St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-16
BETROTHED IN A BATH.
How Young Mohammedan selects
His Bride.
Minister Cox Graphically Describes
aPeculiar Ceremony.

Mohammedans often betroth their chill
dren in infancy. The right to make the
contract rests with the father. the paternal
grandfather, OF some one in the position of
legal guardian. If the father and the
grandfather make different contracts, the
grandfather's arrangement prevails. At
first thought this seems rather strange to
Americans, but the grandfather being
older, undoubtedly knows more about such
things, especially in Turkey, and so the
law may be imagined to rest ON reason
able foundation. In our higher civiliza-
ton it is unnecessary for parents to make
marriage contracts for their children, for
the young people are generally so smart
and well educated that they can beat the
old folks two to one at sharp bargain.
The Turks are far behind us, but they evil.
IDENTIFY mean we'll, says Sunset Cox in his
North American Review article.
Mr.. Cox limits himself to the special
| consideration of marriage formalities be-
tween free adults not covered by contract
in their infancy. LAS soon as the boy al
tains the manageable age his father and
mother cast about to find him wife" The
mother looks around carefully in all the
harems of her ''set'-that is, the rooms
separately and solely devoted to Turkish
ladies in the households of her friends
When she finds damsel that she thinks
would make a nice, high toned daughter
in-law the fact is reported, with full par
ticulars to the boys father. If he likes the
description. which is the best photograph
he can get. the mothers next step is to
call Oh the damsel and invite her to be one
of a party to the Turkish bath. for bathing
parties are as fashionable in COnStantinople
as plcnics are in HOboken.
The bath, in fact, is to some extent a
picnic. Cooks are kept busy preparing for
it, and it ends in a banquet. The ladies go
IN full dress, attended by servants, and ''as
soon as the parties meet there is a series of
endless compliments" The candidate for
mother-in-law pays special, unremitting at
tention to the young girl who is the Queen
of the May" ON this bathing excursion.
The bath and banquet, coffee, sherbet and
cigarettes are beautifully adapted to bring
out virginia. attractions. both physical and
mental, to the eye of an experienced
wouid-be mother-in-law. She knows a
good deal about the young bather at the
conclusion of the picnic, which may last
three or four hours"
Then she makes second and more de-
tailed report to her husband. If 1T is favor
able and he audits it, she pays visit to the
other family and ''pops the Question"-to
the girls mother. She always bushes and
is very much surprised. but feels duly
hOnored by the proposal. and promises to
lay it before the girls father. Ii he con-
sents the two governors hold meeting.
come down to business and fix up the dover
and the happy day." The dover is pay
able half in advance. The other half is
held back as sort of alimony for the wife
in case ofrepudiation. In Turkey this pre-
caution is wise one, for divorce is easy,
and divorced wife is under the painful
penalty of remaining single for six months.
During that time the half dover is handy
for board and clothes.
In the Ottoman empire marriage festiv
tiles generally begin on Monday and last
four days -Four different grades of invi
tations are sent out for these different days,
beginning with cards to the high dignatarieS
of the place and ending with open doors to
all acquaintance The bridegroom and the
bride, each in separate establishments of
their relatives and friends, go through this
ceremonial. The fourth day-the after
noon of Thursday-the two parties gather
in the house where the couple are to live,
the women in the harem-lik and the men
ii
each sex on its own side of the partition.
Then the display of the brides presents is
in order in almost as civilized fashion as
they do il on Fifth avenue.
But the morning of this Thursday there
has been a gorgeous procession of carriages
from the brides old home. One OF these
galvanized if not an actual golden chariot
holds the bride. and the other vehicle
contain her good clothes and worldly
wealth. When she reaches her new home
the bridegroom has got there in advance
and meets her. He tenders his arm and
escorts her into the female portion of the
domicile, where he is admitted on this eXcep-
tonal occasion--and seats her upon throne.
Then he retires holding his head down.
and scattering small coin about him by
the handful. while ladies hasten to cover
their faces with their handkerchiefs, al
though if these have been mislaid they
take their skirts or anything else, as the
face must be covered in the Oriental at any
expense of mere feet and limbs.
After sunset the bridegroom is expected
to visit his bride by the inside door which
communicates with the harem."