The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-02-13
A MALAY WEnnlNn-
Tho Marriage CCrcmony In II Land Whcre
Women Aro Considered ouiless.
When n maiden Of rood Molnv family

Tho Marriage Corcnuny In II Land whore
Women Nro Consilored ouiless.
When maiden Of good Malay family
murrics Bagdad starts out of the past
The bride, being that unfortunate
thing, woman, and hence quite soul.
less, cannot enter mosque. Now, the
sanction Of mosque is necessary for
marriage for the peace OF
the husbands soul The difficulty
threatens TO be serious, but IL is met.
The Koran, as is well known, recognizes
no difficulty born of heaven, earth or
imagination.
For tedious time OF ceremony the
father of the bride visits the mosque
daily in her stead. If the natural head
of the house be absorbed in his own en-
ioyment up in one of the seven stories
of heaven the nearest masculine rela-
tive of the bride must serve as father
This arrangement is very ingenious and
complete, inasmuch as it affirms the
soullessness of women, and vindicates at
the same time the sanctity of marriage.
The brideman carries mat to the
mosque, He leaves his sandals at the
door. lie bows upon his mat and his
face. He rises promptly from the pros.
tration and runs nimbly forward. He
bows and rises, and runs again. He
reaches, after much bodily exercise.
his sacred terminus. He hears that
Allah is great and Mahomet is his
prophet. He backs in respectful pros.
trations to the door He inserts pro-
jecting peg of his sandal in sleeve-but-
ton style between the great toe and its
next neighbor, and clatters home for
coffee and feminine alteration.
The bridegroom conducts himself in
corresponding manner, and the two
gentlemen, wearing hats that look like
miniature straw-ricks, enter simulta.
neously old Dutch mansions which
| front on narrow streets and project
| great 'stoops" into the narrowness.
During these nuptial preliminaries
| the bride, in an array of wealth from
Ormus and Ind, just round the cape-a
/ hcaddress. of pearls, an embroidered
| jacket of yellow or scarlet silk with vel
vet vanishings, a cascade of gorgeous
| skirts over u little hoop close to the
waist, and pair of ravishing slippers
is waited upon by bevy of girls will
eyes as bright as her own and costumes
only less magnificent The chatter il
hopelessly Arabic.
just outside the bridal shrine, guard
ing the portal, sit feminine guests IN thu
order of their social rank. Silks rustic
stones flash. In room near by cakes
sugared fruits and confections made O.
orange blossoms and rose petals stanC
1N1 A,,,, Il 4
| For probably the last time in her life
the bride finds her wishes carefully con
suited. If she loves dress, her attend
ants robe, disrobe and rerobe her to the
content of her gorgeous heart: if she
loves music, they twang languid string:
or sing soft minors; if she loves stories
they rack their oriental memories, anc
any brain they may have, for her enter
tainment and romance.
why don't you sing to hero" a eau
casiau visitor once asked OF band o.
bridemaids, as she noted the ennui OF
the Malay maiden whose father was get
ting married in her place. The answer
was: 80, this bride does not care foi
music"
twas small wonder. Not many bride!
would care for any art, divine or human
if they couldn't stand up to be general
ly admired and personally married.
For three days the bridegroom an
the BRIDES father worship actively il
the mosque: for three days the littl
brown bride sits, passive and elaborate
in her inner shrine. and then the cere
mony ends, Allah's blessing and sea
having been properly secured. -Chicag
| Times.