Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-05-02
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
Origin OF Those Now Observed Among
Civilized People.

Origin OF Those Now Observed Among
Civilized People.
One woman in England has fol-
lowed the example of Boston woman
in declining to part with her maiden
name on Icing married. She has
been examining the antiquities that
pertain to marriage. and has ascer-
tanned, to her own satisfaction at
least, that subjccting a b.ide to the
in!liction of giving up her own name
and taking that of her husband is Il
relic of barbarism. She says that in
distant and savage age man
branded his wives lie acquired at
is, put his name or some mark upon
them. just as he did on his horscs and
| cattle. This showed that they were
his property, and that he could
do with them as he chose.
The practice IF branding the
brides has been abandoned, but
their names are still entered in Il book
WHICH resembles a registry OF ami
| mails This shows that their hus bands
regard them as property. She is dis
gusted with the low origin of thi:
bridal custom, and accordingly de.
clined to have any thing to do with
it.
If this Independent woman hal
looked into the origin of certain other
brida! customs she would probabI:
have found that they were also relics
of barbarism. The first marriages.
was not made Of gold. neither was it
placed on . finger Of the left hand. It
was made of iron and was placed
about the neck. To this rope or
chain was attached for convenience of
required. A branded wife might es-
cape. but ope secured by ring and
chain would find considerable diff cul-
~ in getting away: The pearl neck.
lace now much desired by brides has
been slowly evolved from tic primi-
tive iron CHI ain and is another relic OF
barbarism.
The custom of making bridal pres
ents is of savage origin. Itdates back
to the distant time when girls were
bought like horses and cattle. If a
man did not have sheep and goats
enough to enable him to purchase
girl he took fancy to his friends
Clipped in and helped him out Each
Of them expected to receive similar
help when he got ready to invest in
wife. For the purchase of likely
and high-pEiced girl so many animals
were ordinarily brought together that
some of them were killed and roasted
for the purpose of feeding the crowd
Such was the origin of the modern
wedding breakfast.
The bridal tour is of very savage as
well as very ancient origin. 1t ante.
dates the earliest bridal gifts and the
first wedding breakfast. 1t carries US
back to the time when young
females were not thought to
be of sufficient value to ex.
change other property for: They were
lassoed and led away captives or car
ried off on the back of a horse or a
camel One object of the primitive
bridal tour was to get the girl away
from her parents. who were presumed
to want her services. Another was to
show her that she was captive and
beyond the hope Of rescue. Some
fond husbands probably made the trip
as pleasant as circumstances would
allow, they having been among the
first to learn that obstinate creatures
are conquered by kindness more easily
than by continuous harsh treatment
II young woman has a prejudice
against relics Of barbarism that
amounts to aversion she should not
enter into the estate Of matrimony.--
Chicago 1Inea