MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE IN IRELAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5136, 4 February 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE IN IRELAND.

The genial historian of ' Harry Lorrequer ' and the droll author of ' Tho Colleen Buwn'—and between them they have addressed a large audience—have created Irishmen of a highly agreeable type. However acquired, tho English portrait of the Irishman, is a good-natured, chivalrous, dare-devil sort of Bohemian, witty, spirited, ; and above all things delightfully imprudent. Now, it may be worth while to enquire 1 whether this estimate is quite warranted by facts. To dispel any agreeable illusion on this subject is at best an ungracious task : but if the process, while it disposes of a good deal ef ' impulse,' reveals an unsuspected business faculty, the enquiry will not be wholly disappointing. It will hardly be denied that where impulse is an appreciable force in character the love affairs, or in their absence the matrimonial conduct of the individual will supply some evidence of it. An ideal type of the romantic (outside a monastery or convent) is incomplete without a lovo element. Lot us look at Irish character by this light. Where, then is the ' romance' of persons who marry without any lovemaking at all r Aud what kind of ' impulse ' is it that causes young couples to have their marriages completed—except the legal aud formal conditions—beforo they havo ever met 1 J Then they often have only a preliminary introduction, so that they shall not be utter strangers at tho ultar. Here are a few instances, neither isolated nor exaggerated, of the Irish marriage of convenience. At a funeral a gentleman (A) met a friend (B), with whom was his nephew who had lately entered on agricultural responsibilities. Conversation turned upon his nephew's prospects. A saw auopeuingfor his daughter's future. Before the obsequies were over, a bargain in which money, farm-fixtures, cattle, etc., were the factors, xvas concluded for the marriage of A's daughter to this young farmer whom she had never seen. No obstinacy, no serious objection was anticipated ; aud the welding took place a few weeks afterwards.

Another oa.se was amusing because the managers were slow in coming to tonus. The puirinfj-tiiuo in Ireland—between Christmas mid Lent—had nearly passed over. On Shrove Tuesday, in the afternoon, the Romeo held out for another £60 in a dowry of £700 to £800 : but to this demand tho friends of the bride-elect were nut disposed to yield. It being undesirable to postpone a settlement until the other end of Lent, mutual concessions were made at the suggestion of the priest who afterwards officiated at the wedding The passionate youth was ultimately satisfied with an addition of £30, and the happy lovers were joined in time to finish the marriage festivities before Ash Wednesday.

Here is a cuse iv which there was no marriage. A yountr man iv a doubtful business was advised by a match-maker (doubtless on commission) to marry. He replied that he was quite ready if v candidate for tho partnership possessing a certain sum could be found ; but he added that hisown treasury was empty. Astonished at hiicJi presumption, tho agent rejoined that he could find both the huiy and the cash; but the} , were only to be sought by the owner of at least an equal sum. That ended tho transaction.

The following extract is taken from au Irish newspaper report of an Irish breach-of-promise case : —' Tho defendant . stated that two years ago he was dunking with the plaintiff , and her brother in a public-house, when the pliiiatitf's brother asked him would he marry his sister. Defendant asked him what fortune would ho get, and tho brother said £200. Defendant said he would not marry her unless ho got £300—that he could got that elsewhere. . There is a familiar anecdote which briefly sets the whole matter iv a clear light. It is of a gorsoon who was negotiating with a mother for the younger of two daughters. ' Will you have tho younger with two cows or the other with tl\g three,' said the mother. ' Faith,' replied the wooer, ' I'll lutvu the oulilest. bhuro there isn't tho ditfereuw of a- cow between any two women in tho wurreW.'

To go on multiplying instances would bo more tedioustiuss. Even were details varyingthe keen commercial spirit, is the sumo. If a inan'f uugagctui'iit <ji' !iis mai'ria.ufo is announced, the first question is not wh- [her there i.-j any cash, but hu.v uiiieh ': Patents of the most, respectable sort make tio secret of tho policy pursued for the benefit of their offspring. It never occurs to them to blush when tho terms and conditions of these al'iaticos are mutter of goswip, An undoubtedly religious people, tho Irish are untroubled by the theory that marriages are made iv heaven.

All this, of course, may seem to many ' practical' minds mutter for approval; and I did not say it isn't. It may be defended by its results ; aud it is notorious that conjugal fil'jlify is a thing upon which Ireland "may be (■•.ngratnliitod. With this, however, lain not now concerned; lain only trying to correct what appears a popular misapprehension of Irish character. For in the face of the marriage customs of the country it is really hard to retaiu an unshaken faith in the impulse, the romance tho chivalry which aro said to bo its main characteristics. When the attributes are Rtiug- in lie ' sweet impassioned lays ' of Lover, Davis, and their brother bards wo remember the poet's right to license. After all, how could a poet write glowing verses about puwe-hunting , — St. James's Gazette.