Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-30
ON HIS WIFE'S SUFFERING
The Pious IIindoo Bases His Hope
of Heaven.
AN INFERNO FOR woMANKlnD.
How the Baby Bride or India is En-
siaved by the Husband and His
Fnmiiy-The Curse Of
womankind.
Earning Heaven BY Proxy.


BEE THE wedding season in India is now
at its height. have seen wedding process
sions by the dozen IN every town have VS.
tied, and have had fair chance to noto
some Of the peculiarities Of Hindoo mar
riages. India has the youngest brides and
rrooms in the world The grooms 1 have
seen have in no case been over fifteen, and
some Of the brides were apparently only just
weaned. BY the Hindoo law q woman should
be married before she reaches the age OF
puberty, which here is at twelve. Most girls
are betrothed before they are six, and in
wedding procession at Agra / saw little
bridegroom Of perhaps ten years gorgeously
dressed In cloth Of gold and with
heavy gold bracelets on his wrists and
ankles, sitting in wedding chair with lit
tie baby girl OF not over two, who lay asleep
at the other end Of the chair while the pro.
cession moved onward. Her sleep was heavy
and she had probably been drugged with
opium. This was a marriage Of two wealthy
families and the wedding procession was
very grand. At the head of it were two
camels with trappings of gold ridden by
barelegged men in red and gold turbana,
and wearing clothes of gold cloth. Behind
them came an elephant with gorgeous trap
pings, and twelve Arabian horse fol-
lowed. These horses had gold bracelets
about their fore legs just above the knee
ana there were great silver bells running
from the saddle along the back TO the
crupper. Tho saddles We're of silver cloth,
the stirrups were OF silver, and the bride
was decorated with gold Between these
horses came the wedding chair, and this
was a sort Of u litter perhaps six feet
square containing a bed with cushions and
pillows, and over IL was stretched q canopy
OF red and gold. Within it was
TIE BRIDAL COUPLE,
and the procession was accompanied BY
bard which played during the march, 1--WE
Won't go Home Till Morning" 1t was a
native band, but it had probably had an
English instructor, and this tune served as
the wedding march,
At Benares l saw n wedding procession
Of the poorest classes, and had the pleasure
of an introduction to the groom. He was a
sullen boy of fifteen, who looked as though
he by no means enjoyed the occasion. He
had q cap of red cloth with long strings of
flowers hanging from its rim to his neck,
and with tawdry red clothes upon his body.
He was riding white pony, which had
gaudy trappings and walking with him was
n crowd of bare-footed, bare legged, tur-
baned men and boys, one of whom led the
horse. These were his re latives. Just
back OF them. and apparently having no
connection with the pony-riding groom was
party OF men carrying what looked like
store box shut up on all sides and covered
with red cloth. A cheap cashmere shawl
was thrown over its top and | was told that
the bride was inside. i asked her age and
was told that she had lived just eight years.
Behind her came number of women
carrying her dowry upon their heads. One
party bore the brides bed. 1t was rack or
frame work of wood about four feet long
A.. L. f. a
ing it about eighteen inches from the ground,
and instead Of wire springs there was rude
network of clothesline rope stretched within
the framework Another woman had tray
on her head containing the cooking utensils
consisting of three or four iron pots and
rice Jar. and the whole outfit would have
been dear at dollar and half. l talked
with the father of the groom. He told mo
the bride would come and stay two days
with her mother-ln-law and then go back
home until she was ten years Of age, when
when she would come to live with her hus-
band and be married for good. In the case
of baby marriages, tho child Is often brought
up by her own parents. ana she only comes
to her mother-in-l laws house when she has
gotten old enough to learn housekeeping,
which is at the age of ten or eleven years.
In some cases, however, she goes at once to
the house of her mother-in-law and
IL brought up by her, often being made to
do the drudgery of the house and absolu-
tely subject to her husbands mother.
Twas invited to wedding feast Mt Agra,
and the polite Hindoo who so honored me
told me upon parting that my presence had
''glorifed the occasion" There were five
hundred Hindoos present and the entertain
ment consisted of Nautch dancing and act
ing. The Nautch girls, attired in gorgeous
clothes, won't through tho most surprising
OF sensuous contortions to the music of two
drums, which were played with the hands,
and a curious Hindoo fiddle. These Nantch
girls are the dancing girls OF India. They
are remarkable for their plump, round tig-
ures and for the wonderful ease and grace
which they throw into the movements OF
their bodies. A large part OF the dancing
consists in the movement Of the frame with
out lifting the feet from the ground, and by
them the whole story OF
t- LOVE IS TOLD IN GESTURES
which must be seen to be appreciated. They
!, Egypt and of the African negroes, and seem
TO be II part of oriental life. They are paid
high prices, and some OF the best dancing
girls Of India get as high as s25 night. The
celebration which / attended WAS in u tent
outsiuo the house built for the occasion. A
rich carpet covered the ground, and tho
Pickering lights shown ovcr collection Of
CURIOUS figures, which would make another
fortune for Barnum l looked in vain for
the bride, and whether she was n baby or
not do not know. The groom was not m o re
than six. He was a bright little fellow in a
red velvet coat, and he brought mo bunch
OF fiowers and some Cardanun Seeds WHICH
are given TO the guests on such occasions.
Indian marriages are managed entirely b v
the parents. Courtship is unknown In India
and tho parties married often remain for
years without knowing each other The me-
gotiations are often carried on by means
OF n matchmaker, as in China and India has
its prof sssional match h-makors both women
and mon. For arranging amiddleclass we'd
ding matchmaker gets from $40 to Sl5, and
in the marriages of the rich he receives twice
this amount. The boy in the arrangement
mas no moro TO say than tho girl, though after
the marriage Is consummated and he becomes
the defacto husband of tho girl, the advan.
tage is altogether on his side. Woman holds
the lowest rank in Inaia According to her
religion she can only find salvation through
her husband. and II she Is not born again as
o man she will have 10 20 through eight mil
lion transmigrations. man can do no
wrong TO his wife and sho Is
PRACTICALLY HIS SLAVE.
She draws tho water, carries all the bur-
dens aud makes the fuel for the family. All
over India you see women carrying pots of
water on their heads and the contrast be-
tween the bracelets on their arms, both
below ana above the elbow, tho anklcts on
:.s s.ss .cs. ed ...s sfo-c so,1 % silver
ornaments in their cars, and their mental
occupation is striking, SEQ women carry.
ing water on their heads with babies not
more than few days old in their arms, ana
saw yesterday woman who had, by ac-