Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-11-18

III Portaht ventures are seldom begun
FRIDAY, and it is rather curious, there
lore, to find that in France the last
FRIDAY in the month is regarded as
fortunate day for weddings, excepting.
OF course, all the FRIDAYS and all the
other days in Lent, during which
period marriages are forbidden. Cen
orally May is looked upon as a month
to be avoided for marriage purposes.
1t is not very clear why the merry
month should be in ill-repute in this
connection. Probably it is a super.
stitious notion that has come down to
us from Roman times; but, on the
other hand, the Romans objected to
February for marrying as well as May,
while February with us is as much in
favor for weddings as almost any other
month except June. The Jews used
to set apart certain days for betrothal
and marriage, and appointed the
fourth day for spinsters and the fifth
for widows. This custom prevails
among modern Jews. but with a modi.
iication as to the days, Wednesday and
Friday being appointed for spinsters
and Thursday for widows. Here, how
ever. the arrangement is one of con-
venience and notOf superstition; but it
is neutrality-suspicious. which prevents
marriages in Scandinavia Thursday,
that before the day of Thor, and, there
fore, to the Morse mind Pagan day,
on which no Christian ceremony should
take place. Green she is expected to
avoid as she would plague, and she
must not take parting look at a
mirror before starting out for the
church, unless she has one glove off or
otherwise shows that her toilet is not
complete. She must also start out
right foot first, and after the ceremony
at the altar she must take care, if she
would be "happy ever AFTER" to let no
one speak to her husband until she
has first called him by name. Should
the wedding-ring break in married
life, it is an omen of approaching wild
owhood; but the ring may wear itself
to thread and the omen be one only
of continued comfort and happiness.
The wedding lore of our country
abounds in absurdities of this sort.
Most of it is laughed at in these days
of enlightenment, or, if attention is
paid to it at all, it is rather out of rev.
erence to old custom than from any
conviction that the observance or non
observance of this or that precaution
will add to the measure either of the
joy or sorrow of the newly married.
Marriage was not always the volun-
tary proceeding we now find it. 1t
was compulsory among the Greeks.
The Spartans could not tolerate celiba-
cy, and by the laws of Lycurgus GRIM
inal proceedings could be taken against
those who married too late or unsuita-
bly,, as well as against those who did
not marry at all. 1t went hard with
the latter. Should any man remain
single beyond certain age he was
publicly scorned, and was made to do
penance by walking naked in the win
ter through the market place, singing
a satirical song on himself. In the
French settlement of Canada women
were sent over after the men, and the
single men, that they might be forced
to marry, were subjected TO heavy tax
alton and to restrictions on their trade
and their movements generally. Those
who married were dealt with, on the
other hand, in a generous spirit. Not
only were they provided with a good
wife and comfortable home, but they
were rewarded according to the number
of their offspring. The father of ten
children was pensioned for life at
the rate of 800 livres year. If he
had twelve children the allowance was
increased to 400 livres, and it went up
to 1900 livres when fifteen children
blessed the union. The conditions
were reversed in the English colonies,
for there the settlers eagerly welcomed
the other sex, and did not hesitate to pay
traders heavily in tobacco weight for
every manageable woman they
brought over. As far back, however,
as 1896 the local authorities of East
ham in Massachusetts voted that every
unmarried man in the township should
kill six blackbirds or three crows year
y while he remained single, producing
the scalps in proof. and as II penalty
for not obeying the order he was for
hidden to marry until he had made up
all arrears. The requirement in this
case was almost nominal; but it was
not so in Maryland, where half cent
ury later the Colonial Assembly i'm
posed tax of five shillings yearly
upon all bachelors above thirty-five
years of age (and on widowers with
out children) who were possessed
of $500. There was similar
graduated tax on bachelors in
England in the reign of William
Ill. Any commoner who was bach
elor at twenty-five had to pay shill-
ing fine yearly, and the amount was
increased in accordance with rank or
title, any ducal offender being taxed to
the extent of fl2 los yearly. The tax
es grew heavier before they wers re-
moved, and the time came when bach
elors were called upon to pay an ex-
ira tax on their servants. Thus we
see the old States as we'll as young
ones have found out that their pros
perity depends upon its married citi-
zens. The best subjects, as Lord Ba-
con points out, are those in this rela-
tionship, the reason he gives for this
conclusion being that single are slight
to run away" while "he that hath a
wife and children hath given hostages
to fortune" 1t Is true that my Lord
verulam declares at the same time that
the unmarried men show most enter
prise either in a good or bad direction;
but we have an offset to this in John
Taylor's moralizing on the suject-
namely: that "a married man falling
| into misfortune is more apt to retrieve
his situation in the world than single
one. Leeds Mercury.