The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-29
Primitive Courtships.
Especial Correspondence

VIENNA, April Sail through the noun
tains and villages Of what was once known
as Albania, but which now is lost on the
map of Europe as a separate nation. the
old and primitive customs still exist, and
the maiden of today is woed and won as
was her great-grandInother in her youth.
Young girls throughout all this region
have more liberty than any other OF the
oriental nations, except the Montenegrins,
partly because they ere upright by nature
and partly because Of an unwritten law
that makes a young girl sacred in those
half savage lands, and besides all that
every male member OF the young girls
family through countless generations
would be bound to a perpetual vendetta
against every man Of every branch OF the
family whoever would wrong any girl, and
as the men Of these two nations are perfect
marksmen and men of the fiercest c0ur-
age and determination, any man would
think not only twice but a good many
times before he would dare 70 Insult one Of
these girls. Thus the girls go about on the
mountains with their little fOcks and herds
il security, and 1t sunset they all go with
their earthen pitchers to the village fount-
aims or to the natural spring, from whence
they obtain the drinking water for ths
night.
The girls aid women ell stand about,
brown and bdrefooted, with bright eyes
and gayly coloned embroidered garments,
and with tinkhng little pendants n their
hair and around thsiT Decks ana wrists.
All their wealth isthus spent and the bar
baTlc display Is attractive. Homes are ElIn-
ply shelter and places 70 sleep IN, and in
even the well TO do families little attempt
is made al decorating them, al the family
putting into dress and ornament their SUI
plus, and what they buy goes down TO
grandchildren, as il Is always % sterling
though crude value. Many girls have a
string OF gold Gems around the neck which
constitutes the dovTy, SO that the sutton
can see at a glance her fortune.
These gatherings az the fountain, aside
from their useful purpose, serTe for the
dissemination Of news, and the matches
are also made there, for when young man
feels that he wants a particular young glTl
for his wife he hrE: tails several Of bis
young man friends, AID then be takes his
rife aud starts with tAem towards tie
fountain, and tries 20 tine lis arrival 50
that be viii reach there 51st as this psEc4c-
ulz< young woman has hfted Es- errss q
water 70 lar head and Etarted towards her
bona he than raises h2s rife and shoots
directly et that cTase and breaks IL, lssstnG
al the ws1eT fail on the grl, &1ter which
he steps forward and takes her hand, and
they walk b2xhfully 20 her parents, who
e-icziy C7E7==.==5 sse liter and bring
sur bread and zine and dEied frz3tz, which
two latter have been saved foE tie occasion
CT their dsGgEtsT'S besrot hal
Sometimes the parents ob5eH- bat v~-v
seldom, and the gil almost never. TIE
young MAJ vvEo would b-esk 9 eFuse aid
Afterwards refuse The young gIrTs had
would % i2z7an.ly killed ~ the girls reis-
ttves. and falling relstiFes,- other men
Eould 60 {. 81 3 lust and religious ven
EeAnce. Ire young naen gather ~ tie
fountains and eiraSE1d lgEr-n fTseiywith all
the s1rls, bot never OEs word u love max
hR IS allowed o. sad before the open deo-
lsyzzion By breaking tie eruse q water.
After that the young couple can wander
zncsecked among the feTers and trees e.
81 TIA Rs16luE- zEhLch = EeYeE EsTT lo-g