St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-04-28

Seebly attempt to picture T. ourselves
The state Of miserable detection into
which the husband elect would sink Oh
the eve Of his marriage. knowing that
he would have to turn butcher before
winning his bride To cut off the head
Of an OK. even when killed. is no easy
task for practical hands; but We will
draw a vail over this prel iminary part
Of the ceremony and suppose it TO
have been successfully accomplished
Then ID there any British matron.
glorious In lace and velvet who would
consent to have . CORY head brought
within hfty yards Of her apparel when
dressed for her daughters weddingl
All this simply goes to show that GUS
toms differ essentially in different
parts Of the world; the English mother
would scornfully reject the Ox's head
fro m her son-in-law. while the Barra-
long mother would look with equal
disdain on our settlements. wedding
breakfasts and showers Of rice and
slippers
How would Il sound II We read In
the journals which chronicle such
things: Among the bridegroom's $
gifts was . lovely rib Of beef pre-.
sented to the bride four splendid car.
casses of Welsh mutton - gifts to
the bridesmaids and the head Of the
OK that took the first prize in the re-
cent cattle show as . tribute of re.
spect for the brides mothere" We
arc happily never likely to read any
thing of the sort; but 1t the same
time In an economical age like the
present. there would be . distinct ad-
vantage in an inex pensive portion of
bullock given - . wedding present
instead of the costly offerings which
are usually considered essential.
Then. it would be curious to read:
The brides travelling dress consisted
Of capital hide. nayed of . prime
American by the bridegroom"
In old Scotch history We know that
the presentation Of bulls head new.
ly cut of was the sign that the
person to whom this horrible gift
was made must prepare for death;
but in Barralong social circles they at.
tach no such gloomy Significance to
the present The mother-in-law
smiles graciously. puts the head away
in her larder. il she possesses one.
and informs the bridegroom that he
can take his bride whenever he likes.
The young lady. no doubt. has fallen
in with the custom of the country and
would decline 10 give her hand to any
swain who was to delicate to wade
through slaughter to the by meneal
altar:
Tho name Of the female child 0S
nature whom Mr. Bethel welded wss
Teepoo She. it appears is still alive
and has borne him son. The Court
Of Chancery some tim. ago directed
inquiries to be made to the proper
authorities in Bechuanaland. which is
now British territory. and the answer
received was that Mr.. Bethel married.
according to Barralong customs. this
young lady. Teepoo. shortly before
the country was annexed Therefore.
it would follow. il this were the fact.
that she was his legal wife and the
child the legitimate heir to M.
Bethelrs property. That is just the
question which Mr. Justice Stirling is
now considering.
Mr. Christopher Bethel was the son
Of Mr.. W. r. Bethel. member of Par.
Lament for the West Riding of York.
shire. who died IN 1879. This gentle-
man BY his will devised real and lease
hold property 10 trustees and ultimate
ly TO his son Christopher. when he
should attain the age of twenty-five;
OF. If he died before that age. then to
his wife and children. In case of his
dying childless. the property was to
90 to brother of Christopher Bethel.
who is the plaintiff in the present ac-
ton and who seeks to obtain the
estate as against the posthumous
child of the Barralong Teepoo 1t is
. nice question for the courts to
decide. Barralong Teepoo's son is
probably not fitted BY nature to adori
English rural society. 90 that. even
If he were adjudged to be the rightful
owner OF the estates. he might not
know what to do with them. How.
ever we are not concerned with the
of what seems to be .
foolish action on the part Of this i'll.
starred young Englishman. sent out
to try his fortune in South Africa at
an early age. and subject 10 all the
emptations Of solitude and bar barous
surroundings The whole point which
the court has to con nsider is practically
what constitutes . recognized Barra-
long marriage ceremony. and il Mr.
Bethel went through the rites ox's
head and all 1t is the rite itself
which ID our present theme. 81
On the whole. the custom. strange
10 il appears is hardly more gro
te>que than the marriage fines"
which used to prevail in England. In
the custom roll Of Westhall Manor. in
it is recorded that every ten.
ant who married 'out OF the fealty"
was obliged to pay to the lord Of the
manor a bed. bolster. sheet and pillow.
There are entries Of such payments
having been frequently made Even
down TO E.isabeth's reign the bolster.
sheet and pillow continued to be paid.
though the bed had been remitied '.by
the lords kipdnesa." The primative