The St. Johns herald., 1893-09-07
couRTsHiP WITHOUT ROMANCE.
Marriages Arranged for Young People in
 Spain-Tile Eyer-Prescnt Duenna.

! Marriages Arranged for Young People in Spain-The Ever-Prescnt Daenna. | In Spain, when one attains mar
 riageable age, the parents, as a rule, re-
 lieve the young people of any respon-
 sibility by choosing for their son or
 daughter, the daughter or son, as the
 case may be, of the family whose es- tates adioin. so as to increase their
 worldly goods, not taking into con
 sideration the fact that one may have
 a heart whose warm blood squiclzened
 into action at the approach of a neigh
 bor further removed. Of course there is
 plenty of courting in Spain, but as
 woman enjoys no freedom the court
 ing is done by the young man standing i in the street and the lady of his love behind her iron-barrcd window. Op-
 pOrtuaities are not scarce where
 young people hold conversations
 in dravi1C-roOms or in the patio
 (court yard.) As there is always a duenna or dOncella present the chances
 of whispering those soft nothings so dear to the feminine heart are few.
 Besides, adds the Syracuse Herald, few
 men care to have 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
 Spaniard is fierce and bold in his pas
 sionate Iove-mall;ng. Young ladies are
 always chaPeroned by an elderly one.
 Notwithstapding the guardianship, the
 Spaniard, on seeing the object of his affection approach the chapel door,
 will stride forward and deftly remov-
 ing his long coat spread it before the
 entrance for the fair ladies to step on.
 Another way Of love-nazing is for number of young gentlemen to con- gregate near the font of holy water, which is always outside the door of the chapel, and as the lady approaches all the young gentlemen dip the two fingers into the holy water and proffer it to the young lady, and as every we'll behaved young lady would never think of entering the chapel door without using the holy water, she generally touches the fingers of the young gentle man of her choice, and, making the sign of the cross, enters the place of worship. Flirting in chapcls and in theaters is of common occurrence. The young man signals to the young woman by certain signs of the pocket handkerchief, which she returns with the expressive language of the ''abanico," or fan. As all the women of the " orld are noted for their power of speech, the proverbial exception belongs to Spain-for ladies of that country are silent-their fan being the substitute for the tongue. The Spanish marriage, as it is per formed in Spain, should be minutely observed by other countries, noting, for personal benefit, it's importance We do not give ring to our wife, sym bolic of the marriage state, but priest throws a gold chain about the neclEs of the bride and groom, and, handing a small key to the groom, de- claring them man and wife" explain ing to them the key is from that mo- ment to the hour of his death the sym bol of honor that must guard his wife's safety through the trials of earth; turning 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. with the exception of committing murder, rob- bery or ignoring the grace and infinite power of our Lord and Saviour. It is necessary to present the bride with thirty pieces of money, dollars with the poor, and ouzas-viz., gold piece of the value of sixteen dollars-to the rich. Therefore a poor man receives ! thirty dollars, while a rich man re- ceives sixteen times thirty, or four hundred and eighty dollars. The priest blesses this money, and prays that in the near future the newly married may be prosperous in worldly goods and wealthy in faith and acts of Christian ity. In the country towns or villages i the presents of horses, wagons, furni- ture and everything needed to start | housekeeping form part of the we'd dIng procession. All these worldly | goods acccapany the bride and groom to the church door, and after the cer- emony to their new home.