Year: 1877

Russian marriages are generally ar
rangen through priests. Being matters
of business, it is desirable that there
| should be no mistake as to the amount
| of dover which the bride is to bring,


and there would very likely be mis-
takes if some member of the upper
| clergy were not to act as an interme-
diary in preparing the settlements. An
archimandrite does much of the work
that falls to notaries in other countries;
only he charges more, and portion of
the dover is apt to stick between his
| fingers. A well-bred bridegroom must
present gift to monastery and an


other to his parish church; the bride.
through her friends, is expected to
clothe some Virgin with gown or sill
yer brocade, enriched with more or less
jewels according to the piety of the
donor; and in some parts of Southern


Russia she adds gift of two white
| doves to the Pope, which looks rather
like relic of the worship of Venus.


The consent of parents is necessary for
a marriage-until the age of thirty in
the case Of men, twenty-five in that of
women; but young people are at liberty
to appeal to the civil authorities if con-
sent be arbitrarily withheld. In this
event the parents are called upon to
show reason for their refusal The
reason must not be mercenary, unless
one of the young people be heir to a
landed estate; then the question is re-
| ferred to the Marshal of the nobility in
the district, whose decisions are based
upon expediency rather than upon
| fixed principles. These appeals are
rare, because the Russians are mar
rying people, and dispose of their chill
dren early. In the middle or lower
| classes men marry at twenty when not
drafted by the conscription; in the
higher aristocracy young man goes
the ''grand tour" before settling down,


but he is often betrothed before starting
to young lady not yet out of the
school-room, and he weds her immedi-
ately upon his return. There is no
country which has so few old maids as
Russia. The great ridicule attached to
the title, when not borne by nun, has
possibly something to do with the un-
willingness of ladies to sport it. When
a girl has reached the age of twenty
five without finding mate, she gener-
ally sets out on what she calls a pill
grimage, ifpoor-on round of travels,
| if rich; and in either case she turns up
some years later as widow. Widows
are as plentiful as old spinsters are
scarce; and widows whose husbands
were never seen are more numerous
than the rest. Etiquette forbids any
allusion to a lady's dead husband in
her presence; and this is, perhaps,
sometimes convenient.


When couple are engaged, be-
trothal feast is held, and the bride
elect has lock of her hair cut off in
the presence of witnesses and given to
the bridegroom, who in turn presents a
silver ring, set with turquoise, an
almond cake and gift of bread and
salt. From this moment the two are
plighted; nor can the relatives break
| the match, except with the consent of
the parties themselves, which is signi-
fed by return of the ring and lock of
hair. So much importance is attached
to the ring, at least in the north of
Russia, that among poor people who
cannot afford silver and turquoise,


tin and bit of blue stone are substi-
tuted. These betrothal rings are kept
as heirlooms, but must not be made to
serve twice-a son cannot give his
| bride the ring which his mother re-
ceived, for instance; though why this
should be so is mystery which the
clergy, who sell the. rings, could best
explain. On the weddingday the bride
comes to-ehurch dressed in white; but
it is only among the highest classes,
who copy Western fashions, that the
bridal costume is entirely white, and
that wreath of orange-flower blossoms
is used. Among Russians pure light
blue is the nuptial color, and coronet
of silver ribbon stands in place of the
wreath The wedding-ring for the
bride is of gold or some yellow metal,
but not plain hoop; it is generally a
double ring with enchased stars. The
bridegroom has ring, too, which the
bride puts ON his finger at the altar after
she has received his, and this is mostly
plain one. The clergy make much
ado about the rings being of pure
metal, and thereby keep the sale of
them in their hands, though it would
not ALWAYS be safe sto test the purity of
the ecclesiastical gold with touch
stone. After the wedding service,


which comprises in some of the
less civilized districts the break
ing of an earthenware vessel in
token that the bride renounces her
own possession Cor is ready to smash
all her fathers crockery for her hus-
band sake explanation differ) after
this there is an adjournment to BAN
i quet in which mulled kuass (small beer)
and almond-cakes play great part.
Weddings need not be celebrated before
midday, nor must they take place in a
church. In fashionable circles it is the
| custom to solemnize them in draw
| inp-room, and by candle-light. There
is no departure on honeymoon tour.
The banquet is followed by ball, then
by a supper; and at this last repast,
| when held in houses where old customs
are observed, new satin slipper, sup.
posed TO be the brides. is produced and
groom friends, VINO pass II roune ana
Soo.. oana VI +. a,,sns sn ,rhara s,eaachos are
i. ,.:Iaa...,pi,.,, ~ ~