St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-04-21
MAR RAGE IN BUR NAH.
IL Is Entirely q Civil Rite and tho Cere-
mOny Is Very Brief

of cases, the hus band of one wife. al.
though polygamy is not prohi bted by
their ancient laws. They make good
husbands, and in return the wife is.
rs rule, good-tempered and hard
working. Unfaithfulnnss is not known
among the simple people. Marriage
is entirely civil rite, and the cere.
monies attending it are extremely
brief. The happy man. after court
ship of few months at most. presen ia
his intended wife's father with sum
of money previously agreed upon. or
the honorarium may consist of cattle.
| ponies or merchandise. When ne
bridal day arrives the ex,;ect-
ant bridegroom. carefully dr. ,ssed
in his best garments, is
shut up in the house the
welded pair purpose residing in. all
doors and windows being closed. The
bride, dressed in new silken attire, is
mounted upon an elephant hired for
the occasion, the animal having gaudy
housings OF cotton or silk of bright
colors. The lady wears the various
ornaments considered appropriate.
purchased with the money given by
the bridegroom, or an eq uivalent to the
value OF other gifts not money. None
are so poor as to be entirely without
trinkets of gold or silver for this
suspicious occasion. All her relatives
and those of the bridegroom, with
their intimate friends. in holiday
dress. accompanying her. mounted on
ponies or on foot. The girls mother
rides with her. There are no brides
maids, no groomsmen. The bride,
however, does not need them so much
as the lonely expectant shut up in his
house; he has no one to help him to
pass the weary hours of waiting.
Wedding breakfasts, with the newt
able dreary speeches, are dispensed
with. There is nothing to mar the
extreme simplicity of the proceedings.
When the bridal procession arrives at
the house of the bridegroom. the love-
ly bride, who is profusely powdered in
lieu Of a vail-and the stuff is plaster
ed on so thickly it effectually serves
to hide her blushes-is lifted off the
elephant by her father or nearest male
relative. The elephant knees for the
purpose. and, indeed, seems quite to
comprehend what is taking place. The
girl is then led to the door. which has
been left on the latch, and told to
enter, the mother giving her few
parting benedictions. When the door
is again shut, the party make a cir
cult around the house to see that all
openings are promptly fastened.
They then depart in high good humor
joking and laughing, and the happy
pair are left to themselves. These
marriages generally take place early
in the afternoon, and the house where
the newly welded pair are shut up is
not to be opened until the following
morning. These are all the cere-
monies attendant upon ordinary mar
riages, those of rich people are accom-
panied by greater pomp and display.
The simple proceedings described
constitute legal marriage, no writ
ing nor certificate being required. In
the southerly portion of Burmah, and
where the foreigner has been longer
known. these marriages are more
easily dissolved than in the interior of
the country. In the latter the fact of
the husband quitting the country for
foreign paris constitutes divorce
apso facto, and the wife is permitted
to marry again if she can. The rea-
son for this is that, by their ancient
laws. no women were allowed to leave
Burmah, and it was considered that
the abandoned wife ought to have
chance of happiness, or otherwise.
with another mate. In those parts Of
the country where the old laws are
not so strictly adhered to, when hus-
band and wife wish to dissolve
partnership from incompatibility
of temper, ETC.. each one takes
a candle of equal length, and
going indoors they fasten up the
house. The candles are then placed
before them on their little table and
lighted at the same moment. One of
these is sure to burn away before the
other, and the person to whom this
belonged has to depart, leaving the
house and its contents in the possess
sion of the one who owns the candle
that lasts the longer. In the improb-
able event of both candles going out
simultaneously, the ceremony has to
be repeated on some future day to be
decided upon. Only one trial is al
lowed at time
The day after her marriage the bride
commences to receive her friends and
aequaintances. seated in state. They
all bring her presents suited to their
means. generally of useful charac-
ter. Thus her career as belle is
ended, and the duties and cares OF
commence in earnest
Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.