Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-12-14
HOW aIADOO GIRLS WE'D.
fhE sMALLEk THE BEIDE Tee MORE
ELABORATE AND ISTEREsr1Jl
THE CEREMONY.

make an elaborate wedding, the bare
idea of small twelve year old girl
requiring nine hons to bind herself to
the man OF ber choice seems absurd in
the extreme. Nhothr the outlay OF
strength and rupees that such an event
irours has any thing to do with the
tenacious prohibition of second
marriage for the gentier sex, has never
been explained, but as the HIndoos
are practical people and an svsri-
clous people, il does not appear un-
likely
In the first place, with them t.
he woman and unmarried is little
short Of crime, yet to marry, obvi-
ously, one must have money, As an
outcome of this, when daughters are
born to the poor Banian he helps them
out Of the world by the simple and
negative method of not giving them
food. One Ian admitted, quite az
matter of course, having followed this
up through long succession Of some
twenty girl babies.
But il the bsby's papa has financial
position that admits of her growing up
and is Bombay Hindoo Cthst is, with
no prejudice against Europeans), you
may perhaps be bidden to one of those
high functions that come for her at an
age when our children are playing
with dole. In that case, allowing for
variations in individual tsstf, you will
find the affair something in this
wlse;-
at about six IN the afternoon, wheL
the air has triHe more life, and that
thing they call prickly heat is degree
less aggressive, you maze your way to
the house of the brides father. Out
side the door your notice is first
attracted by many rows of shoes that
the guests within have taken of ont of
respect to the household gods. This
may be delicate attention that the gods
refuse TO get along without, but you
cannot help wondering how on earth
any one ever knows his own pair
again. The drawing room into which
you a, e ushered is in tswdry imitation
OF French hotel There are gay rugs
everywhere and the furniture, which
is exceedingly ornate, is covered with
bright crimson sa in. BY this Kindiy
provision Of chairs, however, one Is
enabled TO sit "a Ia AEgiajS."
On entering, the head of the house
comes forward to greet you with a
sdihhlJ, lueu MI tue
or squattlng Hindoos follow his exam
pc, and 1t as vopr duty TO salaam lnde-
fatighbly in return, but always with
your right hand, else the company will
think your manners exceedingly
funny, and what is more prove it Oy
laughing The bride and bridegroom
move about informally, speaking to
acquaintsnces. Ihe groom shares with
his Western brother the para oxical
fate CT b, ing nee, ssary but pnimpor-
tant. II Is notices BILE only for high
tnsIan studded with priceless num-
Der OF uncut gems, that make 1t looK
neither comfortable nor brill snt. The
bride, on the contrary,is rather charm
ing. Her costume consists merely OF q
tight fitting yellow India silk bodice,
with yards OF the same material sWathed
loosely at out her supple body, and one
end thrown over the hair. She is
further ornament by earrings.
finger rings a nose ring aud ianRles
that reach to the shoulder; on her
pretty ankles are the heavy ank ct
chains that cliuk when she steps. AL
together she would be lovely and
picturesque little object if she we're
only playing in tableaux instead OF
pitIlul real life.
But all interest III her is Immediately
, snuf1ed out on the arrival of the Nautch
girls. They are two or more hired
| dancers, whose performance appears tC
lie the most welcome and wonderful
feature of the en- ire occasion. II
dress they are not unlike our own bal
let girl, wearing from fifteen to twenty
gauze skirts; the longest of these
| reaches to the feet and the others ar,
graduated to within half yard of the
waisr. Their so-cailed dance is strange
and weird, and after the first fifteen
minutes remarkably uninierestinG. II
! is made up OF a series of impossible
poses, in parts so slow as 10 remIno
one of the last witches of mechauica
toy when it is nearly run down. A
an Indian ballad has 1t
| They posture, hob, whirlIgig, wrigple ike eels
An all the time shuttle about on their heels,
Keeping time 10 the pipers and tomtommerS
with the cl!nk of their anklets of resonan
| .hains,
When this has gone on until you are
exhausted and the rest of the audienc;
/ is reduced to a state of entranceC
breathlessness the really sacred part o.
.be rites begins.
An adjournment is made to an cute.
room with an esrthen floor, in the cen
tre of which bright fire is burning
Around this, in the presence of many
witnesses, the young couple promeuad,
eolemnly seven times, carefully clasp
ing each others right hand. BY on,
of the oldest customs ever kept u
they must go always toward the right
4 IG ah
q mistake be made and turn to the
left be taker, the direst misfortune ant
! sorrow would be the result anticipated
In the meantime priest, the dirt o
whose once white garments is supposed
to add to his holiness, goes about ma
iestically, muttering lot OF mystica
words.
Finally this also is gotten ihroug
with, and the coolies enter bearing
bowl of richly buttered rice. The groom
then, as q sacred duty feeds hl- wife
holding the oily mixture out to her i
his palm; afterwards be partakes him
self and does the proper thing il
wiping his greasy mouth on the Hilkel
gown of his mother-i1 -law--which las
gees to prove that human naturG an
the position of that unfortunate lad
are pretty mich the same the woIl
| 0ver.
Later, when the feasting begins,
separate table covered with Englis
delicacies is set for the Christians pres
ent. Although your invitation mean
staying until in the morning, afte
supper the ordinary individual is glaC
to say good night In his best Hindus
tanee and make his way homeward in
cab, or better still, one of our owl
American horse cars.