The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-16
)YE a ND RE Pc b
Brazil . Poor Place for Court
!. I, oung Couples. .I

Brazil 8 Poor Place for Counting
81, Young Couples
Marriage . Curious Combination Of Conn
plid%ted Questions, Revenue Stamps
and Difficulties in
General.
An American lady resident at Rio
Janeiro writes of the difficulties attend
ing wedlock in Brazil This is her story
OF it, says the New York journal:
They were lovely young couple.
just the embodiment of Burns "Oh,
happy love, where love like this is
found. He, rising young man with
good prospects, had seen her grow up
and develop into a lovely woman as
rose in a tropical garden. How could
he help loving her? And .she-she re-
turned his love; and her father and
mother were willing, nay happy in the
prospect Of their darling's complete
happiness. And why weren't the
couple happy? Why didn't they go and
get married?
This lovely young couple, two souls
with but a single thought" and all that,
lived in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most
beautiful cities in the world, where all
nature seems to speak of love; where
the hills. with all the luxuriance Of
their tropical verdure, reflect their
their glory in the deep blue of the bay
and all nature joins in grand anthem
to the Creator of the universe; in this
beautiful place even the creature, man,
has made things difficult.
In the good old days in Brazil when a
young man saw a pretty girl and fancied
her he got his godfather to confer with
her godmother, and if they were agreed
they had fiesta for the betrothal;
then the bans were published three
times, and they were married and
happy. But not so in these enlightened
days of the republic, as our young
friends found. There was the civil
marriage, which is obligatory whether
there is religious marriage or not.
Said John to Lucy as they were rid
ing along the lovely bay one beautiful
day in July: eve will be married
quietly next week and remain at home
for time and take a trip later in the
wear when the warm season comes on"
Her answer was smile of assent,
which he understood. It's remarkable
how few words pair of lovers need.
Then he went on: II must get the
necessary papers for the civil marriage,
I! but don't suppose that will take much
Tine
So
. pie and that they have the. hopefulness
..of youth. So he went, and the first
thing that amazed him was that the au-
thorities objected because they both
lived in the same house (the young man
boarded with her family.
''Well, l can call my Office my resi-
dence," said he.
''That is BETTER" said the Judge.
'sNow, where is your certificate Of
: baptism?"
. II haven't any," said John. II never
was baptised."
Here was difficulty that the judge
had not foreseen, not being accustomed
to the heathenish ways of North Amer
leans. Who was your father? Who
your mother? Are they living? Of
what did your mother die? ION being
told that she was dead}. How long do
You expect to live in Brazil?
These and many other questions had
to be testified to by witnesses before
notary public, and dear Lucy was
obliged to have one paper witnessed
and signed declaring that she was will
ling to marry John--the idea of such
thing!-also papers from her mother
and father declaring that they, too,
were willing; also who they were, who
their mothers and fathers were, what
their business was, ETC. And thus the
days heightened into weeks and the
weeks into months, and still the proper
papers were not finished, and October
came and still they were not married.
/; s'Anyway, our case is not SO bad as
3Smith's," said John, as they were re-
turning from the judges house for the
tenth time, having found him out or oc-
;cupied.
"What is thatoo'' asked Lucy, irn1ne-
4!diately interested.
ellis bride elect came out from Eng
land to him, and was obliged to return
in order to get the necessary papers"
''Oh, how dreadful said she, and
continuing: 81 am glad l am not in
Miss Browns place. You remem Der
seeing her, don't you? She is to marry
a young man eight years her junior, and
only think how embarrassing to have
to produce witnesses to declare that she
is thirty three" and Lucy really looked
sad, for she is just seventeen, and cam
not realize the idea Of anyone's wish
ing to marry at three and thirty.
ssBut the hardest Of all is the case of
Senior JOSE" continued John, for he
wished to marry that pretty young
widow, and the complications are
greater still, for not only must she have
all the papers from father and mother
of birth and baptism, Of willingness (?)
to marry, but physicians certificate
OF her late husbands death, and, if it
were possible, testimonial from him.
Everything comes to an end in this
life, and after three months Of arrang-
ing papers, making visits to the Judge,
the notary public and the consul, the
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