The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-07-08

| In fact, the only Theological part ut the
| programme referred to by Mr.. Cox takes
| place just before the consummation of the
marriage, when the BRIDES feminine ac-
quaintances salute and take leave of her
with the pious exclamation. 'Mashal-
lab ~ which means. May Allah guard
youl'
| Mohammedans often betroth their chill
dren in infancy. The right to make the
contract rests with the father, the pater-
nal grandfather. or some one in the posi-
| ton 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
| the older, undoubtedly knows more about
such things, especially in Turkey, and SO
the law may be imagined to rest on a
civilization it is unnecessary for parents
| to make marriage contracts for their chill
dren; for the young people are generally
so smart and we'll educated that they can
beat the old folks two to one at a sharp
| bargain. The Turks are far behind us
but they evidently mean we'll
In his North american RevSev article,
Mr.. Cox limits himself to the special con-
| sideration of marriage formalities between
free adults not covered by contract in
their infancy
''As soon as the boy attains the mar
riageabe age, his father and mother cast
about to find him a wife," The mother
looks around carefully in all the harems of
her rtt-tat 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
u nice, heightened daughter n-law, the
fact is reported, with full particulars. to
the boys father. If he likes the descrip-
ton, which is the best photograph he can
get, the mothers next step is to call on the
damsel and invite her to be one of
party to the Turkish bath for bathing
parties are as fashionable in Constantinople
as picnics are i'll Hoboken. The bath, in
fact, is. to some extent. a picnic. Cooks
are kept busy preparing for it, and it ends
in banquet. The ladies go in full dress,
attended by servants, and las soon as the
parties meet, there a series of endless
compliments The candidate for mother
inlaw pays special unremitting attention
to the young girl who is the queen of the
May OH this bathing excursion. The
bath and banquet, coffee, sherbet and
cigarettes, are beautifully adapted to
bring out virginia. attractions both physi-
cal aud mental, to the eye of an expert
encee would-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 a second and more de-
tailed repor.. to her husband. If it is favor
able and he audits it, she pays visit to
the other family and pops the ques-
tion''-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.
1t he consents, the two old governors hold
a meeting, come down to business, and
fix up the dover and the 'happy day.
The dover is payable half in advance
The other half is held back as sort of
alimony for the wife in case of reputation.
In Turkey this precaution is a 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
invitations are sent out for these different
days, beginning with cards to high digni-
taries Of the place, and ending with open
doors to all acquaintance. The bride
groom and the bride, each in the separate
establishment of their relatives and friends
go through this ceremonial. On the
fourth day-the afternoon of Thursday
the two parties gather in the house where
the couple are to live-the women in the
harem lik and the men in the selam lik,
which means in English, each sex on their
own side of partition. Then the display
of the BRIDES presents is in order, in
almost as civilized a fashion as they do it
on Fifth avenue.
But on the morning OF this Thursday
there has been gorgeous procession of
| carriages from the brides old home One
| of these-a galvanized if not an actually
golden chariot-holds the BRIDE and the
other vehicles 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 part
of the domicile-where he is admitted on
this exceptional occasion--and seats her
upon throne. Then he retires, holding
his head down, and scattering small coin
about him by the handful. while the ladies
hasten to cover their faces with their
handkerchiefs although, if these have
been mislaid, they take their skirts, or any
thing else, as the face must be covered, in
the Orient, 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 hafem.'' His
friends play all sorts of pranks to detain
him, but he is supposed to be justified
under the circumstances, in getting there
as soon as possible.