The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1895-06-11
LIFE IN THE EA ST
Methods OF Courtship and
Marriage Among Bulga
Ran Peasants.
BIZ w GRABLAcHo ]

aeterlStlcS that are pecullaf 70 Itself
and that are interesting and anus
sng to others Among the many
customs peculiar tothe Eastern peo-
Bic that might be mentioned, shall
refer briefly to the methods Of court
ship and marriage among the Bulga-
rian peasants.
The country people or the peas
ants of Bulgaria al,e not as the far
mers in this country Most Of them
have no intellectual advantages and
they differ in many respects from
city people.
There are places in Bulgarian yil-
lagos where large numbers Of peas
ants are assembled on Sunday after
noon. Having thus assembled, while
one plays with some kind Of musical
instrument, the crowd, men and
women, boys and girls, collect them
selves into a large circle and by va j
rious motions and cDntortions Of the
body keep time with the music, while
at the same time, the entire circle
moves round and round
The young man who is desiroussof
selecting a wife takes advantage Of
these sunday gatherings and tries to
single out some blUshing maiden
whose rustic charms strike his fancy.
Having selected one that he thinks
desirable, the next thing to do Is TO
make known the fact to the Object
.of9his choice.
To accomplish this purpose he
pursues course something like this:
He goes to his mother and tells her
that be has seen Catharine and that
he desires to marry her, and enlists
the mother to help him ia his suit
The mother who is usually willing
to promote the happiness Of her son,
at once sets about to the work of fur.
.thering the enterprise leading to the
marriage. H
" The first thing to do is to enlist
the sympathy Of the intended brides
mother ID the enterprise. This is
usually and successfully accomplish
ed in a very summary way: MoSher
Mol goes to mother No. and begins
toztalk of the splendid qualities Of
her son John. She eNpatiates at
length upon his industry and skill,
how expert in the use of the spade,
how skillfui with the hook, and how
well he can ride, drive and .pleM, how
kind to bis mother, and how obedi-
ent he is TO his father, and 30 on
through the whole catalogue Of virS
tues. i E
By this time she hes usually laid
a fair foundation for opening the
real negotiations. But lest there
should be any doubt still remaining
as. to whether or not she has fairly
enlisted the sympathy Of the mother,
who usually suspects what is ur, By
a bold stroke Of maEef nsl diplomacy,
she gives an inventory Of the cattle,
sheep pigs and other belongings Of
her son Johns and how much his
father Viii give him when he is of
age. And by this time if there had
been any doubt in the fond mothers
mind as to, whether or not she
could consent to give up her Catha-
rine, all that doubt is dispelled ais
the personal chattels of John march
in ground procession before her rus
tic Imagination.
Having thus enlisted the assist
ance of the girls mother. the next
move in the campaign is to- bring
the news to'the girl. SO Catharine
is duly summoned and Nor the first
time the malicious design Of the
neighbor John upon her heart is
disclosed to her. ..+
She bushes, hesitates ; it is so un-
expected. She is halt sorry that the
half conceived desire OF her heart is
realized, and yet she hardly wishes
1t to be otherwise She is young.
There may be more desirable snitors,
but also there may not. She then
recalls the vision OF an old maid,
who was a burden to the family for
SO long, who always wore a cynical
countenance and a PARKWAY look III
the eyes, and who was reported e
have refused the hand os farmer
Brown Tong time ago, and the
chance had never come to her again.
So TO make assurance doubly sure
she decides 10 become the wife Of
neighbor John, as the two old crows
had already decided she should.
After the proposal has been ae.
cepted, the engagement continues .
few days or perhaps it runs into
months during which time the young
man is allowed to cail and see bis be
trothea, but their meeting must al.
WAYS take place in the presence Of
the mother, father, sister on brother
They ire not allowed alone, ST
most of the time is spent il CONVEX
satlon with the other members 81
the family, rather than with the Cir
whom he is to marry Under these
conditions the chances of becoming
Well4acqstainted with the girl are very
few, butlit affords an excellent OPP
portunity for the son in-law to cult.
yate an acquaintance with the father
or mother-in law, an advantage no1
to be overlooked.
BIZ this happy plan John ane
Catharine manage ID while away th,
time whether it be Ion or shorte
till the wedding arriyes Then th'