The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-11-28
MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE.
Places Where Force Is Necessary
to Gain Wives
Trials OF Ancient Lovers The Ardent
Swain In Danger of Having His Head
Broken by tn. Object or His AfIec-
tions-IIIustrationsf from History.

To all classes a marriage is topic of
absorbing interest Politicians for
merly the best of friends, but since
estranged owing to their political pro-
elivities, and who, save TO glare at one
another from opposite benches, seldom
meet under the same social roof, are
drawn together once more when .
mutual friond takes ii upon him or her
self TO enter into the bond of matri-
mony, and for time sink their diff
ferences in honor Of the occasion. Per-
hsps the spirit of good-fellowship which
seems TO perneate everybody on the
happy day may oven induce the bit
terest of foes to forget their wrongs and
shake hands in a manner which shows
they are both delighted TO make it up
and little likely 20 repent of so doing
Tho business man forsakes his daily
task, and nearly everybody in the Of
fee gets holiday; the lawyer returns
his briefs, or has them ''devilledT by
some lucky junior who has long wanted
TO find his legal legs; the village turns
out in Sunday best TO gaze at tho array
of bunting and triumphal arches; and
even the hermit throws off some of his
mpenetrability at the sound OF the
marriage bells
The winning OF the bride may have
caused many sleepless nights; at one
time the faoes are propitious, at anoth-
er frowning; but 1T last the difficulties
and doubts have been overcome, and all
troubles left behind, forgotten, when
the day comes TO crown the lovers
patience with what he has so long do
sired But all the trials of satisfying
the stern demand for a handsome set
tlement, overcoming family prejudices,
and winning the affections of the lady,
are little in com mparison with those we
read of as having tortured the lover
long ago, and even now in distant lands.
Hundreds of years before Britain had
begun TO attract the attention OF the
bold Roman adventurers, intent on gain
and conquests new, NC find that men
had to take wives unto themselves by
force of arms, or by some base subter-
fuge which went not altogether unpun-
ished in those troubled times Every
schoolboy has felt the irksome task of
translation relieved by the story of
Ronulus and his city full OF men pin
ing for the company of women, and
driven at last by their desperation to
their cowardly deception. Who has not
heard OF the proclamation Of games to
pt III HOuOE VI INC gu SOiSASs
the invitation of the Latins and Sabines
10 the festival, during which Romulus
and his fiery youths rushed upon them
and carried of their virgins, leaving
the matrons to escape as best they
could?
Tie Romans were not the only peo-
pie Of the classic age who had such diff
culties to overcome, for the Spartan
damsels also had to be compelled by
violence to submit to matrimony. But
although in very carly times husband
had to resort to violence to obtain a
wife, we find that when these nations
had settled down into comparative civ
ilization, it became part OF the cere-
mony of marriage that there should be
a show OF capture on the husbands part.
In Rome and Sparta, among the lower
classes, when a marriage was arranged.
the bride sat confidingly on her moth
er's lap. and was not at all surprised
when her husband came accompanied
by his friends to complete his part of
the contract by tearing her away from
her mothers fond embraces.
Records show that violence or cap
ture was q necessary feature of a mar
riage in nearly every land at one time
or another. and even at the present day
among many races the custom is pre-
served in modified form An inter
esting instance of recent times is given
of the Khonds. All the preliminaries be-
ing satisfactorily arranged, each family
contributes some thing toward adorning
the feast which Is prepared at the
brides dwelling. The feast IS succeed
ed by dancing and singing we'll into the
night, until it is time for the real busi-
ness 10 commence. An uncle OF the
bride takes her on his shoulders, and
an uncle of the bridegroom does the
same for him, while the dance is at its
height
Suddenly they exchange their bur-
dens; and the uncle of the bridegroom
disappears with the bride, hotly pur-
sued by her female friends, who are
kept at bay by the comrades of the
bridegroom striving their utmost TO
keep them off and cover her fight. She
is wrapped in a scarlet cloak; while the
young women even go so far as to hurl
stones and bamboos at the devoted
bridegroom unel he has escaped with
his bride to the verge of the village.
Then the ceremony is complete, and he is
allowed to conduct his hard-won spouse
to his abode without further molesta-
tion.
1t has been suggested that in the
hurting of the stones we can trace the
origin ef the throwing of old slippers
after the welded couples OF our own
land; but it seems long way TO go TO
Khondistan TO derive the origin OF the
amusing custom over which so much
skill is sometimes exercised 10 insure