Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-08-04
MARRIAGE IN RUSSIA.
As In Other Countries It's Chief interest
l. the Good Clothes.

When a young man in Russia takes a
fancy TO a maiden he sends his mother
Jr some other matrimonial medium 10
he parents Of the girl to negotiate for
ler dOwry, says a writer in the Detroit
Free Press.
As an incidental he has no objection
o any chance affection she may have To
Jestow along with il.
The girl has no voice in the matter;
,ften has an offer OF marriage accepted
n rejected by proxy without knowing
anything about ii. This custom has
me thing in its favor, it certainly saves
| great deal of wear and tear to her
feeiings.
The marriage settlement being salts
actory the courtship begins. The
outh must never go to the house of his
letrothed without taking her n gift. A
ong courtship in this country would he
liable to bankrupt n man. However. it
: lot the custom to linger long in this
primrose border-land. A betrothal is
Almost as binding as marriage itseh.
There Is never a slip between the cup
md the lip, save for very grave and
aeriOus reasons.
AT the betrothal feast the girl cuts of
! lock of her hair in the presence of wit
1eS>es, in order that it ma be authentic,
md gives il to her betrothed, who in
urn gives her a silver ring set with
.urquois. These rings are kept as
leirlooms in the family, but never must
hey do duty twice. They never use a
secondhand engagement ring in Rus
ia. What becomes OF the lock of hair
history does not inform Us. IL Is safe TO
suppose, however, that it depreciates in
value ~ the years roll On. A well-to-
10 bride brings her husband a dozen
shirts, Il dressing gown and a pair of
slippers. She is supposed to have spun
he tlaX and woven the cloth and made
he garments with her own hands. The
fact is, she often buys them ready made,
rs 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 mo in
.eresting 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.
Vt the appointed time the bridegroom
Ome To claim his bride. She falls upon
her knees before her parents and Graves
forgiveness for the follies of her youth.
They kiss her, give her bread and salt.
.ypi(ying the necessities of life, leaving
.he door open behind her when she goes
Dut, Indicating that she still has a home
Il ner fathers house.
We have now the happy pair at the
altar, with lighted tap-rs in their hands
o signify aspiration. the loud voice of
the priest uttering a short prayer, the
ring which they exchange with each
other in token of the Trinity, and the cup
Of wine from which they drink, a symbol
of Ell ernal love.
Three times The bride parades around
The altar with a crown OF gilt held just
above her head by an important func-
ionary whom she chooses for the office,
out ne must on no % tread on the
hem OF her garment or derange her
1eaddress. a. he will be denounced by
he lookers-on for a hereto.