The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-24

acter, especially when one reads that
It was considered q tribute of respect
to the memory of the departed to 90
about with clothes hanging in rags
and tatters.
A strange relic of MOhammedan
etiquette was the regulation mentioned
by Signor Baretti In 1910 which made
1t incorrect for Spanish lady to be
seen driving alone with a gentleman,
even II he were her own husband,
unless page in undress livery, whose
special office 1t was, sat also inside III
corner Of the carriage; while the
custom which made 1t incumbent on
the Queen of Spain always to mount
her horse from the step of the coach,
since no gentleman of the Court dared
offer her hand to assist her, sprang
evidently from the same origin, aud
struck Carlos lis French Queen as
excessively absurd.
Yet, notwithstanding all these re-
strictions, there was another side to
the picture, which strikes one as in
direct contradiction to the foregoing
restrictions. All travellers of those
days speak of the unusual liberties
allowed to the nuns and canonesses in
Spanish converts. Baretti even says
that they saw more gallants than the
ladies in the world" and it was COM
mon practise to introduce foreigners
of distinction into the parlors of
aristOcratic nunneries. that they might
there hear the Castilian tongue
spoken in its purest form. and make
the acquaintance Of the most beauti-
full and wittiest women to lie met with
in the Peninsula. Signor Baretti,
furthermore, describes how the Span
ish ladies of his day, both married and
unmarried, were each provided with
three cavaleros. designed respectively
as their IAN, estrecho." and "santo,"
drawn by lot on different days, whose
duty and privilege it was to attend on
her throughout the following twelve
month, and dine with her. when he
SO pleased, without further invitation
This arrangement. which correspondent
with the valentine" OF the same period
in England, and the muffin" of an
other continent of the present. at least
secured to the Spanish lady the GER
tainty of constant visitors and attend
ants, and its revival In other localities
might not, perhaps. be deprecated by
young ladies of our own DAY.
Again, though taught to accept with
out question the husband chosen for
them by their parents. strange
privileges and liberties were allowed
to Spanish maidens by the old laws
and customs of the land.
Nine. Danois. indeed. writing in
1851, declares that the care taken by
Spaniards to keep their daughters
close arose from the existence of an
ancient enactment. which laid down
that If maiden-especially il she
were an elder daughter-desired to
marry any special person, and her
| parents refused their sanction. she was
allowed to appeal to the curate of the
| parish, who, If she still adhered to
her resolution. could remove her to a
convent or the house of some devout
lady, whence, If her parents could not
| shake her determination after few
| days, the priest was empowered to
marry her, and compel her father to
| give her portion suited to her rank
and estate.
Baretti, hundred years later. con-
firms this, and gives it as the reason
for Spanish parents marrying their
| daughters at twelve and thirteen years
of age; but adds that few of the young
ladies of high condition were able
to avail themselves of the privilege.
He incidentally refers at the same time
to another Spanish marriage law,
which he eulogizes as "a very good
one," viz, that no eldest-born of a
grandee was allowed to marry the
heiress of another. BY compelling her
to be married to the cadet of noble
house, Spain" says he, will have two
families instead of one. both sufficient
ly rich"