Western Kansas world., 1888-02-18

Au00s 0arrlo8e-TloS.
The Roman husband took his wife
not as her husband but as her father.
She came into his family the same
almost as an adopted daughter. Orig
inally the husband had absolute and
complete control over her property.
Even after his death she was subjected
to any guardianship that he might have
had appointed for her during his life
time. But change came in her con-
dition, and came as changes usually
come, from one extreme to another.
The wife was now subject to the tute-
lage OF guardians appointed bv her
own family. This tutelege gave her .
very Independent position as to her
separate estate and person.
If the Romans did not countenance.
polygamy the Hebrews did, and thew
had more peculiar custom. There
was law among them called the Lee
virate, which means brother-in-law,
and, according to this law, at the death
of the husband the next oldest unmar-
ried brother-in-law of the widow mar
ried her, if there were no children.
In this way the wife of the eldest
brother might, in the course of time,
have been the wife of all the brothers
This custom afterward extended to
many of the western nations, but the
marriage took place whether there
were any children or not
Pioneer marriages in this country,
not q century ago, has some resem-
blance to Hebrew wedding. In those
days the marriage was the cause of
great excitement, and the whole neigh
berhood was usually invited. As the
houses of the bride and groom we're
generally far apart the groom started
early in the morning on horse as
highly caparisoned as the times would
allow. The marriage generally took
place before noon, to enable the whole
party to return to the groom's home
before dark.
The marriage was always celebrated
at night and the bridesmaids were pro-
vided with lamps to meet the BRIDE
groom when he came. On his arrival
he found the bride, bridesmaids, and
company awaiting him. As soon as
the actual ceremony was over the entire
party returned to the bridegroom's
house with great rejoicing. When they
reached the house they partook of the
wedding feast. The festivities usually
lasted fourteen days. The groom not
only furnished the feast but the robes
of those who took part in the cere-
mony.
There is in the Royal library of
Paris a written contract made in 1897
between two persons of royal birth in
Armigal. The husband and wife were
bound to each other for seven years.
It was also agreed that the parties
should have the right to renew the tie
at the end of that time if they mutually
agreed; but if rot, the children were to
be equally divided and if the number
should chance not to be even they were
to draw lots for the odd one.
There was another kind of marriage
called polygnia, and like the Levirate,
it extended to the western countries.
This, however, did not gain much foot
hold among the Hebrews. Polygnia
was simply polygamy reversed. Ac-
cording to it the woman was the head
of the house, and might have as many
pleased. Her children bore her name
and recognized her as the head of the
house.
The Roman Church alone regarded
marriage as sacrament, but all the
other churches recognize it as divine
institution, ard, accordingly, every de-
nomination hasprovided religious serv-
ices for it's solemnization. So strong
hold did the church in England gain
upon it that for long time the regula-
tion of marriage and divorce was almost
exclusively under the church's jurisdic-
tion.
Some of the customs attending a
Hebraic marriage were peculiar. The
bridegroom dressed himself in the
most gorgeous style he could command.
He next perfumed himself with frank
incense and myrrh. Then he went
forth covered with garlands, or, if he
were rich, he would wear circlet of
gold and ride gayly caparisoned
horse