Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-01-03

ants put their arms under this curtain
took a long rope Of linen and wound il
around the neck Of the bride and the
groom in token that they were to b
bound together for life. Then some
silk strings were wound around
the couple, now around this
one and now around that.
Then the groom threw handful OF
rice across the curtain on the head OF
the bride, and the bride responded by
throwing handful Of rice across the
curtain on the head of the groom.
Thereupon the curtain dropped, and
the brides chair was removed and put
beside that Of the groom. Then q
priest Of the Parsee religion arose and
faced the couple. Before the priest
was placed a platter Of rice. He began
to address the young man and woman.
We could not hear word, but we un-
derstoood just as wellas if we had heard.
Ever and anon he punctuated his
ceremony by handful Of rice,
which he picked up from the plat
ter and flung now toward the groom
and now toward the bride. The
ceremony went on Unfortunately. We
wanted to hear the conclusion, but
were told that the ceremony would go
on for long while, indeed that it
would not conclude until o'clock in
the morning, and this was only be-
tween 7 and o'clock in the evening.
There would be recess after awhile
in the ceremony, but it would be taken
up again in earnest at half past 10 We
enjoyed what we had seen, but felt in
capacitated for six more hours of we'd
ding ceremony Silently wishing the
couple happy life in each others COM
partnership, we pressed our way through
the throng Of congratulatory Parsees.
All Of them seemed bright and appre-
ciative OF the occasion. The streets
outside joyously sympathized with the
transactions inside.
We rode on toward our hotel wish
ing that marriage in all India might be
as much honored as in the ceremony
we had that evening witnessed at the
Parsee wedding. The Hindoo women
are not so married. They are simply
cursed into the conjugal relation.
Many of the girls are married at seven
and ten years OF age, and some OF
them are grandmothers at thirty.
They can never go forth into the sun
light with their faces uncovered.
They must stay at home. All
styles of maltreatment are theirs.
If they become Christians, they become
outcasts. A missionary told me in In
dia of Hindoo woman who became a
Christian. She had nine children. Her
husband was over seventy years of age.
And yet at her Christian baptism he
told her to go, and she went out home
less. AS long as woman is down India
will be down. No ration was ever ele.
vated except through the elevation Of
woman. Parsee marriage is an i'm.
proyement on Hindoo marriage, but
Christian marriage is an improvement
On Parsee marriage.
A fellow-traveler in India told me he
nad been writing to his home in Eng.
and trying to get law passed that no
white woman could be legally married
n India until she had been there six
months. Admirable law would that
De! If white woman saw what mar
led life with Hindoo is she would
lever undertake it. Off with the thick
Ind ugly veil from woman's face! Off
With the crushing burdens from her
hculder! Nothing but the gospel OF
Iesus Christ will ever make life in
ndia what it ought to be.
But what an afternoon of contrast
n Bordbay we experienced! From the
emple of silence to the temple Of
lilarity. From the vnltures to the
loves From mourning to laughter.
from gathering shadows to cleaning
lights. From obseques to wedding.
,ut how much of our lives is made up
+ such opportunities! have carried
n the same pocket and read from them
n the same hour the liturgy of the
cad and the ceremony Of espousals.
md so the tear meets the smile, and
he dove meets the yulture
Thus / have set before you the best
+ all the religions of the heather
,orld, and have done so in order that
GU might come to higher appreciation
I the glorious religion which has put
IS benediction over us and over Christ /,
ndom.
Compare the absurdities and NUM- i
leries of heather marriage with the
lain 81 will" of Christian marriage,
le hands joined in pledge "till death .
0 you part" Compare the doctrine
lat the dead may not be touched with
J sacred and tender and loving kiss
ever given, the last kiss of lips that !
ever again will speak to us. Compare
le narrow bridge Chinvat over which |
lie departing Parsee soul must trem- a
lingly cross to the wide open gate OF I
eaven through which the departing /
1ristian soul may triumphantly enter. III
the 81 books of the Zend L
vesta of the Parsee which even the i
holars of the earth despair of under- I
anding with our Bible, SO much Of it s
is necessary for our salvation in q
nguage so plain that IA wayfaring
an, though fool, need not err there
:" Compare the tower of silence"
it'll its vultures, at Bombay with tho
of Brooklyn, with its
ulptured angels of resurrection.