The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-12

Were Observed.
to be introduced to her and declare his
admiration.
More daring than an Anglo Saxon. if
the Spanish Romeo cannot manage to
obtain an introduction, he writes his
divinity love letter which the door
keeper or servant at her house, on
receipt of little tip, undertakes to
deliver to the young lady. By the same
means he shortly afterWard receives an
answer from his fair-and in this re-
spect-rather unconventional charmer.
OF course the mother of the girl is not
long in discovering that her daughter
has an admirer, and if the matron
knows, or believes she knows, that the
lover is desirable young man she
gives her daughter good advice aud
then, for the time being, lets things
take their course, although she
watches the girl more closely than be-
fore. From that moment the girl and
her lover, besides meeting on the
promenade and at theaters and parties
write each other long letters every day,
and in. the eVeninghave equally lengthy
chats, she from the balcony Of her
house and he from the street, utilizing
for that purpose a sort of small pocket
telephone which is called here in jest
'love's telephone"
At the end of a certain time, if the
tender relations between the young
couple continue, the good mother per-
mits her daughter to introduce the
young man to her, and after consult
ing her husband invites him to her
house, treating him at first, however,
simply as a friend. Then it is seen
whether the young man seriously
thinks OF marrying or whether he
merely treats the affair as a paStime.
hn
about his business by the mother Of
the girl. If, on the other hand the
swain is satisfied that the character
and education of his sweetheart suit
him, he presents himself to her father,
tells him that he loves the girl, that
she reciprocates his love and asks per-
mission for their formal engagement.
Meanwhile, the father has already
made inquiries concerning the youth,
his social position and that of his fam
lily; and if the information received
proved satisfactory he gives the young
man a favorable answer.
The latter then announces that q
member of his family would come in
his name and formally ask for the
daughters hand, and this happens a
few days afterward, with a certain
amount of solemnity, in the presence of
the girls nearest relatives. On the
same day the lover, being now officially
declared an accepted suitor, following
an old custom, presents his fiancee
with gold bracelet in order to COM
memorate the occasion, and she, in her
turn, makes him a present of a gold
ring.
At the same time, the date on which
the wedding is to take place is fixed
by the fiancee and the family of the
bride, and this at the latest is a year
after the young woman's hand has
been asked for. The betrothed may
now see each other as often as they
please.
When the wedding day draws nigh
in accordance with another old Spanish
custom-the bride receives from the
bridegroom the gift of two or three
dresses and some jewelry, and the lat
ter is presented from the former with
the gold studs he is to wear IN his shirt
on the day of the marriage ceremony,
and, besides this, the fiancee is obliged
to purchase all the furniture required
for the bridal chamber Of her new
dwelling; the nuptial bed, tables.
chairs, cupboard, washstand, etc, but
other rooms of the house.
AS regards the marriage ceremony. it
is unnecessary to describe it, as it diff
fers little from that gone through with
elsewhere, but it may. not be out of
place to remark that nobody in Spain
lAdIIASS ne1ln0T OH TUESDAY nor on a
Wednesday, because these days are
considered most unlucky for such ven
lures.
What has been said regarding the
Spanish girls courtship applies espe-
cially to maidens of the middle class
or bourgeoisie, and its comparative un-
conventionality seems to be the out
come of desire to marry them at
any cost. There is, however, really no
great difference between the wooing OF
the business mans daughter and that
of the aristocratic miss. Naturally,
the latter's marriage is a much grander
affair than the nuptials Of her less
fortunate sister. Great pomp is dis
played which includes the exhibition Of
the trousseau of the bride and the
magnificent presents which she always
receives. These exhibitions are a
source of great delight to the aristo-
cratic folks. 1t happens that one is
just now taking place at the palace Of
the most noble and historic family Of
the Marquis Of Vistaf1orida, whose
only daughter is about to be married
to the young millionaire, the Duke Of
Ibarra.