The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-02-07
.TheYoungM
Of the Bridge
BY DOROTHEA HALE

Europe are mingled together. besides
Moors from northern Africa. Some OF
these peoples form colonies among
themselves and continue the customs
of their native countries. Consequent
ly there are a great many queer GUS
toms in Constantinople.
Among these customs perhaps the
strangest Is betrothal and marriage
among the Moors. There Is no such
thing as a courtship among them. Mar
riages are arranged BY contract be
tween the parents Of the groom and
the bride, who do not see EACH other
until they are married. Yet the human
heart In these people beats the same
as among other races. 1t may be well
for a bride IL she has not met some
man to whom she has given her heart.
for, fancy fres. she may fall In love
with her husband OF 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 inspir-
ed her with q grand passion.
The marriage ceremony among these
people 10 also peculiar. 90 will appear
in the case Of q young Moorish girl
called Ayxa, who was hetrothed to
young man Hamed Malay Abdul by
her parents, but who had fallen In
love with q youaG maH she had seen
but once The young. especially girls
on the threshold Of wemanhOOd. are
prone to suecumb before q single glance
Of a nnaA VIE eaptivatas their fancy,
and southern races are more liable to
this than colder bleOdod peoples Of the
north. Agra Ez crossing that mach
freQuented bridge unitiag two parts or
Consta tinople. stopped to iOsk down
over the side iutO the water. White
doing % she uncovered bar face. STAGE
there was No man below to SEQ It.
Presently turning her eyes aside she
saw q ysuHg mar also leaning ever the
side. but instead OF locking into the
water he was gazing at her. She saw
the loyelight in his eyes and uneoAr
seiously returned IL.
Covering her face, she pursued Aer
way. But from that moment che was
changed. Fer young ana oxcftabie be
ing saw in all about her that face
alone. At least 1t was all that excited
a response In her. Indeed, 1t became
a part. the greater part, of her being
It was at this time that negotiations
were entered upon for her marriage
with Muley Abdul. When she heard
of them she had not met the young
man on the bridge. and they did not
especially interest her-that Is. they
were not repuisive 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 If 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 were
both Moors. prepared for the wedding.
to be celebrated as it woaA have been
eelebrated in TaDgisr or Tripoli.
Ayxa, as was the custs1A, WAS TO be
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
at home with her father. ana mother
and the woman who had Aursed her
from babyhood LAAxuidly she babe
her parents goodby and left them. go
ing with her nurse, wh0 in accordance
with the ceremony was to conduct her
to her husband.
And now comes the strangest part
of this strange custom. The nurse
left the house. carrying a box which
contained the bride, placed it on
mule standing before the door, then
led the animal down the street. Nov
ing slowly to the sounds Of wierd mu-
sic, the old woman, the mule and the
bride within the box proceeded on
their way to the home of the groom.
AS they passed house after house
friends emerged to salute the bride.
None knew the feelings of Ayxa. for
she had not conflded them even to her
mother. What desperate resolve was
in her fierce Moorish bosom she kept
hidden there A bride who had loved
another, on her way to an unknown
husband, had been found at the door
of his house dead in the box that en-
closed her, by her own hand. Indeed
there were those along the route who
remembering this, shuddered lest the
casing concealed corpse. But nearly
all were as loud in their congratula-
lions as if AyXa was going to the huS-
band of her choice.
At last the home of the groom was
reached He was not at the door to
receive her, but waited for her within
When a living bride stepped from the
box there were those in the throng who
breathed a sigh of relief.
Ayxa was conducted by her mother
tn-law to the room where her husband
awaited her There she was left to en-
ter alone. She was expected to adj
vance toward him and throw herself
at his feet. Instead of doing so she
stopped short and fixed her gaze upon
him. Then she sank upon the floor in
q Svyo0n