The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-03
IN COMMUNAL BLISS.
Courtship and Marriage In the Russis
Empire-Matr imonlal Trips.

fancy to maiden he sends his mother
or some other matrimonial medium to
the parents of the girl to negotiate for
her dowry.
As an incidental he has no objection
to any chance affection she may have
to bestow along with it.
The girl has no voice in the matter;
often has an offer of marriage accepted
or rejected by proxy without knowing
anything about it. This custom has
one thing in its favor; it certainly saves
a great deal of wear and tear to her
feelings.
The marriage settlement being salts
factory the courtship begins. The
youth must never go to the house of
his betrothed without taking her
gift. A long courtship in this country
would be liable to bankrupt man.
However, it is not the custom to linger
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 n secondhand engage
ment ring in Russia. What becomes
of the lock of hair history does not in
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 a dozen shirts, a dressing
gown and pair of slippers. She is
supposed to have spun the fax and
woven the cloth and made the gar
ments with her own hands. The fact
is, she often buys them ready-made, 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 well as
other places nearer home, the most in
matrimony is the avalanche of good
clothes it brings with it.
In the upper and middle classes the
bridegroom gives 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 Graves 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 home in her
fathers house.
We have now the happy pair at tire
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, 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 a
hereto.
This parsonage has also other con-
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 5
blessing. By the way, the one who is
| first to touch this bit of carpet with
the foot is supposed to rule the do
nestle kingdom. 1t is only fair to say
that the bride usually gets there on
time.
Thus ends the symbolic marriage.
Although the service of the Greek
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
spoils
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
| colored cook in the south of our own
land after camp meeting.
In this blessed land of Russia, where
more than half mankind are women, -"
old maids are very scarce.
When woman is not married at
twenty-five she disappears from view,
goes on a pilgrimage or round of trav-
| els, and comes back posing in society
| as widow
Etiquette in Russia forbids any ALIVE
sion to ladys dead husband IN her
| presence.
You see a woman's life in that land
| is not complete without the adjunct of
| husband, or even the ghost of nus
band, to give it kind of cold respect
ability.-Detroit Free Press.