Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-11-19
A HINDOO WEDDING.
YOUTHFUL BRIDES AND ELABORATE
CEREMONIES.

Doesn't Cut Much OF Figure-Girl
Babies Are Not Popular.
In this country, where the march from
Lonengrin," white silk frock and few
| unintelligible responses make an elaborate
wedding, the bare idea of a small twelve
year-old girl requiring nine hours to bind
| herself to the man of her fathers choice
seems absurd in the extreme Whether
the outlay of strength and rupees that
such an event incurs has anything to do
| with the tenacious prohibition of second
marriage for the gentler sex has never been
explained. but as the Hindoos are a prac-
tlcal people and an avaricious people it
does not appear unlikely.
In the first place, with them to be a
woman and unmarried is little short of a
crime, yet to marry obviously one must
have money. AS an outcome of this, when
daughters are born to the poor Bantam he
helps them out of the world by the simple
| and negative method of not giving them
! food. One man admitted, quite as a mat
ter of course. having followed this up
through long succession of some twenty
girl babies. But il the baby's papa has a
financial position that admits of her grow
ing up, and is Bombay Hindoo-that is,
with no prejudice against Europeans-you
may perhaps be hidden to one of those high
functions that come for her at an age
when our children are playing with dolls
In that case, allowing for variations in in
dlvldual taste, you will find the affair
something in this wise:
At about in the afternoon, when the air
has trifie more life, and that thing they
call prickly heat is a degree less agrees
i've, you make your way to the house of
the brides father Outside the door your
notice is first attracted by many rows of
shoes that the guests within have taken
off out of respect to the household gods
This may be a 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 are ushered
is in tawdry imitation of French hotel.
There are gay rugs everywhere and the
furniture, which is exceedingly ornate, is
covered with bright crimson satin. BY this
kindly provision of chairs, however, one is
enabled to sit "a la Anglais"
On entering, the head of the house comes
forward to greet you with profound sa-
laam; then all the standing or squatting
Hindoos follow his example, and it is your
duty to saiaam indefatigably in return,
but always with your right hand, else the
company Will think your manners exceed
ingly funny and, what is more, prove it by
laughing. The bride and bridegroom move
about informally, speaking to acquaint-
ances. The groom shares with his western
brother the paradoxical fate of being neces-
sary, but unimportant. He is noticeable
only for high turban studded with a
priceless number of uncut gems that make
it look neither comfortable nor brilliant.
The bride, on the contrary, is rather charm
ing. Her costume consists merely of a
tight fitting yellow india silk bodice, with
yards of the same material swathed loosely
about her supple body and one end thrown
over the hair. She is further ornamental
by earrings. finger rings, a nose ring and
bangles that reach to the shoulder; on her
pretty ankles are the heavy anklet chains
that clink when she steps. Altogether she
would be lovely and picturesque little
object if she were only playing in tabeaux
instead of pitiful real life
But all interest in her is Immediately
snuffed out on the arrival of the nautch
girls. They are two or more hired dancers.
whose performance appears to be the most
welcome and wonderful feature of the en-
tire occasion. In dress they are not unlike
our own ballet girl, wearing from fifteen
to twenty Gauze skirts The longest of
these reaches to the feet, and the others
are graduated to within half yard of the
waist. Their so called dance is strange
and weird, and after the first fifteen min
utes remarkably uninteresting. 1t is made
up of a series of impossible poses, in parts
so slow as to remind one of the last twitches
of mechanical toy when it is nearly run
down. As an Indian ballad has it:
They posture, bob, whirlifif, wriggle like cells,
And all the time shuttle about on their heels,
Keeping time 10 the pipers ard tomtommers'
strains
With the clink of their snklets Of resonant
chains.
When this has gone on until you are ex-
hausted and the rest Of the audience is
reduced TO state Of entranced breathless-
ness the really sacred part OF he rites be-
gins.
An adjournment Is made to an outer
room with an earthen floor, in the center
of which a bright fire is burning. Around
this, in the presence Of many witnesses, the
young couple promenade solemnly seven
times, carefully ciasping each others right
hand. BY one of the Oldest customs ever
kept up they must go always toward the
right, because it is a festive occasion.
Should mistake he made and a turn to
the left be taken the direst misfortune and
sorrow would be the result anticipated. In
the meantime IL priest, the dirt of whose
once white garments is supposed to add to
his holiness, goes about majestically, NUT
tering lot of mystical words.
Finally this also is gotten through with,
and the coolies enter bearing a bowl of
richly buttered rice. The groom then, as
a sacred duty, feeds his wife, holding the
oily mixture out to her in his palm; after
ward he partakes himself, and does the
proper thing in wiping his greasy mouth
on the silken gown of his mother-in-law-
which last goes to prove that human ma
ture and the position of that unfortunate
lady are pretty much the same the world
over.
Later, when the feasting begins, a sep
arate table covered with English delicacies
is set for the Christians present. Although
your invitation means staying until in
the morning, after supper the ordinary in
dividual is glad to say good night in his
best Hindoostanee and make his way home
ward in a cab, or, better still, one of our
own American horse ears.-Boston Tran
script.
The Size of Arctu<us.