Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-11

mat was the re-
w. a. markable style of an
J., ~ invitation which the
S<s' girls and myself re-
ccive1 to attend the
marriage of the daughter of one of the
rancheros of Bernal;llo county, New Mex
leo. OF course the girls were wild to ac-
cept ii, and as it came through the courtesy
of friends l could see no reason why We
might not lend the joy Of our presence"
though l had not the slightest idea of the
severity OF the performance as practiced
in this country. Getting married is gen
orally considered an ordeal, even when the
knot is tiei in the simplest manner posi-
bic, but if the faint-heartei ones had to 30
through the preamble that the customs
Of the land OF after while" demand,
there would soon be no business for the
divorce courts. for nobody woGli get mar
ricl. There are two ceremonies, separate
and distiGCt-one civil and the other re
Itsious. The civil ceremony Is required to
De performed by rIbilc official ana is ali
solutely necessary, II there should be issIt
Of the marriage, for the children would
Otherwise Legitimate and could not in
herit property according to the old Spanish
laws. This ceremony takes place when
ever the couple get ready to talk about
the marriage settlements. 1t may be months
before the religious ceremony takes place,
or 1t may occupy the attention OF the con
tracing parties an hour only before the
priest begins his Fart. No matter when il
occurs. how ever, the man arl maid are not
pcrnlitteI to remain alone together for al
Instant untn the ltborous church cere-
nony has been said. The Spanish-Ameri-
cln woman d IS not have to nave dot
Is TIE French woman does. she goes to
her husband Absolutely peaniicss, though
Nncn the civil marriage contract Is drawn
up it is stated in that just how mucn she
VIII inherit from her father and mother at
their death Iier hus!ltnl can expect to
;ske care OF her uAu that time.
Mnrri,sf-2 Cus:oE:a Compared.
Il wouldn't Ike to be courted IL this
ctuntry,' VA; Nora's emphat tic announce
rlcnt, after having spent a day with the
prospective bride. Just think of going be-
f re tie mayor Of tire city and having your
tctrCthal made d matter Uf record, almost
as binding as the marriage! 1t is perfectly
awful Then you cant see your sweetheart
i single instant alone, and # you look at
another man there is duel CT hand in
staHtly. Your Romeo can call only At stated
intervals. and IL the members OF the FAM
ily happen to be busy 81 that there is no
one to chaTeroD you, you can't see him even
Il en-. l think l like the United States way
better
why this is the United States" inter-
jlcted Rose-in-bloon
1t is case Of H. but not of. Roscy
posy," Was Nora's reply. 1T appears to M
to be bit OFT CO feuG2l Spain; at least. its
customs and drass, its language and fts
iteas are just such as have read about In
my Spanish history. Look at their marriage
customs. Sara" she went on; why. tn"v are
as un-AmertCan as anything could well be.
Dolores ChavCs says she is not very much
In love with her intended husband because
81 hoS ~ ~ n GET an, ted
vita him, hut she will learn to love him
'pcco tiempo'-1fter awhile. Her father ana
mother selected the man she Is to marry,
md she had 10 voice in the Transaction at
ALL
well. there are some ideas about mar
r;aCe in this country that l like" said
Elaine from the depths of Z big ehuAy
chair that came from Spain when the cen
tury was young. You don't hear any talk
e divorces. When you are once married, il
IS for life. murderer has a great deal
better show fer Il comfortable life IN the
community than the divorcee and though
Il may he somewhat conducive TO domestic
TRACE lies, IN certain instances. I be'icvc
that it is also productive CT more real hap
pineSS.
Il wouldn't endure that way of having a
husband selected for me-" was No.a's re-
sp2nse though l do like the way that
Mexican girls are reared. Ii is the woman
lest way. after all. Dolores was amazed
at our freeiom. AMI wanted to know Il all
the Americana women were az liberty to go
about as We 30. These New Mexican girls Go
rot so around signing for the Unattaina bic,
or soaring II seek a Sphs-e. They are given
to understand frcrl the cradle that their
chief end is 10 eIow up pure and good, and
to marry young. Maybe that is not Just AZ
it should be, but / have noticed that there
seems to be very little unhappines3 in the
homes hare. and we have been in good
many. yon know"
Happy or not, like real American ways
the best was Dorothy's thC-ouGhly pa
n 70
marrying man under conn ulsion, and no
matter how rich my father was. having my
intended husband furnish everything l have
in my trOuSSeau!'
The BRIDEGROOM Footed the Bills.
'Oh, my, Dorothy! Do they do that herec'
asked Nora, in Mortified amazement.
ISL. senorita. Didn't YOU see all those
beautiful clothes that were spread about in
Dolores rooms
''Of course but surely her parents bought
them for herr.
Surely they didn't Senior Florencfo
Tranquillila Alarid of Casa Cochiti. the
prospective bridegroom. bought and paid
for every rag of them, also for the brides
maids dresses, and those that the BRIDE
mother will wearS Dolores told me that
with a quiet nttles lair of pride. while you
ana Sara were eNclaiming over the jewel
box. The jewels were also the gift of the
groom" IS
fortune. to say nothing of the outlay for
all those elegant clothes. Some of the laces
and jewels were heirlooms, ! am sure
so they were but not in her family 1t
seems to be cid Spanish 'costumbre,'
handed down from sire to son, that the
prospective groom must furnish everything
for the bride, everS her lingerie. She must
not wear upon her person single thing
that was bought with The money CT any
other person, and they are just supersti-
tous enough 20 think rthat bad luck will
follow infringement offs this law. All the
jewels, wraps. hosiery. Aces, gowns gloves
Notwithstanding that his wife will
be supposed to want for years-he gets for
her, and she Is not allowed a bit Of voice
in the selection, neither is a garment fitted
upon her. All those handsome gowns were
made without a measure being taken, and
she never has had one of them on, nor will
she have until after she Is married. Her
wedding gown and the other things she
will wear on that suspicious occasion she
will not even see until she has gone through
hours of publication at the altar, and a
process of physical preparation; then her
maids will put her clothes on her piece by
piece and not single thing can be altered
in any way. Certain disaster would fol-
low removal Of a garment to take 1t in or
let it out, and as for having stitch set in
a garment on her, she would as soon take
a dose of poison and have done with it,
Dolores told me with a timid air of talking
the rankest hereSy that 1T ia sometimes