Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-01-11
METHODS OF COUNTING.
THE SAVAGE LOVER GENERALLY
SHOWS = LACK or TENDERNESS.

| touftsnip among tls EsqClmau1
the Australian Captures His Bride-The
style in Certain Parts of Asia-A Curl
| Gus Custom in Holland.
Among the ancient Assyrians all mar.
riageable young girls woro assembled at
one place, and the public crier put them
| up for sale one after the other. The
| money which was received for those who
were handsome, and consequently sold
well, was bestowed as wedding portion
on those who were plain. When the most
beautiful had been disposed of the more
ordinary looking ones were offered for a
certain sum- and allotted to those willing
| to take them.
In ancient Greece the lover was seldom
favored with an opportunity of telling
his passion to his mistress, and he used
to publish it by inscribing her name on
| the walls. on the bark of the trees in the
| public walks. and upon the leaves of
books. He would decorate the door of
her house with garlands, and make liba
| lions of wine before it. in the manner
| that was practiced in the Temple of
Cupid
According to DR. Hayes. courtship
among the Esquimaux has not much
tenderness about it. The match is made
| by the parents of the couple. The lover
must go out and capture Polar bear as
an evidence of his courage and strength
| That accomplished. he sneaks behind the
door of his sweetheart $ house, and when
she comes out he pounces upon her and
tries to carry her to his dog sledge. She
screams, bites, kicks and breaks away
from him. He gives chase. whereupon all
the old women of the settlement rush out
and beat her with frozen strips of seal
Iii; Ell Al.
lover lashes her to his sledge, whips up
his dogs, dashes swiftly over the frozen
snow, and the wedding is contaminated
The Australian lover is still more lack
ing in tenderness, if the statement made
by Myers Deley is true The lover makes
! up his mind as to which woman shall be
| his bride, and then hides in the bushes in
the vicinity of her dwelling AS soon as
she comes near the spot where he is con
cealed he knocks her down with club
and carries her off before she comes to. If
he does not get her to his hut before she
RECEIVERS there is likely to be a lively fight
in the BUSH for the Australian damsel is
generally vigorous one, and may have
reasons of her own for Directing to his at
tentions The lover may then be obliged to
club her again, and as that is considered
to be somewhat of a reflection Oh the ardor
with which his earlier effort was made, he
is apt to put as much soul and muscle
into his first love tap as he can summon.
In some parts of Asia the question Of q
mans title to Il bride must be settled by
fierce fight between the friends of the
contracting parties. If his forces are vic
torous, his sweetheart becomes his
trophy. If her friends are victorious, he
must pay such price as the victors de-
mand. All over that country some Ger.
emory of violence or exhibition of ply.
steal power must precede wedding.
Some native tribes insist upon foot race
between the bride and bridegroom to de-
eide the question of marriage, and others
require long chase ON horseback In
some sections of Asia the lover must
carry off his bride on his back. If he
reaches his hut with her, there can be nc
protest against the marriage. Failing il
that, he must pay her parents for her il
cattle. The willing bride makes no out
cry the unwilling bride rouses the whole
village, the residents of which try to res
cue her.
In tho Isthmus of Darien either sex car
do the counting, while in the Urkraint
the girl generally attends to it. Wher
: she falls IN love with a man, she goes tt
his house and declares her passion. If he
declines to accept her, she remains there
|
70 turn her out would provoke her kin
dred to avenge the insult. The young
follow has no resort left him but to run
away from home until the damsel is other
, wise disposed of.
/ A curious custom prevails in Quo
J Beierland, Holland. October is tho aus
! picious month, and on the first SUNDAY
, (knoWn as review day. the lads and lasses
attired III their best, promenade tn,
village separately, stare each other out o
4 countenance, and then retire to make III
their minds on the second Sunday, whicl
a is called decision day. The young mel
! go up and pay their compliments to TIN
fair ones of their choice, to learn if the,
' are regarded with favor. On the thirt
9 Sunday, or day of purchase, the swain il
expected to snatch the pocket handller
4 chief of his adored one, and if she sub
4 mits to it with good grace he un
dcrstands that his chances of winning
Q her are tlattering, The capturet
7 pledge is restored to the fair owne
+ on the fourth Sunday the Sunday o
0 Taking Possession" and it rarely hap
pens that the damsel refuses the lover 70
whom she has indicated preference. On
the Sunday following tho suitor, accord
n ing to custom, calls at the house of hi
inamorata, where he is asked to tea. If
piece of the crust of ginger bread loaf i
{ handed to him, there is nothing left 70
] him but to retire. If, on the other hand
!. the parents offer the young man piec
of the crumb, he is allowed to come again
; and is admitted into the family
a On the Island of Himia opposit
= Rhodes. girl is not allowed to have
: lover until she has brought up certain
n quantity of sponges, and given proof o
her agility to take them from a certain
depth. On the Island of Nicarus the gin
is not consulted Her father gives her
the best diver among her suitors II
who can stay longest under the water am
$ gather the most sponges marries tn
o maid. Frank II. StaufTer in The Epoch
Humorously and Tearfully True.
Mark TMain In his dry vav nnnn nccn