Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-19
WAYS OF WOOING.
Some Curious Counting Customs-Leap
Year Privileges

| WOfIui iHey may ne ldlIly supposed 10 On
their counting in all sorts of ways For in
stance, the counting of the aboriginal O
Australia consisted simply in knocking tn
woman of his preference down with a clul
and carrying her off This form of wooin.
was as efficaciouS as brief, and was certainly
as commendable on the score of economy
since it subjected neither party to the ex
penSe of lights, fires, oyster Suppers, ice
cream, elaborate dresses flowers. etc, which
are the usual concomitantS Of civilized love
making But the method of the Austria
Ian has been tried by other than the dusky
savages.
Some curious counting customs prevail il
Africa. In one tribe of Eastern Africa it is
regarded as the ne plus ultra of gallantry
for the lover to parade before the hut of his
| inamorata astride of huge boar Mungc
| Park tells of a tribe in the interior where
custom compelS woman to carry Gala
bash OF water to the man who has ex-
pressed preference for her. Seated on a
mat before his door he washes his hands in
the vessel and then the woman drinks the
water as token of her affection. Less re-
pulsive was the act of the lover among the
ancient PersianS, VINO burned his hand or
cheek to prove his devotion, and then
showed it to his lady love. If she was
willin" she bound the injured part with a
silken scarf, but if obdurate she sent the
man to the physician for healing-salve.
Among the Moravians it was the custom
| for the minister to select wives for the men
| of his generation. If sister, had any
| objection TO the brother" selected for her
life partner, she was permitted to state it,
but twas generally oyeTuled by the priests
eloquence. Strange to say, the historian
| tells us that these marriages were generally
happy.
In Greenland the services of the pastor of
his flock are also called in A man who has
made up his mind that his worldly circum-
stances warrant him in indulging in what
has been called ''the abstract desire of every
man to furnish board and lodging to some
young lady" and has decided which young
lady he wishes to be taxed for, calls on the
reverend father and states the case The
inquiry is made whether the girl knows of
the suit TO which the man replies that he
has made some preliminary loye-making,
which was not very kindly received. but
adds: Thou knowest the ways of man
kind" In Greenland, be it remarked, it is
an accepted fact in social philosophy that a
woman's no means yes. The priest calls
upon the young woman and pleads the case
of her lover, assuring her that he is good
man, that he catches many seals, etc. 1t is
the custom for the woman to reject all pro-
poSals at first, but TO yield at last an unwill-
ing assent. If the priest thinks she is too
obstinate he generally remarks "Ah.
well, it's no matter; can easily find an
other woman who will have such good
provider," and turns to leave, which action
brings the stubborn maiden to terms at
once
In st. Petersburg, Russia, a custom pre-
vailed for many years-though declined
IL.
wholly out Of use-which was designed to
stimulate laggards in courtship Whit
sunday there was held in the Summer
Garden, one of the city parks, fair of all
the damsels of the city who wanted hus-
bands. Dressed in their best with all the
ornaments at command, and holding silver |
spoons or other ware in their hands to show |
they were not wholly portionless, they |
stood in rows under the trees, attended by |
parents or guardians TO insure prOprietv of |
behavior to facilitate matrimonial bar |
gains. The men in search of wives stroled |
about scruhnizing all the candidates at
leisure. When man saw one that pleased |
him he usually introduced himself to her
cuStodians, and if his statement of family,
business habits and prospects was salts
factory he was made acquainted with the
young woman and invited 20 her residence.
After this the nuptial ceremony followed
as speedily as the would-be bridegroom de-
sired.
We find custom precisely like this still
IN existence in a district in the south of
Ireland There it is known as " shraft-
ing" the name being derived from Shrove
Tuesday, the day on which it is held On
hat day all the manageable young people
)f both sexes are marshaled on the village
green by the parents, the girls in all the
glory of Sunday gowns and gay ribbons.
is lovely as iresh-blOWn roses, evidently
Enjoying their bushes, and the young men.
iIso in their best attire looking as foolish
Is only the male human can look on ex-
libition. The two sexes are stationed in
inc apart from each other, and the parents
BASS between to youchsafe proposals or to
eceiye them, and to haggle over marriage
portions. The preferences of the Young
'eople are fully understood by the elders,
nd cOmmendable effort is made to crafty
hem, the main object Of the parents being
o secure as good a set-out as possible for
he young couples.
\ California miner having amasSed quite
fortune, was returning by ship to New
(Ork to revisit old friends and find him a
wife. A young woman on board the ship,
CRYING in the capacity of nursery govern
IS to the family of a merchant on board.
ppearance. He therefore introduced him !
elf one day, and broke the ice of his pur-
ose with one reckless plunge =" Madame,
ny name is --; my parents and family
eslde IN New Hampshire; | have property
to 100000, and expect TO en-
age III business in - | am perfectly
emperate man, and can give You good ref
renee to testify of my general upright
haracter. ! am unmarried and want q !
life. VIII you marry me?n The lady
)ok in the character of her suitor at once. :
Thank you, said she, l viii, and on :
lnding they were forthwith married. :
The Rev. Richard Hooker had no time q
} devote to courtship and therefore, de- /
uted his landlady, Mrs. Churchman, to
nd him a wife. She selected her daugh-
#, Joan, but the unfortunate divine no J
oubt often quoted in the recesses of his q
oul in after years the old saying, Marry g
/ haste to repent at leisure" For Joan c
roved terrible shrew and led the poor t
linister a wretched life of it. Counting
Y proxy is dangerous thing whether a
lausibe old lady or a bosom friend is en- Y
loved to do il. So the Saxon King Edgar t
'und il when he sent his friend Athelstane t
, report on the charms of q lady called the Il
lost beautiful in that Kingdom, and to {
fer her the Office of Queen should she
stane fell in love with her himself and j.
coed and married her, and then told the g
ing she was not beautiful at all, only be- =
g rich. When the King found out how SC
E had been deceived Athelstane had to b.
Sc not only his beautiful wife and her
ealth, but his head into the bargain. F
A writer, whose verscitv, however, we II
ire not youch for gives the following as b
actual statute recorded in the old Saxon it
de. giving to the lady the privilege that u
e has taken such poor advantage of u
Albeit, as often as leape yearre doth oc- r.
re, the womanne holdeth prerogative a,
er the name in matters of courtship, Sc
We and matrimonie SO that when the :
ly proposeth it shall not be lawful for E
e manne TO say her nae, but he shall en- -
tain her proposal in all guide courtesie," -