Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-10-05
COUR'IINGIN PORTO RICO.
lOVE-SlCK AMERICANS FIND IT
REOCED WITH DIFFICULTIES,

1t is next to impossible for @ mar
riage engagement without the concur
renee Of the elders Of the family to be
contracted in Porto Rico. The con-
slant surveillance maintained over the
girls of the household and their con-
timed subsection to parental author
ity, even alter reaching years of ma
turity, is q successful barrier to any
thing sensational in contracting o life
partnership. No association is toler-
ated that may lead to q mesalliance,
and few opportunities are afforded to
create an attachment without the full
knowledge and consent of the heads
OF the family. The only occasions
upon which this may happen are the
larger social gatherings, such as Mardi
Gras balls and dances at the Casinos
Espanol, which occur several times q
year.
Young women are always surrounded
with suitable guard OF chaperons by
day and night. Alter reaching a place
of social rendezvous the young folk
are allowed some liberty to promen-
ade, dance and chat together while
those charged with guardianship sit
near and take note of the proprieties.
The attention of an inamorato to the
object of his devotions must not be too
ardent nor too continuous, he must
not dance with her more than twice,
nor hover near long enough to excite
comment, which is prone to be prompt
and free.
Under these conditions the susoep-
tible young American who succumbs
to the witching glance of a sweet, soft
eyed senorita finds the paths of love
anything but flower strewn. 1t re-
quires heroic measures to break
through the human walls of bristling
duennas and scowling matrons that
guard the approaches to her shy young
heart.
After an engagement is announc ced
the conditions are changed. Hence
forth they can dance only with each
other. For centuries it has been de-
creed to be fragrant breach of pro-
priety for an aflianced or married
woman to step through the mazes of
the dance with any other than her
fance or husband. However, the
chaperonage continues until marriage.
Courtship must be conducted under
the parental eye, members of the
household remaining in the room DUR
ing the visits of men, and rarely can
the sweet, loving nothings be breathed
without reaching other ears than those
for which they are intended. Some
times the Argus watchfulness is re-
laxed for % few moments, which arc
improved to the utmost, it can be
imagined, but are liable to be broken
into unexpectedly and frequently by
the scrupulous and anxously RESPONSE
BILE parent or matron in charge.
In the preparations for marriage the
bridegroom is expected to provide a
home according to his means, more or
less completely equipped with house
hold linon and all necessities for
housekeeping. This IN virtue of the
sentiment that the bride must bring to
him nothing but herself and her trous-
seau. In this country OF fine needle
women this trousseau is something re-
markable in variety and execution,
often of such daiutiness that many
American brides might envy them.
Porto Rican brides do not waste
much time or money upon many street
gowns or those for public display. 1t
is to please the eye of the husband
alone that all the arts OF construction
are expended in house gowns, lingerie
and negligees. A popular model is
cambric princess, the front a mass of
lace and drawn work round neck and
gossamer tight fitting or flowing angel
sleeves. A number of these enter into
the outfit, each a marvel of exquisite
work, according to the purse or deft-
uess of fingers of the bride.
A fashionable time for the marriage
ceremony is from midnight up to two
o'clock in the morning. The BRIDE
groom, with his immediate relatives
and friends, proceeds to the home of
this bride, and from there wedding
procession is formed to the church.
Carriages are rarely used, the party,
journey on foot, the bride walking with
her godfather, the bridegroom with
his godmother. The ceremony over,
they return to the BRIDES home, where
upon she lifts the veil from her head
aud throws it over that of her nearest
girl friend, who cuts it into bits and
distributes it among the unmarried
guests.
The bride then strips to pieces the
orange blossoms of her crown, and
also these which deck her gown more
Or less elaborately, according to the
number of her guests, and spray is
presented to each. The fun then
grows lively over counting the bios
SONS, those full blown signifying
years, the half blown months and the
buds days which will intervene be-
fore the recipients marriage.
The bride then retires to make n
change in another special feature of
her array, the bridal garters, which
are elegant affairs, orhamented with
white satin rosettes and orange bios
SONS and suspended from the waist
by strands upon strands of white