, both no doubt
breathless with the importance of the
c reinony, have to take one long, fixed
look at each other. No word is spok n,
no sign is made. These good Sisters
believe so fully in the language of the
eye that, in their minds, any addition
is futile, and might but serve to mystify
the pure and perfect effect of love at
first sight.
Tho look over, the ady Superior asks
the man II he will ceptthe maiden as
his bride. SLould he answer in the af-
rnlative, the same question is put to
her, and ii she bows assent the betroth-
al has taken pla,e, and they part till
the Sunday following. The young lover
again makes his appearance before the
tribunal Of guardians, and there the
contract is signed, the day of marriage
! fixed, and he is granted leave to bring
the ring, earrings and wedding-dress,
! and present them through the grid ron
Of CO. RI to his bctruthed,
Everything has TO pass the scrutiny
of the Sisters, for fear Of letter or
some tender word being slipped in with
the gifts During the few Sundays that
intervene between the first loye-scene
and the marriage an hours converse
| ton within hea ing of tho Iady Supe-
r:or is allowed, but not t0uch is ex-
changed The empty talk, ln.srsperscd
with giggl,ng, consists of in ,ulries
As to the wedding dress, and the oceu-
patton and place abode of the sutton.
Should the young man refuse the first
damsel presented to him, he is favored
with the sight of three or four more;
but should he st II appear di9Sttt'e he is
dism:s ed The girl also has the p .wer
OF refusal
The marriage over. the task of the
Sist rs is Cone. Here falls veil they
neS or lift land whether happiness and
faithfulness are the result of this rite
they never inquire.
Our readers must before now have
wondered what inducement there can
be to make the youths who have the
world to choose from come here in
search OF wife. Two hundred and tif-
W francs are the attraction. That sum
Is given In dowry with each of these
girls, and for that sum, it seems, ST.
ci ian is willing to sell himself for life.
---Rome Letter.