The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-03-25
WOMEN PROPOSES.
Man Minor Figure in Many Countries
OF the World.

"Once again with 1920 women have
chance to take the initial step to-
ward providing themselves with an
Introduction to the heavenly kingdom,
boon which marriage brings to
them. according to Mormon philoso-
ply. The return Of a year which
leaps forward day, bringing to them
a 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
a 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 bulle-
tin continues. "a maiden does not
woo the man of her choice, but simp-
ly and forcibly states her proposition
to his mother without any encourage
ment on his part. Her only prelimi-
nary proceeding is to do her hair in
two gigantic whorls, one over each
ear. This is her announcement that
she is going a courting. These Pc
culiar knots are intended to represent
the blossoms of squash vine, symbol
of virginity, but to those untutored in
their meaning they resemble huge
doorknobs set at rather violent
angle.
Victims Take to Woods.
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 moth
er has agreed that he shall be sacri-
feed, she serves in the house of her
future mother-in-law for 80 days
grinding meal, very much after the
fashion that Jacob of old served a
years for Rachel. The poor youth in
the meanwhile does not sit idly by,
but weaves her wedding garments.
Among the Batus of the Uganda
Protectorate 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 woman is an excellent
agricultural laborer and a man is not
likely to refuse such business asset.
: '|The Gala women of the eastern
coast of Africa has the rare privilege
among savage and half civilized peo-.
pie of refusing to marry man who
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 a
preference if they did not actually do
the proposing, for, if we trust the his
torian Diodorus, man promised his
wife to grant her complete control
over him and to offer no objections to
her commands.
Some survival of this liberty of
Egyptian women must have permeat-
ed other portions of Africa, for prin-
cesses on the west coast of that CONT
nent whose children may become fu-
ture rulers choose their own hus-
bands. Nor is princess limited in
her choice to unmarried men. She
may just as easily decide upon one
who has already entered the mar
riage state, and the poor fellow has
to put away his other wives and be-
come her slave. Moreover, she has
the power of life and death over him.
He sometimes has only one consola-
tion-he inherits all her property if
he is fortunate enough to be spared
until her death.
True Spirited Courtship.
I'm the Tyrol girl may express
her preference for a man by present
ing him with bottle of spirits. If
she is 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