The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-03-21
WHAT THE HONEYMOON MEANS
A Survival of n Savage Custom-Some
Other Primitive Fashions

Can you tell me from what source
this custom of the honeymoon journey
is derived?" asked young married
man, just returned from his wedding
trip with much fattened pocket book,
of scientific friend.
Why, my dear boy. was the reply,
it is of purely savage origin and repre-
sents a survival of the primitive method
of marriage by capture. In the early
days of social existence before the era
of civilization dawned the lover always
secured his bride by force, just as the
Australian native of to-day knocks
down the woman he desires for wife
with his club and drags her off, this
ceremony constituting the requisite
legal form. Among the Kalmucks OF
central Asia the girl whom a youth
desires to win is put on horse and
rides off at full speed, the lover pursu-
ing as soon as she is judged to have
got fair start. If he cannot overtake
her the match is off, but if he succeeds
in catching her she becomes his wife.
When she likes the young man it is to
be presumed that she does not ride
her hardest. With the Ahitas OF the
Philippine Islands when man wishes
to marry a young woman she is given
an hours start in the woods, and, if he
finds her and brings her back before
sunset, it is a lawful marriage. Ever
so many people still preserve the form
of marriage by capture, even though
the actual custom no longer exists.
When an Indian of ChiIa has agreed
on the price he shall pay for girl to
her parents the recognized mode of
proceeding IS that he surprises her, or
is supposed to do so, and carries her
eff to the woods for few days, after
which the happy compile return home.
That seems much like a civilized
honeymoon.
The idea of it is precisely the same
and the custom is derived fir en- the
same source. lust as l said, the
honeymoon is in fact suVlval of the
primitive custom OF marriage by cap
ture. As nations have advanced in
civilization and communities. have be-
come larger the actual capture of wives
has become inconvenient and unnec-
essary. Gradually, therefore, it has
sunk more and more into mere form.
Thus the requirements of fashion were
satisfied with your running off with
your own bride out Of town for a
month.
Very expensive l found it. Ishould
have preferred not to acquire my wife
by capture.
All But my dear fellow, you were
obliged to make show Of carrying her
off if you wished to do the proper
thing. The very bride cake at your
wedding, of which l was given slice,
is simply a survival Of the barbarous
method Of marriage by eating together.
This latter custom is in use to-day
among many tribes of Indians. Among
modern sayages you will find the same
customs in vogue now that were doubt
less used by our own primitive ances
tors, and this consideration alone
rendere study of their ways very in
teresting. Speaking Of weddings re-
minds one OF kissing the bride. Now,
as 10 that, kissing seems to US so natu-
raj an expression of affection that we
should expect 1t to be found all over
the world. Yet it Is unknown to the
the New Zealanders, the
Papuans, the negro OF West Africa and
the Eskimo. in some parts of Central
Africa it is considered a mark of res
pect to turn the back on superior.
The Todas of the Neilgherry hills. in
India, show respect by raising the open
right hand and resting the thumb on
the end of the nose. Captain Cook
asserts that the inhabitants Of an island
in the Pacific ocean, called MalIicolo,
show admiration by Kissing. Among
the Eskimo it is customary to pull a
persons nose as compliment. And
among the Chinese, who are no. savage
but barbarous, a coffin is regarded
as neat and appropriate present for
an aged person, especially If in bad
health.
LOOK OUT FOR MOTHER.