RUSSIAN MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5006, 1 February 1878, Page 3

RUSSIAN MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.

I (From the " Pall Mall Budget.") Russian marriages are generally arranged through priests. Being matters of business, it is desirable that there should be no mistake as to the amount of dower which the bride is to bring, and there would very likely be mistakes if some member of the upper clergy were not to act as an intermediary in preparing the settlements. An archimandrite does much of the work that falls to notaries in other countries ; ' only he charges more, and a portion of the dower is apt to stick between his fingers. A well-bred bridegroom must present a gift to a monastery and another to his parish church ; the bride, through her friends, is expected to clothe some statue of a Virgin with a gown of silver brocade, enriched with more or less jewels according to the piety of the donor ; and in some parts of Southern Russia she adds a gift of two white doves to the pope, which looks rather like a 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 consent be arbitrarily withheld. In this event the parents are called on 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 referred 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 a marrying people and dispose of their children early. In the middle and lower classes men marry at twenty, when not drafted by the conscription ; in the higher aristocracy a young man goes the " grand tour " before settling down, but he is often betrothed before starting to a young lady not yet out of the school-room, and he weds her immediately 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 a nun, has possibly something to do with the \mwillingness of ladies to support it. When a girl has reached the age of twenty-five without finding a mate, she generally sets out on what she calls a pilgrimage if poor— on a round of travels if rich ; and in either case she turns up some years later as a 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 a couple are engaged, a betrothal feast is held, and the bride elect has a lock of her hair cut off in the presence of witnesses, and given to the bridegroom, who in return presents a silver ring set with a turquoise, an almond cake, and a 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 signified by the return of the ring and the 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 a turquoise, tin and a bit of blue stone are substituted. 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 received, for instance — though why this is so is a mystery which the clergy, who sell the rings, could best explain. On the wedding day the bride comes to church dressed in white ; but it is only among the highest classes, who copy Western fashions, that the bridal costume is entirely white, and that a wreath of orange-flower blossoms is used. Among Russians pure light blue is the nuptial color, and a coronet of silvor ribbon stands in place of the wreath. The wedding-ring for the bride is of gold or some yellow metal, but not a plain hoop ; it is generally a double ring with encha^d stars. The bride-

groom has a ring, too, which the bride puts on. his finger at the altar after she has received his, and this is mostly a 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 to -test the purity of the ecclesiastical gold with a touchstone. After the wedding service, which comprises in some of the less civilised districts the breaking of an earthenware vessel in token that the bride renounces her own possession (or is ready to smash all her father's crockery for her husband's sake — explanations differ) — after this there is an adjournment to a banquet in which m/talled kvass (small beer) and almond cakes play a great part. Weddings need not be celebrated before middtvy, nor must they take place in a church. In fashionable circles it is the custom .to solemnise them in a drawingroom, and by candle light. There is no departure on a honeymoon tour. The banquet i> i followed by a ball, then by a supper ; air.datthislastrepast, when heldin houses whe re old customs are observed, a new satin slipper, supposed to be the bride's, is produced, and used as a drinking vessel Joy the bridegroom's friends, who pass- it round and drink the bride's health in it till it is soaked through and will hold liquor no longer. In houses where speeches are made it is not the bridegroona, but the bride's father, who returns th anks when her health is drunk — this usao;ie being owing to the fact that a father stall retains authority over his child after she is married. He may summon he.r from her home to tend him when he is sick. If he lose his wife he may claim his married daughter's services as a housekeeper during the first three months of his widowhood ; and he very often does so. If the daughter's husband die, her father may order her to return to his roof, and he becomes de jure the guardian of her children. None of these privileges is retained by a married woman's mother. Divorces are not allowed in Russia, but a marriage may be annulled for informality ; and so divorces are pretty frequent. It is only a question of money, like most Russian things.

■ftf^jT 1 Cthus much cannot be BMr A It A-T ° f P °f ngahau >' * ft r\?P W , as elected Tan a > to facilitate business, those whc W» dxsposed to offer themselves for the honor of candidates were requested tc B tep forward. Nine gentlemen responded to the call. Of these, seven were elected by .ballot, as required by the Act, the scrutineers being Mr Spencer of Porangaha«, and Mr Cittadini of Wainui. These gentlemen handed the lists to the chairman, who announced the following to have been elected :— Rev F. E. T. Simcox, Dr Tennent, Messrs Graham Speedy, Jesse Herbert, Cittadini (Wainui), John White, and A. St. HiU. From amongst these the Rev E. T. Simcox and Mr St. Hill were elected as the members whose names were to be sent to the Education Board to represent this district. Mr J. White was elected treasurer, and the Rev. Mr Simcox secretary. Ab the settlement of Porangahau was still in want of a teacher for the school — Mr W. Harris of Wellington, who was appointed to the position by trustees, and parents before the present Education Act became law, having declined the appointment on the ground of insufficient accommodation — it was proposed and seconded that suitable additions to the present building for the accommodation of teacher be erected. Mr White and Mr St. Hills were deputed to arrange this matter, and report at the next meeting. The question of nominating a teacher was then discussed, and of two applicants who had been approved of by the former trustees, namely, Mrs Doris, who has already visited the district, and Mr G. W. Hall of Wanganui, it was pointed out by Mr Cittadini thai there was reason to believe that Mr Hall would decline for the same reason as Mr Harris (insufficient accommodation) ; and, as it was considered that, in the interests of the settlement, a teacher should be appointed at once, ' Mrs Doris was appointed by the committee as duly qualified to fill the position.

the wickets by Murdoch. 50— 4*-30. Armitage followed, added 2 to the score, and left before a good ball from A. Bannerman. 54 — 5 — 2. Lynch filled the vacancy. Then Fordham was bowled by Kendall. 54—6 — 1. Blacklock showed up. Lynch skied one to cover-point, and Garrett held it. 57—7—0. I. J. Salmon appeared on the field. Gregory relieved Kendall, with slow < underhand bowling, Spofforth bowling in place of A. Banneaman. 80 came, and then Spofforth caught and bowled Blacklock. A. Salmon came and left, being caught by Garrett off Gregory. 92—9—0. W. J. Salmon filled the vacancy and gave an easy chance to A. Bannerman, who refused it. Horan relieved Gregory and sent W. J. Salmon out, being caught by Gregory off Horan. Lockett followed and left, lbw. 100—11—0. Speed filled the vacancy and 110 was shewn. I. J. Salmon, who was playing brilliantly, was then caught by Gregory off Horan. 116 — 12 — 25. Robinson followed, made 1, and left, being bowled by Spofforth. 118 — 13 — 1. Speed was bowled the next ball by the same bowler. llll8 — 1111.4 — 11. Oundy and Webb filled the vacancies. Spofforth bowled . Cundy. 130—15—0. Edmunds followed. Horan bowled him when he had made 1. 133 — 16 — 1. Kember came out, and with Webb, by playing very steadily, ran up the score to 140. Then 150 came, when Kember succumbed to Garrett, being clean bowled. 158—17—8. Lambert followed, and 160 was shown. Kendall then relieved Horan, Webb playing very well. Garrett bowled Lambert with a trimmer. 170 — 18 — 3. Wyatt came and was caught by a substitute, the first ball off Garrett. 170—19 —0. Smith . followed, baulked a run, and went out. 170—20—0. Willis then took the vacant place, and runs came lively, soon bringing' 190 on the board. A Bannerman relieved Kendall, but still runs ceme, and 200 was shown on the board amidst great cheers. Then 210 came, when Bannerman made a wide, Willis scored 2, and was clean bowled by Bailey, who had relieved Garrett. All out for 213. An adjournment of ten minutes took place, when the healths of the respective teams were drunk. E. Pearce proposed the health of the visitors, and Mr Gregory responded in suitable terms. Play -was then resumed, A. and C. Bannerman taking the wickets against the bowling of Fordham and I. J. Salmon. A. Bannerman soon retired, lbw, and Horan took his place, receiving one over, •when time was called. The score was 9—l-6.