St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-01-10
MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE.
Places Where Force Is Necessary
to Gain Wives.


merly the best Of friends, but since
cstranged owing to their political pro.
clivtties. and who. save to glare 1t one
another from opposite benches, seldom
meet under tho same social root arc
drawn together once moro when q
mutual friend takes it upon him or her.
self to enter into tho bond Of matri-
mony. and for . time sink their diff
ferences in honor OF tho OCCASION. Per-
haps the spirit Of good d-fellowship which
seems to pormeate everybody on tho
happy day may even induce the bit
terest OF foes to forget their wrongs and
shake hands in q manner which shows
they are both delighted to make it up
and little likely to repent Of SO doing
The business man forsakcs his daily
task, and nearly everybody In the Of
fce gets holiday; the lawyer returns
his briefs. or has them 'dcvilled" by
some lucky junior who has long wanted
to find his legal legs; tho village turns
out in Sunday best to gaze at tho array
of bunting and triumphal arches; and
even the hermit throws of some of his
inpenetrability At tho sound OF the
marriage bells.
The winning Of the bride may have
caused many sleepless nights: at one
time the fates are propitious, at anoth.
cr fr0wning; but At last the difficulties
and doubts have been overcome, and all
troubles left behind. forgotten, when
tho day comes ITO crown tho lovers
patience with what he has 20 long de-
sired. But all the trials Of satisfying
the stern demand for . handsome set
Element, overcoming family prejudices,
and winning tho affections Of the lady,
are little in comparison with those we
read OF as having tortured tho 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, We dnd that men
had to take wives unto themselves by
force Of arms, or by some base subter.
fugc which went not altogether unpun-
ished in those troubled times. Every
schoolboy has felt tho irksome. task OF
translation relieved by the story Of
Romulus and his city full OF men PIN
ing Tor 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 ]
be celebrated in honor of tho god Census,
the invitation Of the Latins and Sabines |
to tho festival. during which Romulus |
and his fiery youths rushed upon them |
and carried OF their virgins. leaving
the matrons 70 escape as best they
could? II
TIC Romans werc not the only peo-
pie OF the classic ago who had such DIM
cultics 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 q
wife. wc nnd that when these nations
had settled down into comparative civ
Ilization. It became part Of tho core
mony Of marriage that there should b
In Rome and Sparta, among the lower
classes, whom . marriage was arranged.
Tho bride sat coniidingly on her moth.
sr's lap. and was not 1t all surprised
when her husband camc accompanied
By his friends % complete his part Of
he contract BY. tearing hcr away from
Ter mothers fond embracea IL,
Records show that violence or cap
urc Was . necessary feature Of . mar.
iage in nearly every land st one time
Y another, and even 1T the present day
'mong many races the custom Is pro ,
erved in a'modified form. An inter-
sting instance Of recent times is given
{ the Khonds All the epreliminaries be-
ng satisfactorily arranged. each family ,
something toward adorning ,
he feast which Is prepared 1t the ,
rides dwelkng. The feast Is succeed.
d by dancing and singing we'll into the
ight until It Is timc for the real busi- .
ess to comfnence. An uncle Of the +
ride takes her on his shoulders. and {
n uncle of the bridegroom does the
lme for him. while the dance is at it,
eight H
Suddenly they exchange their bur. b
sns; and tho uncle OF the bridegroom d
sappears with. the bride. hotly par.
led by her female friends. who are q
spt 1t bay BY the comrades Of the a
.ideeroom striving their utmost to o
,ep them Oh and cover her dight She P
wrapped In ! scarlet cloak: while the
Jung women even 20 20 far - to hurl
ones and bsmboos at the devoted q
idegroom until he has escaped with 4
8 bride to tho verge Of the village. g
hen the ceremony seompleta and he = :
lowed to conduct his hard-won spouse q
his abode without TURTLES molests-
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