Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-08-04
MARRIAGES IN TURKEY.
Hon. a. s. Cox Tells the Whole Story.

Although polygamy is the law of the
land in Turkey-where free bachelor
may become enthralled TO four wives, il
he desires to throw himself away in that
costly and reckless manner-still, it APP
pears, the forms of betrothal and mar
riage are quite elaborate.
'As soon as the boy attains the mar
riageable age his father and mother cast
about to find him a wife" The moth
er looks around carefully in all the ha-
rems of her 'set"-that is, the rooms
separately and solely devoted to Turkish
ladies, in the households of friends.
When she finds damsel that she thinks
would make nice, high-toned daugh-
ter-in-law, the fact is reported, with full
particulars TO the boys father. If he
likes the description, which is the best
photograph he can get, the mothers
next step is to call on the damsel and in
vite her to be one of party to the Turk
ish bath; for bathing parties are as fash
ionable in Constantinople as picnics are
in HObOken. The bath, in fact, is to
some extent picnic. Cooks are kept
busy preparing for it, and it ends in the
banquet. The ladies go in full dress,
attended by servants, and ''as soon as
the parties meet, there is series of end
less compliments. The candidate for
mother-in-law pays special attention 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
lr;pr ont x-;r,ripal aftr,otionc hotb r,hv
seal and mental. to the eye of an exper-
fenced 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
detailed report to her husband. If it
is favorable and he audits it, she pays
a 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 tue
proposal, and promises to lay it bef' re
the girls father. If he consents, the
two old governors hold 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 repudia-
ton. In Turkey this precautiOn Is Il
wise one, for divorce is easy, and di-
vorced 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
festivities generally begin on Monday
and last four days. Four different
grades OF invitations are sent out for
these different days, beginning with
cards to the high dignitaries of the
place, and ending with open doors to all
acquaintance. The bridegroom and
the bride, each in the separate eStab-
lishment of their relatives and friends,
60 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-lk and the men in the Sc
ldnl-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 fashion as
they do it OH Fifth avenue.
But on the morning of this Thursday
there has been 4 gorgeous procession OF
carriages from the BRIDES old home. One
of these-a galvanized if not an actually
golden charlot-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 Oh this exceptional occasion
and seats her upon a throne. Then he
retires, holding his head down, and scat
tering small coins about him by the
handful, while the ladies hasten to
cover their faces with their handker-
chiefs, although if these have been mis-
laid they take their skirts or anything
else. as the face must be covered, in the
Orient, at any expense of mere feet and
limbs.
After sunset the bridegroom is expec-
ted to visit his bride ''by the inside door
which leads to the harem." 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.