Evening star., 1920-02-29
WOMAN PROPOSES
N OTHER LANDS
Han a Minor Figure in Many
| Countries Where Wooing
!. Is Done by Girls.

D chance to take the initial step to-
ward providing themselves with an
antroduction to the heavenly king
dom. a boon which marriage brings
TO them. according to Mormon philos-
ophy. The return Of a year which
leaps forward day. bringing to them
q privilege monopolized by man three
years out of four, has no significance
for women of many lands. since they
enjoy that liberty all the time" says
bulletin from the National Geo
graphic Society issued today from Its
Washington headquarters.
The women of no race possess more
freedom in this matter than the Hopi
Indians of Arizona" the bulletin con-
tinues. "A maiden does not WOO the
man of her choice. but simply and
forcibly states her proposition to his
mother without any encouragement
on his part. Her only preliminary pro-
ceeding is to do her hair in two gi-
gantic whorls one over each ear. This
IS her announcement that she is going
accounting. These peculiar knots are
Intended to represent the blossoms OF
q squash vine symbol of virginity.
but to those untutored in their mean
ing they resemble huge doorknobs set
1t rather violent angle.
N1Cttm0 rake 10 unc "OOoS.
when some debutantes thus an
nounce that they are out on the car
pet it is said that as many as six
or eight of the eligible young men
of the tribe literally take to the
woods.
After this aggressive young lady
has selected her victim and his
mothea has agreed that he shall be
sacrificed she serves in the house of
her future motherin-law for thirty
days grinding meal very much after
the fashion that Jacob of old served
fourteen years for Rachel. The poor
youth in the meanwhile does not SIT
idly by, but weaves her wedding gar
ments.
.Among the Batus of the Uganda
Trotectorate of Africa. if a girl is not
fortunate enough to be asked in mar
riage in her home town. she goes to
another village and offers herself to
some man there. Though not honored
in her own country, she at least re-
ceives consideration in that of her
neighbor. for a woman is an eAcei-
lent agricultural laborer and man
Is not likely TO refuse sucn busi-
ness asset.
THE Gala woman of tine eastern
coast Of Africa has the rare privilege
among savage and half-civilized peo-
pie of refusing to marry m an VINO
is undesirable to her.
Woman Head Of Family.
Little is known of the marriage
customs of the ancient Egyptians, but
we can easily believe that women had
at least the privilege of expressing
preference if they did not actually do
the proposing, for, if We trust the
historian Diodorus. man promised
his wife to grant her complete con-
troll over him and to offer no objec-
tion to her commands.
Some survival of this liberty of
Egyptian women must have permeat-
ed other portions of Africa, for
princesses on the west coast of that
continent whose children may be-
come future rulers choose their own
husbands. Nor is a princess limited
In her choice to unmarried men. She
may just as easily decide upon one
who has already entered the marriage
state, and the poor fellow has to put
away his other wives and become her
: slave. Moreover. she has the power
times has only one consolation-he in
Aerits all her property if he is for
tunate enough to be spared until her
death.
A Spirited Court.hip.
In the Tyrol a girl may express
her preference for man by present
ing him with bottle Of spirits. II,
she IL afraid that her procedure has
not the Endorsement of her parents
she may contrive to lower the prec-
ious fluid at night from her chamber
window.
in north Transylvania, a young
peasant woman may give particular
swain a tip that he is the apple Of her
eye by going with him in his cart at
the time of the harvesting of the oats
TO help him carry in his crop. 1t is
said that at this season one some
times sees procession Of gayly-deco-
rated carts going afield, willing
maid seated in each
''One of the obligations of father
in Rumania and Bosnia is to provide
30 well for his marriageable daugh-
ter that when she is presented with
. list informing her of the means
and qualifications of the eligible
young men in the vicinity she will not
be hampered by a lack of worldly
choice.
"1n byzone days in India women
were sometimes allowed to choose their
own husbands One of their old fairy
tales tells of a fair princess who.
after a tournament, placed garland
won her heart.
Among the Eskimos OF the east
coast of Greenland a man captures
the girl he wants. but from that time
on the usual order Of things is re-
versed. He has to exercise the great
clipping with any other man whom
she may prefer. as this seems to be
her privilege. In the northern New
Hebrides a bride who is unhappy
seeks the earliest opportunity of run
ming away from her husband and
likes better. If her parents cannot
induce her to return to the injured
husband they usually send him
pig TO soothe his wounded feelings.