The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-30
MARRIAGE IN SPAIN.
Romance Knocked Out of All Court
ship-Ceremonies.
From the Syracuse Herald.


In Spain, when one attains a marriage
able age, the parents, as a rule, relieve
the young people of any responsibility by
choosing for their son or daughter, the
daughter or son, as the case may be, of the
family whose estates adioin, so as to in
crease their worldly goods, not taking into
consideration the fact that one may have
heart whose warm blood is quickened
INTO action at the approach of neighbor
farther removed.
OF course, there is plenty of counting in
Spain but as a woman enjoys no freedom
the counting is done by the young man
standing in the street and the lady of his
love behind her iron barred window. OPP
portunitieS are not scarce where Young
people hold converse tons in the drawing
rooms or in the patio (eourt yard). AS
there is always a duenna or doncella pres
ent, the chances of whispering those soft
nothlngs so dear to the feminine heart are
few. Besides, few men care to have a
listener to all those little speeches that
have no meaning.
One reason why the ladies of Spain en-
Joy so little freedom is because the Span
lard is fierce and bold in his passionate
love making. Young ladies are always
chaperoned by an elderly one Notwith-
standing the guardianship, the Spaniard.
proaeh the chapel door, will stride for
ward, and deity removing his long cloak
spread 1t before the entrance for the fair
| ladies to step on.
Another way of love-making is for a
number of young gentlemen to congregate
| near the front of holy water which is
always outside the door of the chapel, and
as the lady approaches all the young gen
| tlemen dip the two fingers into the holy
water and prefer it to the young lady.
and as every well-behaved young lady
would never think of entering the chapel
door without using the holy water, she
generally touches the fingers of the Young
gentleman of her choice, and, making the
sign OF the cross, enters the place of wor-
ship.
Flirting in chapels or theaters is of
common occurrence. The young man sig
mails to the young woman by certain signs
OF the pocket handkerchief, which she
returns with the expressive language of
the "abanlco," or fan. AS all the wome1,
of the world are noted for their power Of
speech, the proverbial exception belongs
to Spain-fOr ladies of that country are
slent-their fan being the substitute for
the tongue.
The Spanish marriage. as il is per-
formed in Spain, should be minutelv OBJ
served by other countries, noting, for per
sonal benefit, its Importance. We do not
give a ring to our wives. symbolic of the
| marriage state, but priest throws a gold
| chain about the necks of the bride and
groom, and handing a small KEY to the
groom, declaring them IMAM and wife.
explaining to them the key is from that
moment to the hour of his death the SYM
Dol of honor that must guard his wifes
safety through the trials of earth: turn
| ing to the bride, explaining her duties in
the most earnest tone, to the effect that
she IS to obey her lord and master in
everything
1t is necessary to present the bride with
| thirty pieces of money, dollars with the
| poor, and ''Ouzas''-viz: A gold piece of
! the value of SIG, to the rich. Therefore,
| a poor man receives $50 while q rich man
receives sixteen times thirty, or $3.50
The priest blesses this money. and pravs
that IN the near future thenewly-marrie
| may be prosperous in worldly goods. and
wealthy in faith and acts of Christianitv
In the country towns or villages the pres
entS OF horses, wagons, furniture. and
everything needed to start housekeeping
forms part of the wedding procession All
these worldly goods accompany the bride
and groom to the church door and after
the ceremony TO their new home