New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-17
IN ELDER WORLDS
vi
BuRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE.
DNA 1904

.c,,,,oorhboo Morariee presents his best COM
x,;,nonts To- and requests the favor OF their
.annanv 10 Nautch Party in honor OF the mar
r;age of his SOL Chururodas at Javer Baug on
tho Kalba,levi Rd on Monday, tho l7th Decem-
her. 1883, from Q 10 II p "a In response TO th's
invitation boldly printed white card with the i'm
nrint of the AM L. Jamsheed Printing Press Co. III
In scarcely less large types at the bottom found my
sclf,n tho Kalbadevi RI about 1879 when IL
might reasonably be Supposed the fun was at the
height of It's fastuess and fury. The glver OF the
marty is one Of the wealthiest and most popular
natives in Bombay. Tho road in which tho hall Is
situated is the centre of Hudoo life. Consequently
there was much excitement in the ncighborhood'
and the approaches to the hall were crowcd mucn
as is the doorway Of q London chnrch when
fashionable wedding is taking place. Bnt IL oec'he
clear on entering that all the life ana exelte"e"'
we're outside. Within, ranged on oeno"eS
leaving q broad gangway in the centre "e'o
some sixty or seventy natives chiefly
dressed in cool, loose-itting white robes
Most of them hal bunch of roses IN haa" 'n'
unfortunate flowers being tightly tied "a II the de-
sion were to make ligature. They had suder"d
the further indgnity presentation ~ each guest
OF being sprnkcl with powerful roSe-wat"r' Ohe
of the elders of the family carried round large
dish of betcl nuts made up IN lime leaves the
whole of which one was expected to put IN MS
filled by the natives At the lower end of til" hall
s,ood tho Noutch dance. gorgeously arraYcd IN
costly cloak of crimson silk loaded with gold lace
and embroidery. | suppose a hundred pounds
could not have purchased this raiment, beside
which the lilies of the field would tmdly bcnd
their heads The lady could afford such eXtraVa-
gancc. since the fee paid for her attendance was
fi2o This is unusually high but the host was
rich and she a prima donna among Nautch girls,
tnllv firm Roma
pace behind her stood the orchestra, composed OF
thrce mon One necessarily beat q tom-tom q
second playcd kind Of violin and the third played
with infinite skill pair of small bcls. The glrl III
harsh unnclodiOus voice sang mohot"holS ro-
,ital of love chase. The general idea OF the ro-
,,aunt was the disappearance OF lover anu ''o
puest by the faithful maidon. From time 10 time
ala got on his track, when little velineSS was
introduced iuto her motions and voice. But for tue
m,st mart she saw him not, and her dolor vislbly
Affected the spirits of the patient audience VINO
showcd their bctcl nut rcfcctiycly aud looked I'M
uttcrably bored.
Tho chief victim was the bridegroom y nov Oh
thirteen who sat near the head OF ono OF tue iron.
rows Creased in Jacket of richly brocadcd s0tlh anu
ruby velvet trousers In strings, around ms neck
and .l,.tcninr all over his robe were diamonds
worth 10000. Hut these carried no comfort to
his scared soul II was all very well for his father
boaming ON the guests that came aud went, aud
seeing IN the influential asscmblagc tokens OF re-
spcct and regard for himself; II was not bad to'
the uncle fitting hther and thithcr with his d'Sh
of betol nuts, on hospuable cares intent. 10 was
pretty we'll for the bride, age eleven, VINO had
long since been put To bed aud was probably dream
ing of a new doll; nor need the guests nave 'ooNo"
30 like the famous
Party IN the parlor,
All lent and al damned
This was for most of them first appearance
They had dropped casually might drop out
when the thing become absolutely unbearable.
But for the bridegroom the business had com
mcnced on the previous Friday night ana would
not conclude till the Thursday night following
There vonid be some diversion the morrow,
,,nco tbcn he would set forth for the brides
house at the head of a gondly procession
and would make believe TO bear the coy maiden OF
In spite of the of her ,ther and the threats
of her father But at night from to IL
this drcary business would go on again, with the
solemnly piroaetnC Nautch girl, her waving hands,
her mechanical glances to right and lett, ana her
harsh voice upliftcd in pursuit of a lover too
shrewd TO allow himself to be caught There won Id
be the tom-tom man, the man with the hddie' ana
the man with the bells play ing without cessation.
There would be tho uncle gong round VITA inc
betel nuts the stream of guests smlingly entering
and gladly going. As lie Thought OF these thlhc'
the bridegroom's heavy eyelids dropped from sheel
WEAKNESS, and he yawnef TIL ne shook the Rdi'"hu
of Jewels that pIistcned on his neck. | should like
to have taken him ont into the backward for
game of marbles or for ten ecstaic minutes witt
a tom But fate had called him to higher duties, an'
with gallant attempts keep his eyeids propped nj
and TO suppress yawn, he sat IL out
The company in the hall was exclusively com
poscd of men, but through closely -latticed window
AT the upper end gmpses were caught OF blact
eyes white teeth and there was heard the murmu
of female voices. On a crosS-bench at the top o
the hall was q Rajah, handsome man, splendldl'
dressed who, with hand resting on the jewelie'
bilt of his sword, sat impasSive as far a
his body was concerned but his bright, black eye
were never still, roaming restlessy over the com
pany aud taking in every detail. Shortly after ii
the Nautch girl began TO wake up she HAD caug"
sight of the judciously retreatlng lover ana up
lifting her voice proclaimed the happy chance. A.
she sang she advanced with slowly regulated
PAGES up the hall, the orchestra following her, and
the tom-tom man. with we'll simulated interest
CRYING "hal hat" When the maiden reiterated
81 see him now," the climax seemed to have ar
rived and having come to see Nautch dance, tN
pected the dancing was about to begin. But except
that the girl waved her hands and body AMI now an'
then slowly revolved there was no more motor
than during the earlier portion of the per
formance There is a general notion in the West
ern mind that Nautch is the Indian rendering q
naughty. The worst thing that could bc said agains
this Nautch dance by one ID the chief professors II
India was that il was unapproachably and mex
pressibly dull As TO dccency, the girl wore mon
clothes than would ht ont the inhabitants of Jap
anese village. Her heavily embroidered robe near
" reached the ground displaying below pair o
trousers 40 long that they showed only the silver
fingcd toes and draggcd away 1T the heels, fully
foot too long There were apparently no arrange