The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1891-03-19
IN SUNNY CASTLE.
Lot Of a Spanish Girl from the
Cradle to the Altar.
Social Customs In the Penins sula- -Baby's
Ears Must Be Pierced Before Chris
tening-Wooing Under Difficulties
EARLY Betrothsls.

Early Betrothsls.
When girl is born in Spain, writes
o correspondent of the New York Stal
| from Cadiz, Spain, the first thing done
even before the christening, is to bore
holes in her ears and 10 put in them g
pair OF tiny earrings, present from
the godmother. This takes place when
the nina (girD is but day or two old,
and IS the first link whereon long
chain of coquettishness and the love OF
fnery are built The cradle and robes
of the baby are adorned with pink bows.
Except in families that have adopted
foreign notions and habits the little
thing is never bathed, only slightly
washed, wha. one might call "a lick and
a promise" Nothing can we'll be more
hideous to behold than true-born Span
ish baby wrapped in its swaddling-
clothes and with an ugly cap tied on its
head.
About q week after the child Is born
1t is carried to the church to be
christened. A girl is often given as
many as eight or nine names, and some
OF them sound funny when translated
into English, suoh as Concha, q she'll;
Annunciation, Trinity or Dolores
which means pains" The babe is held
at the font by the godmother while the
priest puts salt on its lips, makes q
cross with oil on the back OF its neck,
and for the first and-such Is the horror
OF the Spaniard for water-the last time
in its life pours cold water on its head.
For year, or even two years, tho
little girl is handed over to her anna, or
wet nurse, usually Low, vulgar peas
ant woman, who teaches her to speak
loudly, to cry for every thing, and spoils
her more completely than even her own
mother might have done. These bad
habits, SO early inculcated, never fail to
cling to her through life. When, at last,
the nurse is dismissed, the child does
just what she likes. She Dimes ct table
and eats of every dish. Her only play
mates arc the servants, and she never
goes to bed until she chooses. / have
seen little girls at my friends houses sit
up beyond midnight when but five or six
years old.
AT eight years old she goes to school
In the daytime, or is put into convent,
whore she is taught little beyond sew
ing and embroidery. She embroiders,
however, beautifully.
at ten she takes her first communion,
but without possessing the slightest no
tion OF the meaning Of the ceremony.
On that occasion her sole precccupation
Is the white dress she has on, and in
which she is photographed. Already at
that early age she goes to the theater;
she sits in her mothers drawing-room,
listens to all sorts Of conversation, even
gives her own opinion. This makes her
o wise little woman indeed.
At thirteen her education is supposed
to be completed. She is put into long
dresses and her hair claborately done
up. The novis, or sweetheart, then up
pears on the scene. 1t is generally an
unknown young man with incipient
mustache. He walks up and down un-
der the balcony twioo a day regularly
on his way to the university. On Sum-
days he follows her to church or struts
behind her in the paseos, happy at a
glance given him now and then behind
mammals back. Billet dou1 are thrown
to him from tho balcony, piece Of
string let down brings up an answer.
He takes q stall whenever his belle
goes to the theater with her parents.
and sits the whole evening with his
eyes riveted on her face. OF course, this
first love always ends in quarrel; the
young man goes of and is soon replaced
by another.
Whom tho young lady is eighteen tho
real fance appears. He is either intro
auced to her at a party or brought to the
house by friend OF the family. For
years, sometimes, an engagement takes
no definite turn, and the Spanish court
ship is unlike that in any other country.
The young people are never left alone.
Every evening the young man comes to
see his novis. She can not go anywhere
without his being invited also. At
ball or a party, in spite of all the rules
of politeness, they sit spooning apart,
and look for all the world as foolish as
possible. Tho mother of the young girl
has constantly to remain by or to walk
out with them. bow intensely bored
she must be may be easily guessed, es-
pecially when this state of things goes
On. as 1t often does, for years.
The betrothal Of Spanish girl takes
place only short time before the we'd
ding. The father, mother or nearest
relative Of the wooer calls upon the
girls parents and asks them to give her
in marriage. II they are wealthy people
and the happy owners of carriage they
drive to the house in great pomp. At
first the young lady does not put in an
appearance. and on this particular occa-
sion retires modestly to her room until
sent for, when the relatives Of her fut-
ure husband hand her bracelet in his
name. This takes the place OF the En-
glish engagement ring; it is usually a
gold band with diamond inserted, and
the initials of the happy young people
engraved inside. From that day the
young man can freely enter the house
and preparations for the wedding are in
order. These are soon hurried through.
First an elaborate trousseau, or brides
outfit, containing many dozens of OBJ
jects, is sent to the young woman. The
things that go to make up this trousseau
are without chic, without daintiness,
and as unlike as possible what French
mothp- take pride in giving her