Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-04-16
A MEXICAN
MARRIAGE GIFT
Being a Story of Second.
hand Furniture.
By F. A. mitchell


We have become SO used to our own
marriage customs that we do not real
lie that all over the world these Gus
toms vary. In Europe prevailing re-
Quirement is that the bride shall fur
nish a dowry, even among the lower
classes. In Russia there are a num-
Der of singular customs, the most
unique Of which is that q woman de-
string to marry a man may go to his
house and remain there till he marries
her. If he puts her out her relatives
will avenge the act as an insult. In
northern Italy the matter Of marriage
is largely in the hands Of brokers, but
after an engagement Is broken the
man must pay all damages. In Japan
a marriage may be contracted for a
limited period, the man paying down a
specified sum. which goes to the brides
parents
In Mexico they have a custom differ
ent from any of these. The man pays
all the wedding expenses, including
trousseau for the bride. He provides
the wedding feast, with plenty of wine.
The most expensive part of his outlay
is furnishing the home.
Pepita Sierra, a Spanish girl of Mex
leo City, was coquette. She was
very pretty, with her olive and red
complexion and long. Spanish lashes,
which, when she dropped them over
her flaming dark eyes before the ad-
miring gaze Of a man, rendered her
very attractive. When she was fifteen
"a manageable age IN Mexico-she
was wooed by Leandro Ortez,
wealthy man twenty years her senior,
and, since he was well off, her father
accepted him for her. She had never
had a lover and was not averse to the
wedding till she met a man nearer her
own age, whom she liked better. The
wedding outfit had been provided by
her flance, and the ceremony was to
take place in few days. But this
did not prevent Pepita from breaking
of the match. Ortez had provided the
trOusseau and the furniture. Being
gentleman descended from a Spanish
grandee, he declined to take back the
rousseau and insisted also on Pepita's
retaining the furniture. Peplta's IA
ther protested against this, but Ortez
overcame his scruples, and the senordta
found herself in possession Of all the
fine clothes she would need for some
time and large storeroom filed with
elegant furniture.
She did not succeed in catching the
young man who had caused the break
between her and Ortez, SO the outfit
was not used. She wore the clothes
that had been provided until the fash
ions changed, then gave them to the
poor, but the furniture remained in
storage.
Pepita, though she had many minor
affairs of the heart, did not become en-
gagged again till she was twenty; then
she was betrothed to joaquin Molina.
This time she was very much in love.
Molina, who was full of romance, told
her that he had never loved and never
could love any one but her. OF course
Pepita responded that she had never
loved any one but him. All went pleas
antly between the pair until the we'd
ding day was'set. Then Joaquin told
his flancee that they would better set
day when they would go together
and select the furniture for their home.
By this time Pepita had grown clean
out Of childhood and had begun to
look to the pecuniary requirements Of
life. Her f1ance was not wealthy, and
her father could do very little for her
in the way of dowry. There was plen-
ty Of furniture in storage that needed
only to be brought forth and placed in
the house the couple would occupy.
Pepita would not be averse to this.
Women are accustomed to receive
gifts, and she had no conjunction as
to using what had been provided by
one lover in establishing a home with
another. But what would Senior Molina
say to doing so?
Molina was very sensitive. If she
told him that she possessed furniture
that had been given her by one whom
she had expected to marry It would
bring up matter that might have an
unpleasant effect on her present lover.
On the other hand, Molina could not at
ford-so she believed-to provide such
handsome furniture as that already
possessed, and why should money be
thus wasted?
She tried hard to bring herself to
breach the matter to. Molina, but dared
not do so. Then 1t occurred, to her to
sell what furniture had beensprovided,
turning 1t into money. She made in
quiries as to what she could sget for II
and was surprisedSto find that although
1t was as good as,new it must be sold
for secondhand furniture and would
not bring 20 per- cent Of cost.
Pepita would not have been a wom-
an II she could have consented to this
sacrifice. What a pity that men were
so averse to using anything as a hus-
band that had been provided by a
former lover Of his wife'sl If she
could arrange to utilize the furniture
few years after marriage, when their
love had become more practical, the
difficulty might be overcome. But be-
tween lovers on the eve Of marriage,
when there was,so much sentiment in
volved, spark.might blow the whole
affair sky high.
Nevertheless Senorita Sierra follow
ed course to which women are much