New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-22

are widows while OF the HrdOo women no less
than one-fourth are in that hapless state. In
| Western Bengal the Bauris a low caste win
| only twelve per cent of widows, are rapidly IN
oreasing in numbers. while the Sadgops a high
caste. with thirty-four per cent of widows, are
as rapidly decreasing.
Pundta Ramabai is a high caste woman, and
! her work is among the high caste widows. she
does not aim so much at their remarriage as
their emancipation from family thraldom and
their education. When she began her work.
four years ago, it was freely prophesied that
| she would fail; high caste widows would not
| come 10 her school, ard If they did family In
| nuence would soon draw them away again
| AS Il matter Of fact her school, the Sharada
| Sadan, at Bombay was opened In 1883 with just
one pupil, a girl Of fourteen, who had already
| been widow six years, Since then dozens OF
others have entered the school. and 1t now has
high reputation all over India. 1t Is sun OPP
posed by the Brahmns. and now and then some
Of the inmates leave and return to their former
hopeless life Tx, one girl Of thirteen. who said
that "the spirit OF her husband, dispeased at
her attending school, had come to her and com
PEELED her to leave" Among the first twenty
five pupils who entered Ramabai's school, one
had become a widow at the age Of five, another
at seven, another at eight, six others under
ten, ana four others under thirteen years OHe
of them had been married at the age Of three
and a half years, and had been systematically
ill-trcated by her mother-n-law. who periodi-
| cally hung her up to the ceiling by her ankles
and logged her.
IiindOo children not, as a rule, Weanei
until they are three four years old; and as
soon as they are weaned they are considered of
a maria geable age The parents Of girl baby
usually intrust the matchmaking to the family
priest, or "Tirhutyan Brahmin," and the village
barber, or "Hajam." These two. being CO minis
stoned to get husband for the child, set out in
quest of boy Of suitable age and of the proper
caste. They seldom have to search far, for the
barber makes it his business to keep in his
head Il sort Of marriage directory OF all the
children therea bout When they have selected
boy they call on his father and discuss the
matter with him. II he consents to the match
they then arrange the marriage settlement, the
girls father being thus compelled to pay to the
boys father considerable sum of money, ac-
cording to his means The priest and barber
strive to make this large az possible, since
the five or ten per cent commission which they
receive from it is all their pay for the work Of
making the match. Having come to an agree
ment with the bridegroom's father they return
To the brides father AMI report it to him. Ii
rage settlement. Some of the girls relatives
and a band of musicians go With them. The
little bridegroom. dressed in gala attire. receives
them. He Is seated a low stool, with his
family in circle about him. The women sing
or chant. and the musicians play. while the
priest spreads fine cloth in front Of the boy
and counts out upon it the marriage settlement
He counts OUT however, only half of it, retain
ing the remainder until the wedding shall actu-
ally have taken place
The wedding takes place at the home Of the
bride The Bridegroom goes thither accompani-
ed by his family and friends and band Of mu-
sicians. Rather. he is taken thither by them
for the little fellow has really no idea of what
is going on save that he is dressed in his best
garments and is being petted by everybody.
Generally he is carried to his brides home in
a big basket swung on 4 pole and borne on the
shoulders of two men. Another boy about his
own age, Is put In the basket with him. to act as
best man" Arriving they are received by the
father and family Of the bride and the priest
All enter the house or, sometimes, specially
constructed booth The bride and groom sit
down I'm the centre. she on mat. he on a stool,
10th facing the east The brides face is yelled.
Her father sits In front and facing her. and the
priest in front Of the boy. All Other relatives
and friends gather round i'm a circle ana The
musicians play soft music The priest reads the
form of marriage service Then the boy-husband
rises removes the brides veil and three times
cludes the actual ceremony. Tho relatives Of
the husband then crowd forward To examine
the face Of the bride, hitherto unseen by them.
and to give her presents The TWO children are
next taken TO the women's apartments in the
house. fed on swectmeats and petted and ca
rcssed for the remainder II the day. Next day
the boy Is taken back to his home. the bride
remaining with her parents and the two do not,
perhaps. even see each other again for some
years When the boy IL fifteen or sixteen years
old. however. he returns to fetch his bride To his
own home and to begin married life In earnest,
Sometimes he is much disappointed in her. and
refuses to have her. This is seldom the case,
however. He goes TO her attended by his family
and friends as before. The bride is led forth, |
yelled. and placed in bulock-Cart. gayly
adorned with flowers and ribbons. Thus she
rides 10 her future home. her husband. mounted
pony riding before her. They are wei
coined home by all the village with much fes
tvty.
Now this system of infant marriages is one of
the innovations made since the MOh imetan
conquest Before that timA. is clearly shown
by the words of the marrige service, girls did
not marry until they were oil enough To under |
stand what they We're doing. And then they
did so only by their own consent Indeed court |
ship betrotha and marriage in India in those
early ages were conducted by the young people
themselves almost much they are to-day
In the United States. No other departure from
the ancient customs has brought more evils in
It's train than this and so II IL not surprising
To find. in the general renaissance of HindoO |
civilization ii general public sentiment among |
the best classes in favor of a return to the old
system and the abolition of infant marriages. |
or course. in IiindOstan both sexes reach ma !
turity at Il much earle age than in Europe or
North America, so that the age at which mar |
riagc is allowable must remain lower. But such |
things as marriages at two or three years of |
age are rapidly becoming things of the past. |
Perhaps the most significant step lately taken in
this direction IL that Of the Dewar of Mysore. |
lie has issued for public considerations the draft
of Il proposed law on the subject. This law |
will make the marriag" 90 an infant girl" |
under eight years of age. OF an Infant boy" |
under fourteen years Of age. an offence pun |
ishable with fine and Imprisonment for six |
months. This punishment will fall upon all per- |
sons causing or aiding In the marriage. includ- |
ing the bridegroom himself If he be over cgh- |
teen years old. Moreover the marriage Of men |
over fifty with girls under fourteen Is forbidden
under penalty of similar punishment To that |
named for all who aid or abct IL. and an addi- |
tional fine and two years Imprisonment for the
aged bridegroom. The publication of this pro-
posed law in Mysor has created profound |
sensation in all parts of India. The best classes