THE SUXDAY OKEGK)TAX, PORTXA"T), JT7XE 23, 1907. rs HI! sir 1 BT ALBERT EDWARD ULLVAN. THERE may be special months or season favored by brides-to-be in different climes for the ringing of wedding-bells, but any old time Is a Kood time. From China to America and from Iceland to Patagonia the whole earth is perpetually smiling with brides. Think of the trousseaus that are being prepared, from the red silk veil of the Orient to the white tulle of the Occident; of the sifts that are being given, of the odd strange ceremonies that ere being performed, of the rites and feastlngs! lrdeed it is a wonderful time; and a time when all should be happy. . And, in general, we may suppose that all brides aro happy, but In the land of the Joss, the little Chinese maid, who Is about to be mar ried, doesn't seem to look forward to thj venture with anything like the en thusiasm of her American sister. It Is a time of walling and lamenting with her. She is looked upon from her very birth If indeed she is not smothered as a -babe as something despicable. A girl baby finds no favor in the eyes of the rodfc of the Flowery Kingdom; all honor goes to the male child over there. Hence when the girl-baby grows up there is small wonder that she Is disposed of lightly to some man who. Instead of looking1 upon her as a wife, views her rather as a servant, and a profitable one, too. Inasmuch as he doesn't have to pay her anything for her services. And this Is even shown In the marriage service; for at the conclusion of the rites she is received by the austere groom as he sits upon a high stool, indicating his superiority, and is made to prostrate herself at his feet; The women of the East, it must be observed, are far more abjec and dependent than the women of the West. In Japan, the dear little Island of cherry blossoms, the woman Is treated with more respect; Inasmuch as this modern country Is rapidly taking on the customs and manners of Europe, their treatment of the fair sex is con siderably "fairer," and this is shown In many ways. The young girl Is given the opportunity of refusing her suitor If she doesn't want him, a privilege that is frequently denied the Chinese bride. In "Nippon the wooer comes and places a sprig of shrubbery on the house of the maid he would like to marry: If thte shrub la neglected, it shows him that he is rejected. If it Is taken Into the house and placed upon the wall. It means that the young lady "has no objections." Then she, to show him that she returns his affectionate regard, blackens her teeth. After they are married she plucks out her eyebrows, and then the husband and -wife "are allowed to talk together; for, you must know, the young men are not often allowed to talk to the girls over In the Mikado's realm. In Korea, close- at hand, men of all ages take tip the benedict's life. It frequently happens that young boys, scarce 12 years old. are married to girls of the same age. The price of a wife is a bullock, and. needless to say. a good bullovk is regarded over there as a thing of much more value than a mere woman. The photoirraph ahows a bride groom on his way to the wedding: It Is taken at Seoul, in the Southern part of the island, where the sun is hot and a servant is seen protecting the speeding groom from the rays of the sun with a large umbrella. A curious connection with Korean weddings is that concerning the bridegroom's hair. Before his mar riage It is left long and braided down his back: but afterward It is colled on top of bis head, much as the American woman colls up her hair, and Is sur rounded by a wire apparatus not unlike a birdcage or a mouse trap and left that way as a sign, doubtless, to all scheming widows that he Is already "took" and Is not to be tampered with. In Norway the crown is on the wom an's bead, as can be seen by a reference to the photograph. It is a magnlncent affair, but It is rather cumbersome and unwieldy and while no doubt it is con sidered quite a luxury, the mere fact that the bride has to wear It night and day for a week would make it a decidedly un popular custom in this country. The methods of the suitor are unique, as is the case In almost every foreign country. If a man and maid happen to eat off of the sace piece of bread it is taken for granted that they are sure to fall in love; then, after, the marriage, the bride V 4 y. i TO A. V 1 tuns away the next day and hides. She is sought out by the whole village and. when found. 1s brought back, set up in her new home and made to dispense liquor to villagers. A week Is generally given over to the bridal festivities. The "match-maker" is always a promi nent Institution among foreign brides and bridegrooms; he (or she, as the case may be) is a sort of bride-merchant, a middle man, who sorts out a likely husband for an anxious wife, and vice versa. Gen erally it Is the other way: generally the wife has to be sought, and sought with care. The matter of the dowry has to be arranged, and the match-maker has to be paid by the wife's parents. In the Vnlted States we frequently hear, among the Ghetto tribes, of the "shatchem." which Is the same thing as the Old World "match-maker." Greece. Pales tine. Persia. India, practically all the Eastern countries have this sort of traf fic; and these wily wife-merchants make a very good living. Indeed. In Greece the "match-makers" practi cally arrange all the marriages among the lower classes. There, too, are orange blossoms used, one of the few countries besides our own In which this flower has the same especial significance. There also the best man has a rather delicate Job which probably would not be popular in this country. The groom presents his bride with a pair of shoes and it Is part of the best man's duties, during the cere mony, to get down and put these shoes upon her dainty feet. In the photograph here given the Grecian woman has ar rayed herself In a splendid costume and is standing mock simplicity (the usual Grecian custom) while a part of the cere mony is being performed. It Is this tra ditional affectation of hers which has given rise to the Greek saying, "as af fected as a young bride." In India there is a curious way of "get ting rid of the woman." If It may be said in that brutal phrase. There a young 2 "& ?4 . "St t;r: UJLT PHOTOS Vfc. C bachelor is apt to wait a long time be for purchasing a bride, because the cost is too great. Widows, however, are cheap! What does the wily father of the rapidly aging daughter do. In order to make her readily marriageable? He marries her to a bouquet of flowers and then throws the flowers in a well! This makes her technically a widow and as such very cheap, on the market. After that, the process of 'wedlock Is easy. A wife Is a decidedly handy thing to have around the premises. She can work equally as well as the man, in time of debt, she is accepted by the creditor as so much cash. The "match-maker" above alluded to Is an accepted go-between In Persia, nearly all the marriages there being arranged by these dealers. The wife, as a young girl, keeps herself heavily veiled: and even after her marriage" she does not re move this covering, for fear of not being considered respectable. Wrhen she has given birth to a son she is allawed more freedom than formerly: in fact.- she is even allowed to go about the town, heav ily veiled, if she is accompanied by this son and by her mother, or mother-in-law! What would our American wome say to this? We are apt to gather from the Rubayat of Omar Khayyam and from other Per sian poets that the Persian Is a very poetical man. yet here Is the burden of one of his wedding songs: "Ah, Lalla. Lalla, you have made roast meat of my heart!" The Dauphine maiden is past mistress in the art of encouraging or discourag ing a lover's attentions besides saying In so many words that he is welcome or had better be gone. When a swain's visits are pleasing to iter he makes his soup thick with grated cheese; if the contrary, he will find a handful of oats in his pocket. Should he persist, she will turn the blackened ends of the fire brands towards him. a sign there u no Customs in Foreign Lands Contrast With Our hi SR. I '5 5T " 3 v 3 3 4 & mistaking. The peasant girl admits a favored lover to a parlement, which cor responds to a consent to ."keep com pany," as we say in this country. The swain is now allowed to dance with and call upon her. and to make himself use ful In a thousand little ways. Should no better suitor come forward, the two will probably become man and wife. But French women have a shrewd turn for business, and. if a richer loon comes across her path who is equally attractive to her, the chances are Jeanette will not let him sigh in vain. So Jean, who has been admitted to a parlement at the Xew Year, may find his privileges withdrawn at Easter; while Jacques, who has a rich uncle, now carries her basket and chats with her at the well. But with the better classes In France there Is little opportunity for courtship. In Paris young unmarried girls go out occasionally into society: in the provinces this Is not allowed. Wfcen a young man resolves tn matrimony, and hears of a young lady ' whose family and circum stances are in every way suitable, he makes Informal Inquiries, through a priest or some lady of her circle, about the girl's domestic qualities and amount of dowry. This last particular is of the highest Importance. It Is rare for a dowerless girl to marry In France, though the portion which wives,1 even of the comfortable middle class, bring their iiusbands only consist of a sum of three or four figures. On receiving sat isfactory Information the suitor, who wishes to do the thing In a decorous manner commits the affair to some el derly woman, perhaps his mother or aunt. This good lady hastens to ac quaint the girl's family with the offer, and in her turn informs them of the suitor's unimpeachable character and good circumstances. Marriage is more difficult of accom (Concluded on Paipe 8.) in Own. A ' i. .y " i-JL IT - i J? A - w -4 -is-' - - v w Sis & " V" VI " J ? t v' 4 f 1 J 9K 1 V l ;:-t-,J ' Sty -? ,?:.-'fc'."i ' i