Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-04-30

:. great deal O. wear and tear to her feelings
 The marriage settlement being satis- factory the courtship begins. The youth must never go to the house of his. betrothed without taking her a gift A long courtship in this country would be liable to bankrupt man. However, it is not the custom to finger long in this primrose border land. A betrothal is almost as binding as mar riage itself. There is never a slip be- tween the cup and the lip, save for very grave and serious reasons.
 At the betrothal feast the girl cuts off lock of her hair in the presence of witnesses, in order that it may be authentic, and gives it to her be- trothed, who in turn gives her silver ring set with turquoise. These rings are kept as heirlooms in the family, but never must they do duty twice. They never use secondhand engage. ment ring in Russia. What becomes of the lock of hair, history does not inc form us. 1t is safe to suppose, how ever, that it depreciates in value as the years roll on. A well-to-do bride brings her husband dozen shirts, dressing gown and pair of slippers. She is supposed to have spun the flax and woven the cloth and made the gar ments with her own hands The fact is, she often buys them ready-msde, as we do in America in this ready-made age.
 Before the wedding the dowry is on exhibition and is blessed by the priest. Thus we see that in Russia, as we'll as other places nearer home, the most in- teresting part of the ordinance of holy matrimony IS the avalanche of good clothes it brings with it.
 In the upper and middle classes the bridegroom gives a bachelor dinner the night before the wedding. The bride elect at the same time goes with her friends to the bath.
 At the appointed time the bride groom comes to claim his bride. She falls upon her knees before her parents and craves forgiveness for the follies of her youth. They kiss her, giving her bread and salt, typifying the ne~ cessities of life, leaving the door open behind her when she goes out, indi- eating that she still has a home in her fathers house.
 We have now the happy pair at the altar, with lighted tapers in their hands to signify aspiration. the loud voice of the priest uttering short prayer; the ring which they exchange with each other in token of the trinity, and the cup of wine from which they drink, 8 symbol of eternal love.
 Three times the bride parades around the altar with crown of gilt held just above her head, by an important functionary whom she chooses for the office, but he must on no account tread on the hem of her garment or de. range her headdress, as he will be denounced by the lookers-on for 8 heretic
 This parsonage has also other cop nubial porterage to look after. He must attend to the lighted tapers and carry the piece of carpet upon which the couple are to kneel for the priest s blessing. By the way, the one who is first to touch this bit of carpet with the foot is supposed to rule the doe | that the bride usually gets there on time
 Thus ends the symbolic marriage | Although the service of the Creek ] church is more dramatic and fuller of significant detail than the Roman church, and that is elaborate compared with the German or Protestant church, yet in Russia they do not waste much real sentiment on marriage There are parties who regularly contract for marriage unions, kind of real estate agency in connubial felicity, upon which they get percentage of the spells.
 There were marriage fairs held for merly in St Petersburg and Moscow. but now only in provincial towns, where men and maids resort. The rich man may take his pick.
 Sometimes people travel long jour neys to attend these fairs. Now, how ever, the better classes do not, so they are the popular resort of servant girls, who get weeks leave of absence for the marriage fair and often come back unwedded, but as much demoralized as a colored cook in the south of our own land after a camp meeting.
 In this blessed land of Russia, where more than half mankind are women, a old maids are very scarce.
 When woman is not married at twenty-five she disappears from view. goes on pilgrimage or round of trav- els, and comes back posing in society as widow.
 Etiquette in Russia forbids any allu' sion to a lady's dead husband in her presence.
 You see woman's life in that land is not complete without the adjunct oi husband, or even the ghost of a hus- band, to give it kind of cold respect ability Detroit Free Press.