The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-26

disposition and habits-whether she Is or is
not bis eater and what il takes 10 keep
her.
His only chance OF seeing the girl viii be
at the regular receptions of the family dur
ing the season. These are held weekly. end
at them both the gentlemen and ladies are
at home. The usual hours for such func-
tions are from TO in the afternoon and
from . to u at night. During the afternoon
calling wine and tea are served. and IN the
evening. at about IL o'clock. the guests are
invited TO the dining room for refreshments.
Evening parties and dances usually last 80
long that the more devout are able TO at
tend morning masses on their way home.
Dinners are elaborate. different wine usu-
ally being served with each course, and
champagne with dessert Coffee and liquors
are taken in the parlor after dinner.
COURTSHIP.
Among the queerest customs are those OF
courtship and marriage. The girls are care
fully watched. and there is no indiscriminate
love making without the chaperonage Of the
parents or members of the family. as in the
United States. Young ladies would be COM
promised IL they had gentlemen callers.
Indeed. man never thinks of calling upon
a young woman until he is engaged to her.
he begins his advances by playing the
dragon" This means that he dresses him.
self in his best clothes and struts up and
down before her house while she looks at
him from the balcony. Every fashionable
house in Montevideo has balcony. and the
chief amusement of the girls is TO stand out
upon these or TO lean out of the windows
looking at the people as they go by.
When the young man thus walks up and
down gazing at her window the young
woman understands what it means and
comes out and makes sleeps eyes in the
same direction. The two will look at each
other for hours Without a word being
spoken. Men may come and men may so,
but still they look. AS rule the passersby
90 not notice the lovers. It is often not
safe TO do SO. The action may be miscon-
strued. the lover may become jealous and
knife thrust under the fifth rib, most
likely given in the dark. may follow.
After practcing this dragon act for some
time the young man may go 10 the papa
and say he would like TO call upon his daugh-
ter with a view Of proposing. If papa says
all right, he calls, and a day or so later you
will item in the paper stating that
young Senior So-and-so is paying attentions
10 Senorita Thus-and-so, and that a mar
riage will probably soon take place.
When the young man calls upon his
sweetheart all of the family are in the room.
He gets her as far off as he can, however,
and devotes himself only to her. From this
time on until after the marriage he must
pay attention TO no other woman. If he
goes TO dance or party he must come early
and wait for her. and he will spend the even
ing with her alone. AT every party in Monte
video you see lot of these young lovers,
who are called novios, waiting for their
affianced, or noyias. The girl pays atten-
ton TO no one but her novio, and the boy
has eyes for his novia alone. The two get
off by themselves and devote the evening 10
soft spooning compliments about each other.
This is the way they go on throughout the
evening:
as 90 my darling?"
''Ess. is 90 darling
And other stuff of the same kind. only in
Spanish. L am told that such couples are
very clogs on the wheels of Montevidean
society 1t is a wonder that mothers. who
are so careful at home. will let their girls
do as they please when once they are en-
gagged.
NO BREACH OF PROMISE CASES.
If you ask a mother as TO where her
that she is with her novio. and the subject
is dismissed as a matter of course. / was
chatting about this one day with one of the
Montevldean society ladies when / asked:
What do you do If the 'novio' gets disgust
ed and goes back on the girl, refusing 10
marry her. or vice versa" She replied:
You seldom hear of such a case A young
man who would act in that way would be
disgraced by society and as for the girls
their chief end in life is marriage, and they
don't dare TO miss the chance. The mar
rage state here is far ahead of single bless
edness. The married woman rules society.
After her wedding she can do as she pleases.
When the priest performs the ceremony he
strikes the chains of maidenhood from her
ankles"
The weddings OF the Orientales are held
in the churches, with a supper and dance
at the home after the ceremony. The we'd
ding gifts are very elaborate, generally in
GLIDING diamonds and silver. The honey
moon is usually spent at home, the Orien-
tales not believing in our custom of taking
wedding journeys They call the period
La luna de miel' or the moon OF honey,
and, if possible. try to enjoy it alone. If
the wedding is in the summer and the fam
lily is in the country they will come into the
town house and open it up for themselves,
and If in the winter they may possibly go
out to the estanca. As 10 their permanent
quarters, the grooms father usually makes
a present OF the house and all of it's fur
niture. often including table linen beautiful
~ embroidered. and the wife's father does
as well as he can in money and presents.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.