The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-10-21

QUAINT MARRIAGE f.
CUSTOMS.

CUSTOMS.
1t is SO long since men first sought
to acquire for themselves the sole pos
session OF 4 wife. as distinguished from
a mere communism. that we are apt to
forget that the present system of court
ing is but the evolution of others, the
origin Of which goes back to very dis
tant days. * The old Greek writer's
have handed down to us some amusing :
descriptions of the wife auction prcva-
lent in ancient Bahvl Ion. The custom
is said to have been originated hy
Atossa. the daughter of Belochos. in
1888 b. c. Every year the marriage
able girls were collected together for
the sale. which was attended by those
dcsirous of becoming husbands The
pretty girls were put up first, and the
rich men bid furiously against each
other for their possession. The money
thus provided from the sale ofthe beau
ties was employed as 2 dowry for the
girls not SO highly favored by nature,
whose sale was next conducted. The
amount of the dowry depended on the
lowest sum accepted by the bidders.
No one can deny the ingenuity Of the
scheme.
We have recently had our attention
rather closely drawn to Greek charac-
teristcs. This nation has also favored
what practically amounted to a system
of purchase and sale, though by cour-
tesy it was not so designated. The
bride that was to be counted out be-
fore her lover the money which was to
be her dowry, while the bridegroom at
the same time put down his gifts to her
in the presence of their mutual friends,
who, being men, sat around the table.
whilst the ladies were accommodated
on raised benches round the room. If
these prelminaries were mutually re-
garded as satisfactory, the parties pro
ceeded to get married. The bride
groom's house was deckcd with flowers,
and pestle hung at the door. The
brides procession was proceeded by 4
servant carrying sieve, while the
lady herself bore a vessel containing
parched barley. signifyng her ability
and readiness to attend to household
duties. The bride always went to her
husbands house 10y nj yht, and in her
fathers carriage, SO that she might
hide her bushes, singers and dancers
accompanying her to keep up her
spirits. Upon her arrival the axle of
the coach was burst, thus symbolizing
the impossibiity of returning to Il life
Of spinsterhood.
In Russia there are also some quaint
customs worth brief notice. The
ceremony, as performed 10y i priest,
includes the blessing of bread, after
which he joins their hands, asking each
in turn whether they will VOW to be
good to each other and to keep house
we'll A wreath of wormwood is then
placed on their heads, symbolizing that
even amid the happiness of married
life there is possibility of bitterness,
and concluding bcnediction is pro-
nouncvd \ striking custom follows.
TIL. priest drinks their health in Il gilt
wooden bowl, and is initiated by hus-
band and wife, the former Of whom
subsequently dashes it upon the ground,
crushing it under his feet, and shouting
terrible imprccatlons: Let them be
trampled upon and confounded who
malicio,.sly epdeavor to create i'll will
and do i'll offices between us Yet
another quaint and somewhat charac-
teristic custom follows. On reaching
home the bridegroom orders his bride
to take off his boots, at the same time
saying there is whip in one and a
purse in the other. Upon the fortune
of her first choice the poor wife fore
casts the severity or liberality of the