MARRIAGE IN ALBANIA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3004, 10 February 1881, Page 4

MARRIAGE IN ALBANIA.

Albanian mnrriage arrangements are very peculiar. When a damsel arrives at marriageable age, her parents publish the fact among their friends and acquaintances. Should no suitor come forward, it rests with her brothers to find one. A brother thus circumstanced will sometimes come up to a male friend in the street and make the complimentary proposal then and there. " Yen are jiiefc the man I wanted to see " —thus goes the abrupt formula on these occasions —" my sister is now fourteen years old ; you must marry her." As etiquette forbids a plump refusal, the gent?eman thus honoured gives a sort of half-acquiescence, and then hurries off to instruct some old lady to act as go-between. Should he be satisfied with the report made, after due inquiry by this adviser, the wedding is arranjjuJ ; but not uncil the very last moment j- Jie expectant bridegroom allowed to see is future spouse, and then it would be cuutrar -to the prescriptions of society for him to >lraw back, however unprepossessing she might prove to be. After the performance of the ceremony, a very curious piece of etiquette comes into play. Among Asiatics and uncivilized people generally, it is the rale for the bride-elect to feign coyness ; but among tTie Arnauts the bridegroom has to make this pretence. After the marriage feast is over, and the newly-made wife has withdrawn, her husband lingers behind ; and not. until he has been subjected to a variety of rough usage by her relatives are the prescriptions of etiquette considered to be sufficiently complied with to admit of his following the lady,