The Arizona champion., 1891-03-07

TEMPORARY MARRlAeEs.
Persian Couples That Contract MatrinonS
 for Specified Time,

l loG GptclhSO Ilu1e'
 A writer in The Philadelphia North
 American describes one marriage custom
 among the Persians which would hardly
 meet with favor in this country. A Per
 sian couple may enter into honorable
 matrimony for any specified time-a day, | a week. a month, six months or longer.
 A priest and d written contract are re- quired, as in the usual form, and a dowry and present bestowed. Whether the transaction is entered upon for mat | ter of days or years. at its termination each one goes their way free of all further obligations toward each other. | This form of marriage is indulged in largely by travellers and men whose voca- ] tions take them from place to place. A mixed party of travelers-men, women and children-arrive at village. The susceptible heart of one of the gentlemen is touched by the charms of some rustic belle. The village priest is summoned forthwith, and the young lady's father invited to the caravansarai.
 ''I wish to be united in matrimony to your honored daughter, the light of Mo hammed oh, my father" says the smit- ten traveller. ''Inshallah."
 "Bismillahr' returns the parent, flor how long,"
 ''For three weeks, oh, my father" says the traveller, land I will make the settle ment ten tomans-five tomans down and five upon our return from Meshed, the holy, three weeks hence, when your daughter shall be returned, thrice blessed from having made with us pilgrimage to Inman Riza's sanctuary"
 What! ten tomans pooh, pooh," screams the father derisively, and mak- ing little of the advantages of the pil- grimage to Meshed. My daughter is a jewel and the belle of the village. The settlement must be 100 tomans cash down."
 The prospective bridegroom and the father of the young lady in the case now argue and squabble for probably an hour, at the end of which time they compromise on thirty tomans and three quarters. The priest draws up mar riage contract then and there, which the groom and the brides parents sign. In it Is stated the exact terms of the mar riage, the amount of the settlement, and the time the contract is to expire. The priest is fed, the settlement money paid over to the father, and the blushing bride, who has had nothing to say ill the matter whatever, is handed over to her husband She is mounted on an ass or bundled into keiaveh and ac- companies the party to Meshed.
 Three weeks later the travellers halt at the same village on their return. The bride of three weeks slides off her donkey, kisses her husbands hands and returns to her parents roof. She is now charming young widow, and possesses thirty tomanS and three-quarters, besides 1 an extra toman or two presented by her husband at partiH! if he has been pleased | with her conduct as a spouse. With l this snug sum, and the additional charms l of her new condition, she of course very soon makes mincemeat of some worthy | young peasants heart and settles down | for life. It sometimes happens, how ever, that the young bride takes advan- tage of the temporary marriage to steal away her husbands heart, and then at l the old home a new marriage contract is drawn up and she becomes his lifelong helpmeet.