The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1913-01-07
IheYoung Man
Of the Bridge
BY DOROTHEA HALE

been, since its conquest by the Turks
a miscellaneous population. Persians.
Greeks, races of western and southern
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 eourtship 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 there people beats the same
as among other races. 1t may be we'll
for bride If 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 inspir-
ed her with grand passion
The marriage ceremony among these
people is also peculiar, as will appear
in the case of a 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 a single glance
of man who captivates 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
Constantinople. 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 1t
Presently turning her eyes aside she
saw a young man also leaning over the
side, but dRstead of looking into the
water he /WIS gazing at her. She saw
the lovelight in his eyes and uncon
sciously returned it
Covering her face, she pursued her
way. But from that moment she was
changed. Her young and excitable be
ing saw in all about her that face
alone. At least it was all that excited
a response in her. Indeed. 1t became
a part. the greater part. Of her being
1t was at this time that negotiations
We're 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 repulsive to her. After the
meeting they became a 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 We're
both Moors, prepared for the wedding
to be celebrated as 1T would have been
celebrated in Tangier or Tripoli
AyXa, as was the custom. was 10 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 and mother
and the woman who had nursed her
from babyhood. Languidly she babe
her parents goodby and left them. 90
ing with her nurse, who 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 a
mule standing before the door, ther
/ led the animal down the street. Nov
i ing slowly to the sounds Of wierd mu
sic, the old woman, the mule and the
bride within the box proceeded or
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. FOL
she had not confided them even to hel
mother. What desperate resolve wa.
in her fierce Moorish bosom she KEEP
hidden there A bride who had loved
another, on her way to an unknown
husband, had been found at the dool
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 We're as loud in their congratula
tons as II Ayxa was going to the hus
band of her choice.
At last the home OF the groom wa.
reached He was not Mt the door tc
receive her, but waited for her within
When living bride stepped from tn,
box there We're those in the throug who
oreathed a sigh of relief
Ayxa was conducted by her mother
fn-law to the room where her husband
awaited her. There she was left to en-