The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-06-01
cLEANrres FOR THE CURIOUS
some Quaint Customs OF Love-aaEing
and Marriage.


some Quaint Customs OF Love-Hai1ing
and Marriage.
Compiled for the Democratic Advocate
BY MAGGIE s ARNOLD.
Loyemakine in all its stages and avs IS an inter
esting subject to a world that ~ardentiy loves
lover But most of US either forget, or pretend 70
forret. lust how we made or suffered love to be
made pretty veil of mystery hanging over it all in
countries where it is least bound by the iron bands
of eonventionality The lot ofthe Burmese lover Is
not BY any means happy one. il is thought that
b,cause he can see his sweetheart he ought 10 con
ser himself fortunate; but the circumstances under
which he sees her ars such that one would not Won
der If he should wish the visits to be few Amer the
family have selected him the hour is set Tor hisNisiI
and this is usually about nine O'Clock The maiden
fair is robed in her best attire and her parents leave
her alone; they do not go far-smply to the next
room. where they peep through an aperture, seeing
s1d hearing all the wooing. The bashful swain an
noances his arrival by a narrowing and mcnotonous
stunning on a rude fiddle, and when. BY wave
Of scarf the signal has been given. he enters. but
not alone. with him are all the young men Of the
town who are on like errands, and who wait IN dlg'
nifed silence while he gives uiteranee to ms ieei-
inDs The unfortunate fellow cannot simply give
pleasant and polite greetings but he must IN the
fowery Language Of the East tell her Of his Joy IN
seeing his future bride. praise her beauty and aEo"
his love And All this with his friends waiting IN
nanereal silence for hisH % nish and his duiciheA
demurcly hearing him and not deigning 70 say
word Think Of The any1ssh he undersoeS: II he
i ne, arent enough be is refused; aad yc, how can
he he 80 with such critical iisienerSs When the
mother thinks he has said enough she tells him %
70. and then the fundamentally inclined Parry
pursue their way 70 the next house and ne Ia turn
becomes a critic. Then the burmese youth sere-
uadss his lady and her mother renders thanks He
gives levels and flowers, which. however the lady
.S not wear until she becomes hts wife In this
way he goes through the ways and byways Of love
making feeling that the entire family. as weSs the
entire viage-at least greater part Of ii-are ae-
lively interested in the affair Acting his part per.
feesy the youth viii Be approved Of and allowed to
kiss-she hand Of the maiden's mama-
The iamsel in Singapore Is given canoe and
double bladee paddle. and allow ed a ssars Of some
distance The suitor. similarly equipped. starts OF
In chase. II he succeeds in overriding her she BE-
comes his wife IL not the match Is broken on Il y
selior that objection is offered Al The last moment
and the race is generally shortOue The maiden's
arms are strong but her heart Is son and her nature
wsrn. and she soon becomes willing captive II
che marriage take place where sircam = neA9, a
roand circle Of certain sire s. formed, the dansel
Is stripped OF all buta waistband and given half the
circle start and II she succeeds in ruaains three
times around before her s8ior comes up with her
she i entitled to remain virgins Il not she must
consent 70 the bonds Of mAirlmony. Asin the other
cases, bat few onissrip their iovers.
Early marriages are encouraged in China Among
the mandarins and wealthy classes the matrimonial
are varies from sixteen 70 twenty years in males,
sft
esasses marry As soon As they acquire sufficient
money % purchase wife and defray the attendant
expenses Occasionally poor man viii 80 70 the
fonndling hospital IN his neighborhoed tfonndling
hospitals are very common IN chinal sad obtain =
girl that he may take her home and educate her.
giving her IN marriage 10 his son when the young
folks have arrived al proper age. The ihrin and
caution ofse national character are fully developed
in Ibis arrangement. Ia the irst place the money =
saved which must have been expended 10 Tie pef-
chase II WIFE ia the second The girl Is ed1caied
y her motherin-Iaw that is 20 bel thereby falling
into all The economical habits thirdly aud
lastly If The girl is not good tempered. industrious
aud respectful in her dc5neanor TO her INTENDED
husband and his parents. she IS very quickly sent
about her business withoutshe attendant inss ~hieh
ensaes when wife Is sent back TO her family for
misconduct afEer her marriage The parties about
70 contract marriage each other the Whole
afsr being arranged by their relations. or 20 be-
tweeps. which are old women. who describe the
laay In the most glowing Terms or 70 the reverse,
according to the presents made 70 them.
when the Persians make lore they use many STRAIT
sxcms to convince their mistresses that They are
faithful In the ardor Of their affections they burn
Themselves on some part Of their bodies BY setting
fire TO their Clothes and take that ihe scoFcing
be on part that is visible and IN this state they
present themselves to the object Of their affections
finley accept them the ladies always careful 70
furnish these ardent lovers with flles and scarfs
Of silk 70 bind up the wounds which they have re
sseiyed in the wars Of the God Of Love-" and they
are mos esteemed who put themselves to the great
cd main. The Persians marry many wirss. which
thev may mart with The nobility have as many as
shey please but the eommonalty exceed not seven
When the day is appointed for the marriage OF
great man the relations and friends meet at MS
house dressed in his livery II they are not parieu
lar friends they dress as they please and fine as
they can. When it is bedtime two men conduct the
bridegroom 70 the brides chamber. she entering by
another door The company. in the meantime
continue dancing Should the man net be satisfied
with his bride he often rejects her In The presence
of the company. after he has given her a sum Of
money and her relations nstan tly depart with her
One evening in Khondlsian, Campbell saw lad,
Tho was carrying on his shoulder burden wrapped
in a scarlet cloth pursued by crowd Of women
and girls. pelting him with stones bits Of bamboo
and other missiles II turned out afterwards that
the victim was on his wedding journey, aud was
carving his young wife in the scarlet wrapper
while the whole affair only intended as repre-
sentation Of the pursuit Of wifestealer In It's last
stage the capture becomes mere game between the
BRIDEGROOM and the bride Of which the result is al
wavs prearranged; yet it IS said that among the
Maori girl who. on such an occasion. has an earn
est desire 10 escape is able 70 elude an unweeome
sui,or Kenpan. who witnessed similar game
among the Koriakst aifirms that the bride must al
WAYS give a tacit consent to her own capture.
In old Bavaria the custom Of abduction still con-
tinues as a marriage sport, termed "oranuaui
bridal rum. which in old northern was called
.squanfang'' (wife capturel.
Among the Patagonians purchase money is
secretly paid to the parents, while the bride herself
Is suddenly stolen. Where too great eonsansuinily
Il not avoided and wife stealing is not encouraged
the suitor is obliged to purchase the bride from the
parents; the woman becomes the properly Of lhe
husband and may be left by him TO legal success
sor. Among the Caribs of Venezuela. and in equa-
,orial West Africa The eldest inherits all the
xives Of his deceased father with the sole exception
sffir own mother.
Among the Huzarehs, people OF Asia, the sutors
of The maiden nine in number, appear in the Held,
ali unarEed. but mounted on the best horses they
can procure; while the bride herself, mounted on a
beautiful Turkoman stallion, surrounded by her re-
lations. anxousy surveys the group OF lovers The
conditions OF the bridal race are these; The maiden
has certain start given, which she ayais herself OF
to gain sufficient distance from the crowd 70 en-
able her to manage her steed with freedom so as 70
assist in his pursuit the suitor whom she prefers
~ SIGNAL from the father all the horsemen galop
amor the fair one and whichever first succeeds in
encteing her waist with his arm, no matter whether
asagreeable or not to her choice, is entitled to claim
her as his wife After the usual delays incident
anon such interesting occasions the maiden quits
the circle Of her relations, and, putting her steed
into a hard gallon. darts into theopen plain When
satisfied with her position she turns round to the