Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-01-27
MARRIAGE IN IRELAND.
Shrovetide the Great Nuptial Sen.
xOn-Parents Arrange the
Matches.

The great marrying time in Ireland is
Shrovetide. During the 40 days OF Lent
the Irish peasantry, in obedience TO the
ordinances of the church, abstain from
matrimony, as we'll as from eggs, but.
ter and milk. Some time before the
approach of that holy season farmer
with manageable son or daughter
whom he desires to see settled tells his
friends and neighbors of the fact. He
usually conveys the intelligence in an
indirect, offhand manner He meets
friend at the fair or market, and says,
with laugh: Whisper here, Jim, I'm
training up my little Maggie for your
Johnny" "Ah, now, JIM" the other
says, you do me great favor entirely.
But mind you, my little Johnny is very
particular. The boy do be sayin' what a
great fortin' he'll want with his wife"
The subject having thus been preached,
the parents discuss it whenever they
meet and it often happens that long
time elapses and many discussion and
wrangle takes place before the terms
are finally settled. The farm generally
goes with the male, and the great dit
fculty in the arranging of matches is
the fixing of the girls dowry, consist
ing partly of money and partly of fur
niture and culinary utensils, as set
off against the land.
But happily many of the marriages
In rural Ireland have their spice of ro-
nance. The match is made by the boy
and girl themselves. An Irish peasant
maid in the heydey of her youth,
with her pretty figure, her abundant
black hair, her large blue eyes, with
her indescriba BILE half-arch, half-shy ex-
preston, is quite irresistible; and the
boy has too often an impressionable
heart and "deludhering tongue" to
render it always necessary that the
parents should snake the bargain"
The youthful couples meet at dances
or on Sundays after mass-even wake
is turned to account for little counting
and they are in hearty accord with
the boy who said: 1T is great pleas
ure entirely to be alone, especially whin
yer sweetheart is wild ye." do you
drame of me, Mike?" said the girl to
her lover, as they walked arm in arm
down the lonely glen. "Drame of you,
Kate? Shure, tits the way wild me that
I can't sleep dreamin' of you, me dar-
linz" Yes, they have the fattering
tongue, those Irish boys. "Och, l wish
was in Jail for stealin' ye," was the
compliment one of them paid to pref
ty colleen. Even when they get re-
fusal they have "soft word" to say.
Eileen was engaged to another boy, and
so she had to say no to Tom when he
asked her. "Wisha, thin" said Tim.
with sigh, II wish you'd been born
twins, so that could have half of yez."
When the day has been named.
whether by arrangement between the
boy and girl themselves or through the
intermediary of their parents, prep
arations are made on the most extern
sive scale for a grand wedding. It Is
considered essential in the humbles,
circles that, for the honor of the fam
lily, the guests at the wedding, which
include sometimes the whole Of the
countryside, should have lots of eating
and drinking-"lashin's and LAWNS of
Everything" Closeness on such an oc-
casion is the unforgiva BILE social sim
Macmillan's Magazine.