Sharp County record., 1891-04-16
MARRIASE FORECAST,
Quain6 ahd Curioas Customs AmOas >is-
goaiC Naideas.

hne peculiar ueldcity Ok the >IhVOniI
nations tOr the traditions Ji thelr fore
fathers or from their hitherto Tea5er
isolation in the quicker current 2i
western life. 10 S certain tnat -U-dhy
survive lm0ug The unleJrered and lmag-
mauve >.av0niaH peasanuy more
numerous and more ancient cersm0nials
and 0bservanres than N any 0ther bu-
r0pean country
Many 1i the marriage torscasJings
center around the -ime-hOuOred -nrist-
mas eve. Ia Poland, Bulgaria and
Servia il is usual Tor curious maideus 10
throw rings OF melted lead and wax
into a vessel filled with water and
while fishing these out to sing DID
songs, the verses OF which toreteil As
they catch each object the pecuilaritles
OF their future husbands,
Ia some districts Of Poland, bread
and money are mixed with the hay
which On Christmas eve underiies the
tab,e-cio5h, the girl that-in the dark
draws out mOney IS promised wealthy
spouse. bat she Who draws bread Jniy
must expect poverty as her hfe-dOwrv.
Peasant maideus at nignttaI On
Christmas ewes go solitary and IN 81
lence TO the w0odhouse, there gather an
lrmful Of chips, which they carry. Yet
alone and silently, into the kitchen and
carefully count. If the number beeven,
they will marry but if the number
DC odd, single biesSsdnesS threatens
them
1t is customary in Polish villages to
strew straw over the Christmas eve
supper-tabies and for the young people
blindtoided, Or IN the dark, TO pick out
each o straw thereirom. Should the
straw be green, the lucky maiden ex-
poets 20 wear a bridal wreath, or the
youth to lead a blushing bride to the
altar during the approaching year; but
a dried straw foreJeils TO either long
waiting possibly even until death.
In other rural Polish districts, On the
Christ 5 eve, wine. beer and water
are placed by q girl between two can
dies ON table. She then retires into
corner OF an adjoining room to watch
the result reflected in a mirror hung for
this purpose.
If, as the clock strikes midnight,
man enters and drinks the wine. she IS
happy for her wOoer will be rich
Should he drink the beer, she may be
content, for the vooer will be 'weil-to-
do If the water be chosen, her hus~
band will be very poor, But if, as the
clock strikes, no man comes to her
table, the anxious maiden shigers with
more than midnight terror, believing
that she is doomed to be early the bride
OF death.
Poland is, peculiarly rich in these ob-
servances, spreading themselves
throughout the year, both sexes being
eqSzs.y superstitious in this respect
s~w Year eve th@-Esung RnnsAr-
j place themselves before ire,
ana oeuding down, look beneath their
legs. should a woman appear IA the
background tits, the one they will mar
ry; but # they see q shape as sofacohin,it
foreb0des for them death during the
year close at hand
Midsummer eve is also o. fayorite
epoch for looking into the future. Poll
ish maidens, at this time throw wreaths
Of flowers. and b0quets into rivers and
brooks. II the flowers doat undamaged
out OF sight the omen IS go0d;buy houid
the wreaths break or flowers sink before
their eyes, they go home with dark
visionsof the future.
Siayonic maidens will also 20 into the
gardens in the midsummer eve rwilgiE
md shake the fences heartily Should
p dog bark westward they look TO the
west FOE aIoyer II the dog bari1s in
the east, they look eXpectantiy east.
ward for % spouse II no dog bar<s, the
silence is anything but good, and the
poor girl returns heayy-hearted to re-
Join the merry groups gathered to ceie-
brate the midsummer festival, inancient
times considered the most important OF
the year.
In some Prussia villages 10 is custom
AIRY for the maiden to drop flowers into
a glass OF water, chanting somewhat
,hus.
AN atnlrslt
Give me 10 drink my beloved
with the hope chat the water win re-
fleet the image 0l % .ayorite swain.
Another custom Is TO throw vreaths OF
flowers over their heads backward
against tree,
II the wreath catches and hangs upon
branch at the first throw the giri
throwing 10 viii become a bride within
the first succeeding year II it catches
at the second throw then her bridal
will be- the second wear Aud SO ON.
They alsu slnQipp softly lpprppripts