Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01
Curious Marriage Customs.

Ny dear children, want to tell you
something about rare book | read once
upon time.
1t related to the very curious marriage
customs in vogue in certain country, the
name of which | have unfortunately for
gotten.
In the country referred to, so it seems, a
young man, in seeking a wife, is not so
much concerned about the moral and
mental worth of young lady as he is
about the monetary value of her father
pocket-book; and the author would have
US believe, also-could anything be more
ridiculous THAT young woman in that
country who has pretty face is inevitably
preferred to one who has nothing better to
recommend her than good common sense,
and kindly and sympathetic heart.
Indeed, the rogue goes further, and af-
firms that the young woman who can sew
and bake, and wash and mend, has no at
fractions for the young men-especially
the Young men who have no income to
speak oEand that a damsel who can play
sonata on a piano, and who couldn' t
bake batch of biscuit to save her life, has
a hundred times the chances 10 get hus-
band that are possessed by her domestic
but unaccomplished sister.
In that unhappy land, if one is to believe
this unknown writer, the young women
have no eyes for the young man whose
recommendations to womanly notice are
confined to such attributes as industry.
economy and a conscientious desire to do
his duty to himself and his fellows; while
the Young man who dresses faultlesSly, and
has nice mustache. and can deal out
SLAM and small talk with all the ease and
proficiency of trained parrot, may have
his pick among all the girls in his commu-
nifty.
Our author saws further that when a
couple marry. neither is influenced by I'M
selfish love of the other but that the man
esteems the woman simply because she
seems to be fond of him, and the young
wcman's love for the young man is but
recognition of his apparent fondness for
her In a word, unlike the marriages in our
own happy land, union of hearts, so
called, in that country. is but the coming
together of two persons, each devotedly in
love with himself or herself.
Thank Heaven the world has grown
better since such things as these could be
truly said of mankind.
Our author goes on to say that it is the
custom for young couple to run into debt
Immediately they have run their heads
into the matrimonial moose, il an en-
deayor, as he quantity expresses ii, ''to be-
gin where their parents left off" and he
becomes quite diverting in his ludicrous
descriptions of young married folks who
live in a house replete with every oorve-
nience and luxury, without sufficient
money to purchase q decent meal of vic
tuals, except on credit: and. he would have
US believe that everything in their splendid
mansion, including the mansion ITSELF be-
longs to their creditors, and that nothing
is theirs, from the grand piano down to the
frying pan in which they cook the chops
for which the butcher will never see his
money.
He tells, also, of the curious custom of
exchanging presents. When couple
were married their acquaintance, taking
pity upon the unfortunate pair. and wish
ing to recompense the latter for the life of
misery they had entered upon, thought
fully presented them all sorts of expensive
unnecessaries, such as silver ice pitchers,
cake baskets, salvers, etc.
Sometimes these articles were not given,
but simply loaned, and in other cases,
where the parents of the young people
could afford ii, they were rented from the
dealer, and returned after the ceremony.
Our au hor has much to say, also, regard
ing the absurd customs then in vogue of
spending incredible sums upon cake that
nobody with stomach ever dared to eat
and upon invitation cards whose chief
merit consisted in being inscribed with
characters that nobody could really de-
cipher, and which were sent to persons for
whom the young people did not care
straw-sometimes our author hints, they
were only sent to arouse the envy of the
recipients-and who in their turn did not
care rush for the young people,
But II is useless to quote further from
this ronlancin= old writer; for surely no.
body viii believe his narrative is yeraci-
GUS one. 1t is perfectly clear, on the con-
trary, that his story is bst a Pigment of a
diseased brain, or. at all events only mar
Vicious libel upon the people whose Customs
aepretended to depict Boston Transcript