The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-08-02
EVERY YEAR A LEAP YEAR.
Women Have Privilege Of Picking the
Men They Will Marry.

once again will 1920 women have a
chance to take the initial step toward
providing themselves with an Introduce
ION to the heavenly kingdom, boon
winch marriage brings to them, according
to Mormon philosophy The return of a
year which leaps forward a day. bringing
to them privilege monopolized by men
three years out of four, has no signi-
tcance for women of many lands. since
they enjoy that liberty all the time
says a bulletin from the National Geo
graphic society.
Inc women of no race possess more
freedom In this matter than the Honi
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 with
out any encouragement on his part Her
only preliminary proceeding is to do her
HAIR In two gigantic whorls, one over
each ear This is her announcement
that she IS going accounting These pc
euiar knots are intended to represent the
blossom of squash vine, symbol of
/ vlrginity, but to those untutored in their
eneaning they resemble huge door knobs
set at rather violent angle When some
/ debutantes thus announce that they are
out on the carpet it is said that as
i many as six or eight of the eligible young
men of the tribe literally take to the
woods
i Alter this aggressive young lady has
selected her victim and his mother has
!, agreed he shall be sacrificed. she serves
in the house of her future mother-in-law
| for 30 days grinding meal. very much
after the fashion that Jacob of old served
IA days for Rachel The poor youth in
i the meanwhile does not sit idly by, but
weaves, her wedding garments.
i Among the Batus of the Uganda Pro-
tectorate of Africa, if a girl is not for
tunate enough to be asked in marriage
in her home town, she goes to another
i village and offers herself to some man
there. Though not honored in her own
country, she at least receives considera.
ton in that of her neighbor for a woman
IS an excellent agricultural laborer. and
man IS not likely to refuse such bust
ness psset
4 The Gala woman of the eastern coast
OF Africa has the rare privilege among
savage and half-civilized people of re.
tusing to marry a man who is undesir.
able to her.
Little is known of the marriage Gus.
toms of the ancient Egyptians, but we
can easily believe that women had at
least the privilege of expressing a pref
e erence, if they did nor actually do the
. proposing, for, if we trust the historian
: Dodorus, man promised his wife to
/, grant her complete control over him and
to offer no objection to her commands
Some survival of this liberty of
Egyptian women must have permeated
+ other portions of Africa, for princesses
. on the west coast of that continent
! whose children may become future rulers
choose their own husbands Nor is a
. princess limited in her choice to un.
married 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 be
S come her slave Moreover, she has the
power of life and death over him. He
sometimes has only one consolation-he
inherits all her property if he is fortunate
/ enough to be spared until her death.
In the Tyrol girl may express her
preference for man by presenting to
him a bottle of spirits. If she is afraid
that her pr oeedure has not the endorse
ment of her parents. she may contrive to
lower the precious fluid at night from her
h chamber window.
) Tn north Trapsylvania, a young peas
ant woman may give particular swain a
f tip that he is the apple of her eve by
8 going with him in his cart at the time of
the harvesting of the oats to help carry
in his crop. 1t is said that at this season
! one sometimes sees procession of gaily
decorated carts going afeld, a willing
maid seated in each.
i ''One of the obligations of father in
> Rumania and Bosnia is to provide so
well for his manageable daughter that
when she receives a list Informing her of
;. the means and qualifications of the ell
/: igible young men in the vicinity she viii
!: not be hampered by lack of worldly
|: goods on her own part in making her
|: choice.
/: I'm bygone days in India women were
|: sometimes allowed to choose their own
|: husbands One of their old fairy tales
|: tells of fair princess who after tourna-
|: ment placed a garland around the neck of
!; a knight who lad won her heart
Among the Eskimos of the east coast
of Greenland a man captures the girl he
Z Z wants, but from that time on the usual
! order of things is reversed. He has to
: exercise the greatest vigilance to prevent
her from clipping with any other man
whom she may prefer, as this seems to
! be her privilege. In the northern New
n Hebrides, a bride who is unhappy seeks
= the earliest opportunity of running away
: from her husband and seeking a home
with some man she likes better If her
: parents cannot induce her to return to
. abe injured husband, they usually send
him a pig to soothe his wounded feel
ings'