The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-05-22
coURTsHlP BY RRoxY.
How daidens Are WoOed in Japan-Ths
Marriage Ceremony q Queer One.

How haidens Are wooed in Japan-Ths
Marriage Ceremony q Queer One.
Ths courtship' of Japanese maiden
is dohe by proxy. A nakodo or middle
mar "a married relative or friend-is
usually deputed to look about for an
eligible partner for the young man or
girl, except in those cases, frequent
among the aristocracy, where the couple
were betrothed as infants In the good
old times the bridegroom often did not
know'or see his ''chosen one" till she
was brought to his house, preceded by a
woman who carried lantern. 1t some
times happened that the bridegroom
did not like his bride at first sight and
refused to take her The humiliation
which this caused the bride probably
led to the more modern custom which
gives to both the young folks somewhat
more latitude of choice.
This custom is called the mi-ai the
"see meeting or mutual seeing"
When the naBodo has found a suitable
girl an arrangement is made by which
she can, duly chaperoped, meet the
young man chosen for her at the thea
ter, picnic party, in private house or
a Shlnto temple. Sometimes the young
folks are left in ignorance as to the OBJ
ject of the meeting, but, as a rule, they
are forewarned, and if there is a decided
antipathy on one side or the other, the
matter ends there.
1t is said that at the present day a
glib is rarely forced to marry the man
chosen for her if she does not like him;
but, as matter of fact, if the parents
have made up their minds it would be
considered very improper for a Japanese
girl to have a will of her OWE in this
matter, as that would show lack of
tlial respect and obediance, which are
rated as the first of all feminine vir-
tues So high, indeed, are filial ODE
dience and devotion rated that girl will
not be disgraced if she sacrifice her vir-
tue for the sake of redeeming her par
ents from debt.
That hearts are frequently broken by
the nakodo custom seems to be proven
by the suicides of lovers, which are so
numerous that law has been passed
making such suicidal attempts punish
able by ten years Imprisonment. For
lovers to arrange a meeting without a
nakodo is considered very improper
proceeding, and public opinion exercises
its tyrannical pressure on all classes.
Japanese lovers know nothing about
that Indian summer of romantic court
ship which we call the honeymoon
Their prosaic courtship by proxy leads
to an equally prosaic engagement,
which consists in the sending of presents
to the girl. Should the lover prove
false and perfidious, the affair ends alb
ruptly, the girl having no redress at law
in the form of suit for breach of prom
Use.
The marriage ceremony itself marks
decided change in the brides position
and relations to her lover. There are
no bridesmaids, no minister, no prom
ises of love and fidelity unto death, but
simple registration of the change in
the brides residence; and the ceremony
chiefly consists in the drinking by the
bride and groom of three tiny cups of
weak sake or rice wine.
Garments are then changed, and the
ceremony is completed by drinking nine
more cups of sake. But whereas at the
first drinking the bride, being guest
is served first, at the second drinking
the wine is served first to her husband.
who has now become her lord and
master. She serves him at table, gives
him precedence when entering build
ing or when out riding, and does not
expect him to render her any services of
gallantry except such as are included in
the courtesy which he extends to every
body.
If he wishes to take a secondary wife
or two into his home it is none of her
business, and jealousy on her part is
considered very bad form and is highly
censured in the treatises on feminine
morals. Jealousy is, indeed, one of the
seven causes which enable a man to di-
vorce his wife, the other six being dis
obedience, barrenness, lewd conduct,
leprosy, or any other contagious or in
durable disease, fthievishness or talking
too much! ''In plain English" man
may send away his wife whenever he
gets tired of her. o.. .t ,.'
One is not surprised therefore to find
in the tables that there is one divorce
for every three marriages. The women
for their part have no right to claim a
divorce on any grounds, nor is it likely
that they would care for such privi-
lege since the position of a divorced
woman is not an enviable one.-N. o.
Picayune.
HIS CHECK WAS GOOD.