The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-31

verbena, gathered by herself, and worn
under the bright yellow veil which was
half raised as the last words of the cere.
nony We're spoken, that the hair on her
forehead might be parted by the tip of
Ihe warriors speer, Returning to the
mouse OF the bridegroom, she meekly apS
proaches her husband, who. in the pres
ence of the assembled company, unloosed
the glrdle of wool as a sign of her aban-
comment of virgin condition and a nuptial
kiss completed the ceremony.
The ancient Scythians, being fierce
and warlike people, would not marry a
maiden who had not killed an enemy, and
a woman who could show a record of
more than one was considered a prize
Polygamy was prevalent among them,
and not infrequently marriage with the
wlte OF another man was allowed. some
tribes holding wives in common. Within
Uhe past century this has been changed
ana the present law vigorously Furnishes
lntidelity with death
Among the Lydians, Lycians, and at
Carthage the laws were wofully lax.
The children of the Lycians took their
name and condition not from the fathers
but from their mothers, a special tax
beng assessed for the support of the
children which were kept in special quar-
tiers.
WhaJ a harvest newspaper could have
gathered could one have been established
among the ancient Rhodians At least
tWo-thlrds of it would have been devoted
TO laudlng the virtues of those in the mat
rlmonlal market, since it was their Gus
tom to obtain their wives solely by adyer-
tising, which, in lieu of papers, a public
promulgatOr did by going through the
streets of the cities crying the want The
Parthlans, not so enterpriSing as the
Rhodlans, were satisfied with what fell
to their lot through the intercession of a
''paIllOns, or old woman, whose trade it
was to arrange all such contracts.
The AsSyrianS and BabylOnians assem-
bled all girls of marriageable age in the
space before the temple twice a wear and
sold them. The handsome girls brought
good prices and the money thus obtained
was given as wedding portion to the
homely ones, while the plain girls were
put up at a certain sum to those willing to
take them. No ceremony was required,
the fact of the purchase being sufficiently
binding.
The Chinese and Buddhists believe
marriage to be simply a matterof destiny
Men are permitted to keep several
women, but they are subservient to the
first or honorable wife. The Chinese
marry their children very young, some
times as soon as they are born. The mar
rage, which IS mere civil contract, is
arranged after consulting a fortune
teller or professional match-mak-
er, and the contracting parties
never see each other until the wedding
day. The married women of China had
very little to amuSe or interest them the
only society permitted was that of their
husband and children. At intervals or
on festival days she was permitted to see
her father and brothers Her hair was
cropped and worn in peculiar fashion to
mark her condition. In the provinces
bordering on Tartary the governors pre-
scnbed n time to both sexes within
which they were obliged to marry or for
ever after to exclude themselves from
the world. When the legal time had ar
rived, those willing to marry presented
themselves at the appointed time and
place, when the twelve officials appointed
to attend to this work arranged the mat
ing and ceremony.
IN FLOwERY JAPAN.
In Japan polygamy is allowed and
fathers sell or hire out. their daughters
for limited terms. A man, however. can
have only one lawful wife. All things
considered, the women of that country are
not ill-treated, as is the case in other
countries where a similar state Of society
exists.
The Welsh had several curious customs
the bidding, claiming, hunting and tith-
ings. When a young couple had arranged
to marry paid bidder Or inviter, carry
ing long stick bedecked with bright
ribbons, visited the houses of mutual
friends of the contracting parties, and
standing in the center of the guests room
he repeated in rhyme the invitation, and
asked all to bring gifts, promising good
entertainment and much pleasure Every
body attended and each brought a gift
One OF the early Welsh laws permit the
husband administering three blows with
a stick to any part of the person of a mis-
bchaEing wife, except her head; and
another law provides that the stick be
not longer than the husbands arm, or
thicker than his middle finger.
The ceremonies of the ancient Germans
were simple and consisted chiefly in
feasting and merry making A young
man could scarcely hope for an honorable
alliance until he had distinguished him
! self in war. The bridegroom having
made his selection, sent a mutual friend
to the brides father, and, as was Gus
tomary in those days, learned what price
was set upon his daughter and the
amount of her dowry If satisfactory
terms could be made, the friend received
her and her portion, and, attended by this
guardian, she was conducted to her new
home. Here they were linked
together by the arms and legs and sup
ported between them an emblem of pair
of burning hearts with aschild dancing on
their letters. The man held a spade and
the woman distaff and spindle, and in
the presence of their friends they pledged
fidelity to each other and drank to their
gods and heroes. The brides friends
then took her uron their shoulders and
carried her to the nuptial chamber. The
custom of the morgengabe, or morning
gift, is still in vogue in many places, and
is supposed to be some piece of jewelry or
money to commemorate the day
BY the old laws of France, regulating
the age under which people should not
marry, the age was 30 years for the man
and % for the woman. Vaughan, writing
in 1908, says: The ancient B'renchmen
had a ceremonie, that when they would
marie, the bridegroom should pare his
nayles and send them unto his new wife;
which done they lived together after
wards as man and wife" In the fifteenth
century there was law in France which
made it possible to escape the death pen
atty if a woman could be found who
would consent to marry him on the gal
lows Early in the seventeenth century
there is an instance of a merchant born at
Chichester who was saved from hanging
in this way.
The ancient custom of selling wives
and carrying them off by force was prac-
ticed in Ireland, and as late as 1867 an in
stance of this custom occurred in Kill
kenny A desperate lover with party
,F mon bpsiaUpd the houca Of hic