ROMAN COURTSHIP.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 155, 19 October 1876, Page 3

ROMAN COURTSHIP.

Imagine about two hundred people of the Trasteverina in a large garden, outaide the Porta, dancing, singing, and suouting with ail their might. There an. numberless swains there, too, and the wine is circulated freely. Taere is no intoxication, and the ebullition of good spirits tears ample testimony to the generous qualities of the wine. When a swain is smitten, he testifies Jus admiration for hi* beanty by investing a soldo in some feazd-nats, and giving tsiem to the beauty's mother, reserving one or two—for himself-no, he gives one of them to the beauty with t.se remark, "A te, non U n* ettniw" —yott don't care about them. Jf she cares about tueua —i.e., about him—she says, — tiiat is to say, I wish 1 had some. Whereat he hurries off, and makes another investment, and this time the mamnia gets none at aii, but he very laughingly poors them into the girl's apron, and turning to the mother, says, «\Ttt pay for U«> wine." This is eqpiva-

lent to a formal invitation, and all three retire to ona of the many Htt'? nr 1 --. -a the garden. At the appearance of the waiter, the swain orders a " litro " with the severity of j»ii emperor. This is all we RQ.-i of thf/m. On 3ionday the mother of t':e maiden repairs to the mother of the youth, and informs her that on the yesterday lieppino paid for the wine. Thus negotiations are opened. On the nest Sunday Beppino wears a flower in his hat, Nina a similar one in her hair. Both are very happy, but the swain's devotion continues towards the mother, and she is happy too. Everybody seeintd to be liappy in that garden yesterday. Everybody danced, and sang," and chatted gaily. One or two swains looked darkly at the stranger, for strangers very often go there with evil intent.— Catholic Standard.