Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-10-13
COURTSHIP IN RUSSIA.
It Is All Conducted on Rules That
Are Traclltionary.

az t'"NiNlS'AE'J
The Time is Chiefly During the Long
Winter Evenings, and Though the Girls
Pretend That They Don't Want to BE
Married They Do, All the Same.
Courtship among the young people Of
the merchant and peasant CLASSES of
Russia is conducted upon certain liked
principles. These have been handed
down from generation to generation
through many centuries. While in their
emotions and sentiments the youths and
maidcns do not differ from those of
more favored nations, the girls are
rather more administrative and less dis
posed TO conceal their inmost feelings.
They are also less inclined to regard
money as necessary consideration in
the settlement Of affairs of the heart.
During the long, stormy winter even
ings OF the Russian cline, ii is custom
airy for the young folks to assemble by
appointment at the house of onoof their
number, a different place being selected
each night. Carrying their looms and
linen thread, which they are gravely
supposed to convert into a much-priZed
fabric, the girls appear first, being gayly
dressed in holiday attire. Until the
hour approaches for the arrival of the
opposite sex, these pretty misses pass
the time in harmless gossip.
FITTED FOR HOUSEWIVES.
The appearance of the young men is
a signal for each girl to hasten to her
loom, at which she begins TO work with
the greatest earncstness. This is meant
to impress the new arrivals with Il
knowledge of their fitness for the duties
of housewives. But this fcigned indus
try does not long continue, for all work
is suspended the moment the male mem
bers enter the apartment. The young
men invite their fair friends to join
pleasure begins. All unite in singing,
after which one of the girls will select a
male partner. She leads him back and
forth towards the centre of the circle,
all the while chanting love song, the
other guests joining in the chorus. In
the song generally chosen she will sing
of the beauty of her lover For him
she would leave home and parents,
brothers, sisters and friends and travel
to the ends Of the would "follow
him across seven oceans and over seven
high mountains" to rest beneath their
shadow and enjoy her happiness undis-
turbed.
The other girls, one after another,
then follow suit, when the same love
chanting is repeated until all the young
women nave made their choice. Then
comes the turn of the young men, each
of whom will select partner and go
through the same performance. The
joliticatlon concludes with the dancing
of the "Russan Cossack," after which
each young peasant escorts the object of
his choice to her home.
now THEY PROPOSE.
When the time comes to make a
formal declaration of his intentions, the
youth accompanied by one or more
members of his family, who are sup
posed to assist him in obtaining the
parents consent) proceeds to the house
of his ladylove to make known his de-
sires to her father and mother. The
latter, not at all surprised, usually re-
gales the aspirant with long lecture on
the trials and duties of married life,
lamenting the ills and ignoring the
blessings, and winds up by declaring
that her daughter is too young to be
handed over to tho cruel tyranny of an
exacting husband.
This custom is in every instance rigidly
followed, so fearful are the parents that
the young man might think their child
too easily won.
The sutton, in the hope of conciliating
the mother flor she appears most promi-
nent in the matter, the fathers consent
being mere formality), next begins
to make her little peace-offerings,
meanwhile expatiatlng on his un-
dying love for her daughter and
how happy he will make her. The
mother lends reluctant ear to
the ardent lovers protestations until
reasonable number of presents have
accumulated, when she finally yields
| rather unwilling assent. She then tells
him that he must obtain the fathers
consent-an altogether unnecessary pro-
ceeding, for, us rule, he is only too
willing to be relieved of the burden OF
his daughters support.
You will naturally ask what has be-
come of the victim during the wooer's
numerous visits TO the little home !?
With throbbing heart she silently lis,
tens in an adjoining room, where each
word spoken by her lover falls like
AND THE PRIEST Is CALLED.
All preliminaries being finally ar.
ranged between the mother and lover,
the daughter is called into the room to
receive the maternal blessing, instead of
which she prostrates herself at her
mothers feet, declaring that she has no
desire to leave her home. She prefers to
lead life Of freedom. Mother and lover
soon overcome her objections and at last
she yields u coy assent. The young
couple then kneel to receive the bless.
ing of both parents, after which the
| priest is summoned to beStow his. This
is performed in solemn and impressive
manner, and at its conclusion u ring is
| placed on tine finger of each OF the CON
tracting parties. This latter ceremony
is considered quite as important as the
performance OF the marriage rite. The
! ncighbors are next notified that they
may tender their congratulations, and
seated around a long table they partukc
Of the national bevcrage-tea.
The above is but an outline of these
interesting ceremonies, which ar
pathetic and impressive to an eXtrem.
degree.
Poisoned by Scr0!ula
| is the sad story of many lives male miser-
able through no fault Of their own
SCrOfula is mere especially than any Other
| 4 hereditary disease, and for this Simple
| reason Arising from impure and INSULT