Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-04-17
How Maidens of Sicily Get Husbands.

The following is description of a
scene which goes on every Sunday
morning in the hospital at Palermo:
The long dormitories were clean and
orderly. but the curious and peculiar
feature of this establishment was the
pa Iatorlo or receptiOn-room. Picture
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 a
well-barred street door, through whIc h
visitors from the outer world are adj
mitted.
Here they sit on benches to converse
with those on the other side of the iron
grating. Once 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 motheriy es-
tablishment is to find fit and proper
husbands for the girls under its charge.
The fit and proper here is much like
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 a card
which admits him next Sunday morn
ing to an inspection of the candidate
for matrimony. There, sitting on a
bench, if lis curiosity and ardor will al
low him to remain sitting, he awaits the
arrival on the other side of the grating
of the Lady Superior accompanied by
~ Cd co1n cd NV orIor
OF seniority and capacity for household
work from the hundred or more between
Sc enteen to twenty-one waiting for a
youth to deliver them from their
prison.
The two young people, both no doubt
breathless with the importance of the
CEREMONY, have to take one long, fixed
look at each other. Noword 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.
The look over, the ady Superior asks
the man if he will accept the maiden as
his bride. Saould he answer in the af
trmative, the same question is put to
her, and if she bows assent the betroth
al has taken place 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 course to his betrothed.
Everything has to pass the scrutiny
of the Sisters, for fear of a letter or
some tender word being slipped in with
the gifts. During the few Sundays that
intervene between the first love-scene
and the marriage an hours converse
ton within hearing of the l. ady Supe-
rior is allowed, but not a touch is ex-
changed. The empty talk, 1nierspersed
with gigglng, consists of n,,ulries
as to the wedding dress, and the occu-
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 IL appear dtHcstLe he is
dismiss ed. The girl also has the power
of refusal.
The marriage over. the task of the
Sisters is zone. Here falls veil they
never lift-and whether happiness and
faitifuness 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 VINO have the
world to choose from come here in |
search of wife. Two hundred and fiji |
ty francs are the attraction. That sum
is given in dowry with each of these |
girls, and for that sum, it seems, q ST. |