, 1889-01-03
IeMPoRARY MARRIAGES.
Persian Couples That Contract Mntrimony
for IA Specified Time

Persian Couples That Contract M~ntrimony
for IA Specified Time
A writer in The Philadelphia North
American describes one marriage custom
among the Persians which would hardly
meet with favor In this country. A Per
sinn couple may enter into honorable
matrimony for any specified time-a day,
a week, n month, six months or longer.
A priest and n written contract are re-
quired, rs in the usual form, and n
dowry and present bestowed. Whether
the transaction is entered upon for n mat
ter of days or years, at its termination
each one goes their way free of all
further obligations toward each other.
This form of marriage is INDUCED in
largely by travellers and men whose voca-
tons take them from place to place. A
mixed party of travelers-men, women
and children-arrive at n village. The
susceptible heart Of one of the gentlemen
il touched by the charms of some rustic
belle. The village priest is summoned
forthwith, aud the young lady's father
invited TO the caravansarai.
81 wish TO be united in matrimony to
your honored daughter, the light of Mo
manned, oh, my father" says the smit-
ten traveller. 'Inshallah."
''Bismillahl' returns the parent, ''for
how longg'
''For three weeks, oh, my father" says
the traveller, land | will make the settle
ment ten tomans-iive tomans down and
five upon our return from Meshed, the
holy, three weeks hence, when your
daughter shall be returned, thrice blessed
from having made with us a pilgrimage
to Inman Riza's sanctuary"
What ten tomans pooh, poohI"
creams the father derisively, and max
ing little of the advantages of the pill
grimage to Meshed. my daughter Is a
Jewel and the belle of the village. The
settlement must be 100 tomans n
down"
The prospective bridegroom and the
father of the young lady in the case now
argue and squabblo for probably an
hour, at the end of which time they
compromise ON thirty tomans and three
quarters. The priest draws up a
rage contract then and there, which the
groom and the brides parents sign. In
1t Is stated the exact terms of the
riage, the amount of the settlement, and
the time the contract Is to expire. The
priest Is fed, the settlement money paid
over to the father, and the blushing
bride, who has had nothing to say in
the matter whatever, Is handed over to
her husband. She is mounted on an
ass or Dunuleu into n kolaVen ana aC-
companies the party TO Meshed.
Three weeks later the travellers halt
at the same village on their return. The
bride Of three weeks slides off her donkey,
kisses her husbands hands and returns
TO her parents roof. She Is now a
charming young widow, and possesses
thirty tomans and three-quarters, besides
an extra toman or two presented by her
husband at parting if he has been pleased
with her conduct as a spouse. With
this snug sum, and the additional charms
of her new condition, she of course very
soon makes mincemeat of some worthy
young peasants heart and settles down
for life. 1t sometimes happens, how
ever, that the young bride takes advan-
tage OF the temporary marriage to steal
away her husbands heart, and her at
h old home n new marriage contract Is
drawn up and she becomes his lifelong
helpmeet.