Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-16

| Inc money IS thrown to the beggarS nj
the church door as the marriage marty
leaves the building
Among Spanish lovers, especially in
| Valencia and Andalusia, the screnade
| IS favorite method of courtship The
sutton, accompanied by two torch
| bearers and musicians, stands. on an
evening prearranged, underneath the
| ladys balcony and tells his lnv,
through the mouth of trovador WIN
has skill in improvising and singing
| Verse. After much entreaty the Iadv
vouchsafes to appear on the balcony
and first making show of maidenlv
reluctance, is sometimes so overcome
| by the trovador's pleading as to throw
down the wreath from her head ana
promise the lover to be ever faithful
70 MN. Naturally. this is all a comedy.
even If a very graceful one, the lover
having obtained the consent of tn
parents. and of his mistress. some tim.
| before this public display Of his affec
| ton takes place. If the girls parent;
| are obdurate, ana refuse to connie
nance his suit. the Spanish youth has A
sure remedy: ~ appeals to them three
| times, and after third refusal. applieg
to the authorities. A local official an
pears in a carriage in full uniform ana
demands either the fathers consent to
the union, or the person of his daugh-
ter. Should the former be denied. the
girl is, without further parlcy. carried
off and placed in a respectable family
until the wedding, which is sure IL
take place unless the youth is Of a
questionable character.
In CASTLE, the bride wears 4 white
flower in her bosom; in Andalusia. q
wreath of pinlls and red roses fastened
on her head. In Cadiz, no ring is
given i'll marriage, but the dis
tinction between a married woman ana
an unmarried girl is that the former
wears a flower on the right side Of her
hair.
In the ncfghborhood of Madrid 4
curious custom, though not without its
parallel in other lands, is still pre-
served Two youths stand at the door
of the brides house on the we'd ling
day. and when all the children ana
oilers in the neighborhood are gathered
round, they begin an oratorical dis
pute. one points out tn" brides faults
ana failings. the other loud in her DE-
| fence. cXtuls her virtues. Sometimes
the orators are 50 carried away by *
element that they come to blows. ana
knives have been used at times.
Russian marriages are attended Nv n
great deal of ceremony. In middle
class life there are a great many 'ls-
sistants" Ia BE- invited. These arr tn
witnesses" 10 the register. being thc
nearest relatives Of the pair: the
ladies IF honor" Who accompany
them to church: the 'bridemen" acting
~ stewards. ana he boyarin. who
carry the sacred pictures Among
MOBILES the wedding takes place in the
evening Both bride ana Bridegroom
receive 4 solemn blessing from THEN
parents before leaving their houses
ana even the wedding garments are
blessed hy the priest. The boyarin
carry the sacred pictures IN procession
before the couple to the church, where
a lighted wax taper is given To each,
ana the belief is that the one whose
light goes out first Will be the first to
die. The marriage service is divided
into three parts, once celebra ted at
different times, but now all taken To-
gether. The first is the office Of es
pousals. in which gold rings are eX
changed, secondly, the office Of matri-
moniaI coronation. in which bride ana
bridegroom are crowned With crowns
Of silver tilagree (Or garlands); thirdly.
the office Of the dissolution Of the
crowns 1t has been pointed out that
all these CCrcmonials are 50 exactly
like those Of the OLD Roman nuptidls
that they would appear to have been
derived thcrefrom. Roman poets anu
historians allude to them all. The Civ
ing Of wine mingled with water il an
aIIusion To the marriage Of Cana, AMI
takes place after the last Of the above
ceremonies Then the pair, following
the priest. walk three times round the
small movable altar. on which the
cross ana the gosncl are placed. listen
to eNhurtltiun. kiss one another three
times ana receive his benedictiun.
They also kiss the holy pictures.
one uf the many suprrstitions still
prevailing among the peasant popula-
ion If Russia is that, Oh the occasion
Of marriage. the happiness " IN"
newly married couple is not assured
unless the parents of the contracting
partics are soaked with water from
head to foot. When a marriage takes
place in summer this is easily accom-
pIishcd by ducking the fathers ana
mothers III the nearest river. but in
winter they are laid on the ground
ana rolled in snow.
The Thuringian bride il clothed III
| black. with gorgeous display Of coins
ana chains. on her head she wears 4
| +all towpr-1iIxp scarlet covering. round