The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-12-30
TheYoungMan
Of the Bridge
BY DORoTIlEA HALE

;, these peoples form colonies anon
themselves aud continue the custom
, OF their native countries. Consequent
ly there are n great many queer Gus
? toms IN Constantinople.
Among these customs perhaps tn
strangest IS betrothal and marriag,
; among the Moors. There Is no sucl
thing as courtship among them. Mar
riages are arranged by contract be
tween the parents of the groom anc
the bride, who do not see each othel
until they are married. Yet the human
heart In these people beats the same
as among other races IL may be wei
for a bride IL she has not met some
man TO whom she has given her heart
for, fancy free. she may fall in love
with her husband or at least become
attached to him as is natural between
those who live and bring up children
together. But woe to the young girl
who has seen the man who has lnspir-
ed her with grand passion.
The marriage ceremony among these
people is also peculiar. as will appear
in the case of young Moorish girl
/ called Ayxa. who was betrothed TO a
young man named Muley Abdul by
her parents. but who had fallen in
love with a young man she had seen
| but once. The young. especially girls
| on the threshold of womanhood. are
prone to succumb before single glance
of a man who captlvates their fancy.
and southern races are more liable to
this than colder blooded peoples of the
north. Ayxa In crossing that much
frequented bridge uniting two parts OF
Constantlnople, stopped to look down
over the side into the water. While
doing so she uncovered her face. since
there was no man below to see IT,
Presently turning her eyes aside she
saw a young man also leaning over the
side. but instead of looking into the
water he was gazing at her. She saw
the lovelight In his eyes and uncon-
sciously returned 1t.
Covering her face, she pursued her
way. But from that moment she was
changed. Her young and excitable be-
lliE SAW III all dDOut bti ihob iitt
alone. At least 1t was all that excited |
a response in her. Indeed, It became
a part. the greater part. of her being.
1t was at this time that negotiations
were entered upon for her marriage I
with Mulcy Abdul When she heard /
of them she had not met the young |
man on the bridge. and they did not
{r,4a hnr-fhaf 10 thnC |
were not repulsive TO her. After the
meeting they became horror TO her.
But she could do nothing to prevent
the union that awaited her. She had
met the young man of the bridge
but once. and even lie she had seen
him often and they had become lovers
it would not have made any difference
She would have married the man pro-
vided for her and that without having
seen him.
The arrangements for the marriage ;
having been completed. the parents of
the bride and the groom, who We're
both Moors. prepared for the wedding,
to be celebrated as II would have been
celebrated In TanEier or Tripoli
al AN, dS WAS tfle CuStOtAi, WIS " bc
carried to her husband at night. The
street in the Moorish quarter through /:
which the bride would pass was lined
with persons to see her pass. She was !
1t home with her father and mother /
ind the woman who had nursed her !:
rom babyhood. Languidly she babe !:
her parents goodDy and left them. go /:
n, x,,;tE, har rr,ea xpho In anaord q moo 1 Z
With the ceremony was to conduct her
o her husband
And now comes the strangest part Z
Il this strange custom. The nurse !:
eft the house. carrying box which !:
ontained the bride, placed 1t on a /:
mule standing before the door. then !:
ed the animal down the street. Nov I:
NJ slowly to the sounds of wierd mu- I:
ic, the old woman, the mule and the I:
ride within the box proceeded on I;
heir way to the home of the groom. I:
IS they passed house after house (:
riends emerged to salute the bride. I:
None knew the feelings OF Ayxa. for
he had not confided them even to her 9
lother. What desperate resolve was
] her fierce Moorish bosom she kept
idden there. bride who had loved l.
mother. on her way to an unknown I:
had been found at the door /:
T his house dend in the box that en- Il
osed her, by her own hand. Indeed I:
lere were those along the route who.
,membering this, shuddered lest the
lsing concealed a corpse. But nearly -
] were as loud in their congratula
ons as II Ayxa was going to the hus-
md of her choice.
At last the home OF the groom was
ached He was not at the door to
ceive her. but waited for her within.
hen a living bride stepped from the
X there were those in the throng who
eathed n sigh OF relief.
Ayxa was conducted By her mother
law TO the room where her husband
waited her. There she was left to en-
r alone She was expected TO ad
nee toward him and throw herself
his feet Instead OF doing so she
lpped short and Fixed her gaze upon
N. Then she sank upon the floor in
swoon.
In a few moments she revived 10 find
rself in the arms OF the man she had
lrried He was looking down upon
r with love and delight in his eyes.