Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21


stif diving contest, if he would win the girl Of
his choice
This diving for a wife is an old Greek custom
still rigidly followed on the islands and it takes
the place Of duel between rivals.
Many strange contests take place in these
Greek islands when Cupid aims his bow. A kir2<
unable to decide between sutors will often times
arrange diving contest. The handicaps are
stipulated number of sponges to be gathered in
given time, rapid diving from dangerous points,
a long stay under water, submarine race, or
whatever the girls ingenuity may conceive.
Sometimes the maid makes herself the prize to
be gained in the diving contest, as well won
in the battle of love- If she is an expert diver
and can remain under water for many minutes,
she will select point from which to dive,
range her sutors on the shore some fifty yards
away, and plunge into the waves. As she dives
she caps her hands as signal to start and the
lovers race pellnnell to the point and plunge
headlong after her. The one who reaches her
first as she floats the bed of the Aegean wins
bride
There is sometimes tragic side to these con-
tests A disappointed suitor, seeing his rival
win the girl, has been known to find surcease of
sorrow down in the briny depths of the sea-
As a rule however, the contestants enter into
the esprit Of the test and, realizing that the
girls fate also lies in the result of the race,
accept the result with good grace as they
can master
While the East Indians are seizing their wives
by force and carrying them to their harems or
searching the world over for a new beauty and
the Greeks bravng the dangers of the deep
for their sweethearts, the phlegmatic Germans
are Sitting up to the gretchens of their choice
and wooing in their own deliberate, conventional
manner. But they holding unique weddings
after the "yah1 has been spoken.
PAY WEDDINGS THEIR THRIFTY CUSTOM
Not only over in the Fatherland, which in this
instance the borderlands of Hungary and
Germany, are what is frankly termed pay we'd
dings" held
Interview your Slavic, or German or hungarian
maid when she returns at three o'clock in the
morning from nuptial feast, and she will
say: "Nein, make present. Dot is not now.
But gif one dollar in dat basket. Sol"
This means that the thrifty German pay we'd
ding has found its way to our land. These pay
weddings are celebrated in various ways Some
times the words telling that money gift is ex-
pected will appear in the left hand corner of
the invitation
Think what lot of gray matter this custom
saves!
No wondering what sort of a gift will be most
appreciated, sitting up nights to enbroider
sofa cushion when the socks ought to be darned,
that pocket book and the family pride may be
saved. And the bride. thinks Of the tears such
a practical custom saves ner. NO getting cut
glass when she wanted bed linen, silver when
she wished for kitchen utensils. just safe Ameri-
can dollars received and license to invest them
as desired.
When mo presents" appears the invitation.
the good will offering is sent by mail or delivered
before the great day, but if pay" is written
an inclosed card, this means that each guests
drops dollar-that is the regulation amount Civ
en--into the brides basket.
Directly after the ceremony the minister pre-
sents the bride with a silver bowl or wicker bas-
ket and each guest, he steps up to congratulate
the pair deposits his Offering along with his
| well wishes.
The custom has been modernized and changed
| TO suit the times and conditions, but in its
spoiled, od-trne duaiutness kiss from the bride,
/ If the guest were man. from the groom, if a
woman. and blessing from the minister fol.
lowed the "pay gift
Many guests are hidden to these weddings and
| the practical young couple very often receive
| sum sufficient to furnish their new home or
TO take an extensive trip, to form substantial
nest egg for the proyerbial rainy day
Sensible, romantic and captivating, as these
Creek, East Indian and German customs are, it
IS. "North, South East. West Homes Best
and long life to the real American courtship,
the honest American lover and the white veilcd
conventional American bride