The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-26

pIS>'lt consisting Of a silken skirt
ptsce o. lewelry, and he is supposed
= = ii"sh the wedding breakfast.
GLlef marriage the two 90 into seclu-
SION Tor a honeymoon of seven aa1-s
aid lileN then AXE up their nome in
we mouse OF the bride. 1t * nre-
uilptuous Tor them to set I'D their
~ establishments Immediately after
,laatiasS. as the man IS supposed to
NoIh d certain time for his wife.
! understand that there are many
love matches ii Burma. and that
Were parents object the Young peo-
~ nope and 81 off to themselves
mere are few marriages for money.
me marriage is a civil ceremony
anu II mas nothing To do with reii-
sloh. 1t is q social and business
pa tlefshIp rather than a moral CON
a. ana many marriages are en-
ttieG INTO without any ceremonv q!
al. Among soma people the we'd
Jung IS kept secret for a time, for the
Young couple do not like to be stared
at nor nave stones thrown on their
llouSe-foo1s, as IS sometimes the Gus
TOM. A girl does not change her
name When h marries. and there IS
flothlnS about her to show whether
she IS married or not. She wears no
marriage ring, and she still, as |
nave said, keeps her own property.
She can act for herself in a business
way and she frequently acts for
her husband. h can sign deeds,
iend or borrow money, and make any
! of arrangements as to buying
or selling.
With all this the women do not mix
IN puDllc affairs. They make no fuss
about their rights, and the Burmese
~suftrasette is Yet unborn. Such girls
as | ave seen 7 modest and lady
like. They are sel~f-respecting but not
~1ndenendent nor forward.
Woman's Rights In Burma.
h rights Of a woman after her
marriage are We'll protected. The
women are the chief workers and
money makers. and a woman can hold
property distinct from her husband.
She manages her own money, and has
an equal right With her husband in
all that they make together during
their married life. She has a right
to her own earnings, AND if divorced
she takes back All the money she has
brought into the family and half oil
what has been accumulated since the
wedding.
AS to divorces. these are not diff
ficult Of attainment IN either side
Of the family. Any discontinued hus-
hand or Wife MAY go before the Ell
ders and claim a separation, and !
is seldom refused.
lntIe are alS0 Spetldl STOuIuS 10
divorce. If the husband is idle or laz.
the Wife can claim q separation. |
he is unable to support her. if he i
always ailing, or becomes a crlppl'
after his marriages. she can demand
that the marriage tie be broken. ant
the same is true if he ill-treats he
in any way.
on the other hand. the HUSBAND
has. also. plenty of grounds for di
/ y-nraa If his wife 6DpC NOT love him
il she visits places to which he Oh
iects. and if she persistently dlsobeS'
him, he may claim his freedom. Iht
same is also true if she gives him NJ
BOYS. notwithstanding all this. d
yorccs are not much more commor
than in the United States. They ara
hardly respectable, and the man who
enters a monastery to get rid of {
wife is called a while z
divorced woman is said to be Away
anxious to marry again. Indeed, mar
riage is considered the best state 10,
one Of their proverbs beins
as follows:
Monks are beautiful when they are
lean. four-footed animals when they
are fat, men when they are learnec
and women when they are married.
Easy Housekeeping.
The Burmese wife has fewer house
keeDing troubIes than her American
sister. If she belongs to the Well-to-
do classes she has serVantS, and II not
she has but little hard Work. Inc
ordinary house is built of wood o.
bamboo raised pom posts about elSh'
feet apart. IT has a Neranda III front
with steps leading to the rooms over
head. The floors are of thin plankln
or bamboo canes, and the ROOF Is O.
thatch or leaves. The whole IS sim
ME 70 an extreme. The house has
no furniture in Our sense OF the WOfd
The people sleep upon mats ana res
thair heads on bamboo pillows. There
IS little sweeping to do, and the mos
of the cooking is on fires out or doors
The cooking utensils usually consist q
two or three earthen pots. IN addltiof
70 which are some jars for water ant
several ladies. Most Of tn'
people use neither knives nor forks.
The staple food OF the i
rice. which is boiled or steamed, aht
eaten with fish paste anu peppers
- L I -. -, IL -, ,, l. with tho meals 4II(