The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-22
MARRIAGE IN RUSSIA.
SAYINGS WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE PEAS,
ANTS VIEWS. OF MATRIMoNY.
The Hard Lot Of Peasants Ei:e-Bru-
ta1ity of Her Lord and AIaster-How
Courtship is Manaced-The Wedding


Courtship is Manaced-The Wedding
Day.
The Russian peasant enters the bonds Of !
! matrimony for no other reason on earth but
that Of securing hard working slave. But
few wise sayings of his own will illustrate
bis views of married life moro forcibly than
any mere description: "a hard working wife, I;
Is like good milking COW; one supplies with
milk, the other with linen" IA diSobedient Z
wife is like wild horse; the more lashes she
gets tho tanner she becomes ITO love wife
is to strike her upon every suitable occasion.
And to strike O wife u on every suitable oc-
cason, almost on the day after marrying her,
is indeed no novelty among the peasantay.
remember q case where q peasant nearly.
choked his wife to death in bis desperate
anger because she allowed herself, after q
years hard saving, to buy some calico fora
Sunday dress.
know OH old couple, parents OF number
of grown-up children, who at certain seasons
in the year, as regularly as clockwork, are In
toxicated. Everything that is found in the,
house is taken to tho tavern and exchanged
for vodka, and thus by the time they begin to
realize their horrid position good portion OF
linen, grain, flour and eggs is gone The hus-
bands anger then knows no limits, and the
poor, feeble wifc, who probably Is the least to !.
blame. suffers from her lord all insults imagins:
able: I-know a quiet and peaceful young :
peasant, who after being constantly ridiculetl
by his comrades for being too lenient with his .
wife, for allowing her to have too much to
saw, slapped her face upon one solemn occaz
sion in the presence of his friends merely for
the sake of denying this degrading accusation
and establishing his reputation as her mastersS
Such is tic lot Of a peasant woman. She Is
perfectly aware of the ill-treatment awaiting
her in her future home, yet she is satisfied and
resigned to her fate.
METHOD OF CoURTSHP.
Oftentimcs, however, it happens that q
peasant lnarrics not only without having
tho faintcst idea of the girls character, but
almost without having had chance to e2'
change few words with her. This Is gen.
orally done at the time, when, for some reason
or other, there is no possibility OF marrying
any of the girls of Lis own village, and when
marry hc must. On q fine morning the bride
groom, dressed up il his best woolen sv1ta,
with the brightest red colored belt, high sheep
skin hat and newest Of boots, may be seen
proudly starting out in company with few
elderly and experienced peasants engaged for
this purpose by the bridegroom's parents, in
search of q good girl. No house containing
girl is passed. by.
Upol entering the house the wife-huntins
party say few words Of customary saluta,
ton, such as "health be to you, good people"
and Immediately, without beating around the
bush, approach the subject. This business.
like transaction, it is worth while mentioning,
i; often carried on in the absence of the girl
directly concerned in tho matter. The BRIDE
GROOM upon such occasions is supposed to hav'
but little or nothing to say. The converse !
tioa i; carried Oh between the parents of the
girl end those intrusted with this important !,
mission. If the girls parents, for some rea- .
son or other. do not intend to let their child
be married. ut present, the guests are politely
told so, and after inquiring if there arc any
suitable girls in that Immediate neighbor.
hoot they leave the house As a general
thing, however, the party experiences no
difficulty il attaining the object desired.
After the parents have decided the girl Is
summoned ut once and here frequently en-
Sues a scene worthy Of an artists brush. She
takes her place by the stove, and without
lifting her eyes, biting her nails and assuming
the most innocent face, frequently keeps the
Darty waiting for long while before the
laco:ic sycs" (da) is cxtorted from her. There
is hardly need of adding that when once the
parcuts' decision is made no prayers or tears
On tho girls part can alter it. A rope ami
strap brings tue most stubborn tchado to
terms.
TIE WEDDING DAY. .... o..
Az soon as the busy season Is over the mar
riagc season takes its place. 1t Itgencrally, lasa
from the middle of September till late III No
vember. The young FOLKS begin to prepare
themselves for the approaching festivities
Women have their hands full in preparing
various fancy baked dishes and other thing.
suitable upon such occasion-men in bottlma
the vodka, engaging musicians and working
about tho house The village, which only
few weeks ago looked as though it were for
saken, assumes now gay and lively appear,
ance. Every villager is more or less in state
Of excite ment. But here the bride, dressed In
q brocadel short skirt with half dozen folds,
in q charming long or sleeveless garment
called korsyct, her hair full of bright and
streaming ribbons end flowers, starts out, ac'
COMMANDED by her girl friend, called druzhkol
to invite her relatives and friends to the wed.
ding. Every one she meets, whether friend
or stranger, is greeted with bow nearly TO-
the ground. That means "You are welcome,
good people, to attend my wedding" =.
Very often used to avail myself Of such
OPPORTUNITIES. What interested ME most tho
first timo attended q PEASANTS wedding was
the sight of the lively crowd that surrounded
the il a (hup where tho wedding took place.
Tho gloomy and stern expression SO natural
to the peasant it seemed to me was changed"
to one of joy and happiness. No uproar, no
strong language, in short, not the least sign
of anything rough could be noticed in the
lively crowd; all behaved in a planne.
worthy of people of higher standard OF
culture. The brides father, who upon such.
occasions is called swat by everybody, passed
around the crowd and treated oil who wers
present as well as he could from large bot a;
tie OF vodka and wooden diShfull of slicesot
wheat bread, which answered the purpose OF
wedding cake. Wishes for the prosperity OF
the newly married couple, of the parents OF
tho bride and bridegroom and of all good peo-
plo in general, as well as Tor the eternal peace
OF the dead, were heard upon all sides.-Phll'
adelphia Times.
Found n Brook Of Port Wine.
The attention Of policeman Of Leith was
~l,Vn