Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-08


pected 10 furnish the trousseau, but n"
sometimes fixes the price. informing tho
mother how much sic may spend. This
being done. his mother-in law -to-he does
the shopping picking out for the bride
the gowns and lingerie needed. including
even the shoes. stock ngs and small tot.et
articles. She then sends tie bill IL the
groom. The groom also gives the bride
iewelrN and other presents. and among
them an ivory-covered prayer book. lie
supplies the home and the furniture and
often pays the civil and religious mar
riage expenses.
Ii is not uncommon among the rich for
the bride 10 Lave a marriage settlesient.
and there are stories told az beautiful and
thrifty senoritas who have insisted On
being made independent at the time ~
the marriage. There IS one story told y
a girl whose suitor was rich miner.
whom she had long ED al a distance.
Sa ID she one day "a h. entered the house.
Senior. behold this long staircase A.
the upper end OF IL is my parlor. When
YOU can walk up that staircase. placing
brick Of Seiii silver every step. YOU
will receive my hand but not sooner"
] am told the miner sent in the bricks
After the cou-tship has progressed. the
en- sacemeat been announced ana the Wed
ding day fixed. there are still lot of
difficulties to be- overcome before one can
get marie! IN Mexico. II man =
from the nited States ne must have
three ceremonies. two IN spanish anu
one more n either English spanish,
He must give public notice Of his inten-
ton to marry by having II posted up On
the official bulletin boards for twenty
days. and his marriage must take place
before the civil authorities and also De
fore rhe priest The three ceremonies con
sist Of q contract of marriage. the civil
Maria y and the church service. The con-
tract and EVIL marriage must be perform
ed before a Judge and four witnesses. m
MI 10 q
nlony Of tN!, marriage Is in Spanish anu
the contsact gives the names. ages an
cestral families, business and residences
Of both parties. The civil marriage mas
to take place before the church marriage
and sor the latter the pr est l. expected
to publish the 5anns for i've sundays. All
this costs money. Said an American To
me yesterday:
"If takes several weeks TO get married
here YOU have tn go to a half dozen
different officials and every one bleeds
you rs much as he thinks you viii stand
You have to tell all about your own
family your fathers family and your
grandfather's family. and you must give
the same information as to your bride
You have also to fee the church and as
a rule 1t costs pretty penny.
IS
These regulations are very onerous 10
the lower classes. and result many
that notwithstanding the children or
those who have not undergone civil mar
riage are legally illegitimate. The In
dams as rule are satisfied with
church marriage. and they would get
married if they had the money TO
pay the fee. This is by no means al
ways SO. and on some of the large ma
cfendas such as the TerraZas estates and
others the owners have priests come al
certain times of the year and marry their
peasants by wholesale without any charge
for the service.
The Indians are usually true to their
wives, although they sometimes think
they have. the right to change wives or
to trade old lamps for new az the spirit
moves. | have heard of instances where
men have come before the justice of the
peace and asked to have such trades
legalized. and of one case where. after
three months had elapsed. one of the
parties returned. saying that he wanted
his old wife back. but that the other
man had refused to give her up. saving
that he preferred his part of the bar
gain. In another case, where vile
wanted to go away with another man, the
justice said to the husband:
why don't you let her go@ There are
plenty more wives TO be had
This condition, however does not pre-
vail outside the lower classes. Among
= the others divorces are far less common
? than with us. The woman usually site IS
I to her husband. and he knows that II
would be almost impossible To get a
divorce, If he desired. The Mexican
! women make good wives and large fam
lilies are common. The laws relating to
the property of husband and wife are DIFF
, ferent from ours. and those AS TO the
wife are very much fairer. She has the
right to the absolute control OF all the
, property she had before marriag e and
. also to one-haif the property accumu-
, lated after the marriage. Such property
. cannot be transferred except where her
signature is added to that of her hus-
band. FRANK q. CARPENTER.