A PAPUAN WEDDING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2145, 21 March 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

A PAPUAN WEDDING.

THE MARRIAGE OF AiRIM’A. {By Annie Ivor.) Arinin was a pretty Papuan gii|, of 10 years, about to be married. Her eves were big and brown, her hair short and .dark, and her hands' and arms lovely. For some days the vil'age girls had been making much of her. They led her down to tho beach, and sat round her in a disconsolate ring, singing sad' little songs, which in English might run : “Ah,, why wilt thou leave us? Art thou a woman that thou must-veil. Is play, indeed, no more for tiieot And in the games shall we look in vain foe thy face?” Arima sard nothing, but cried softly. Then, came the wedding day. Arima’s father painted her face AMitli stripes of red and black, liquid her 1 slim waist was wound a gay tappa cloth, which hung below her knees; Ion" necklaces were twisted round her neck. When . the decorations were complete a procession was formed, to conduct tlie bride to her new llo Eirst came Arima, and her mother, sisters, aunts, anil girl friends clustered round, hearing tappa cloth, earthen-ware pots, and other presents. Arima’s (father, and uncles .and other men walked behind. As they went through the village women came out of their houses .and gave the Ibrule "if'ts. But .she was too sail and defected for any offerings to cheer hex*, and she (preserved flier melancholy expression throughout. ■' At Aieram, the bridegroom s vnpeople* were waiting to- meet the procession. Not the bridegroom; it would be shockingly (bad form in Aieram for bride and bridegroom to meet on the wedding day. (So ne had "one far into the bush, hunting wallaby, leaving his relations to welcome Arima. The procession did not hurry. At Aieram .the villagers were growing impatient, and the bridegroom s mother went out to hasten the procession on -their way. He ran towards them, waving a spear. As soon as they saw him they halted. .- When lie reached them Qie (looked' into Arima’s timid face, and cried, in words which may be rendered : “Is this ugly .girl Elbe whom you have chosen to he wife to my brother? Who would wish for her? Yet delayno longer, but hasten if you would have him wed her!” No ono .seemed annoyed at these Tilde remarks. In fact, they had the effect of hasteming the footsteps or tho mar-tv a little and they soon arrived in sight of Aieram. Then they stopped. This time the bridegroom s uncle advanced. “You have brought my liemliew’iS -bride,” he said, “but his home is yet further. Lead the girl to his house, and I will reward you with a p.ig.” At this Arima’s people persuaded her to move oil for a few steps. -Then came a further halt. (But the absent bridegroom had plenty of relations to urge t : he party on; -cousins, uncles, and brothers offered -fish, sago, balianas, taro, etc., at each stoppingplace, until they had lured Arima and her people to her new home. With much reluctance she c,imbed a notched post, which led up to tho house, stnulling high on .piles, the walls and roof were composed it sago leal, and the floor of strips or bamboo, lashed together with narrow .raps' between them. The house cmisisted of a single room, with a wade ■platform or verandah below. 'I ho girls accompanying the bride climbed after her, and disappeared inside tho house. The rest of the party retuined home, well pleased, no donut, with the promises of supplies they had received. , r . Arima and her girl friends remained alone in the house until early next morning, when she took her-broom (a handful of cocoanut bristles)ysjnil proceeded to sweep and tidy her new domain. This act-_ was regarded as an official recognition by her of tlio marriage. . ~ . Then the girls returned to their village, and left Arima by herself. Poor little bride without- a husband ! The slow sun began to sink behind Mount Victory, the burning mountain at whose fires the dead are said to cook the.ir food. With- _ evening came the bridegroom, who might nowenter his home. Arima (had a great pot of food gooked awaiting bis return. and for the first time they ate together. _

Silk stockings require special attention at the hands of the home expert if they are to be prevented from wearing out before their time. Prior to washing they should always be soaked in water to which a little borax is added, and afterwards squeezed and worked gently in tepid soapsuds. Hot water is ruinous to real silk stockings, while to secure the best results the rinsing must be thorough, drying-being effected without wringing. ‘•Are you in furor of clubs for women?” asked the woman with .the square chin. “Yes,” answered rthe old bachelor. “Clubs,’ sandbags, or any old thing.”

OUI DA’S DEATH. a saiTending. (From the. Correspondent of the Melbourne “Argus.”) LONDON, Jail. 31.—The death of “Ouida” is not a -matter of surprise. Tho public correspondence which took place respecting her financial affairs, and her own attitude upon that subject, showed Hut her health, and most certainly her mental strength, were giving away. Her denial- that she was in dire straits for tood anil money* and that she was often deprived of the bare necessaries ot life, wis hardly justified. It showed her still to be a proud, high-spirited woman, but it exaggerated her competence. Nevertheless, she was finally prevailed upon to accept a grant .from* the Italian Government,, and another grant from tho English civil list. She passed away on Saturday hist at- a humble lodging m the little seaport of Vinrcggio, tho placo where Shelley’s funeral pyre was built, on the Italian coast. Her old maul, Orvelli, who had known her in tho days of her extravagance at Florence, anil to whom she has in later years been indebted for her “home, anil sometimes for her food, was with hoi at. the last.. Her dogs, now reduced to four (animals of “no class”), were also i’ll the room. One lay on her breast to the last. Her other pot animals, horses, havo all been sold long ago. “Ouidn’s” only visitors tor several months past have been Dr. Paci, late mayor of Viareggio, and Mr Carmichael 1 , the British consul at Lc"iiorn. Since she sank into poverty she' has avoided all her old irionds, anil, though Home ol’ them endeavoured to look her up in her cottage lodgin(*s, she resented their interest -lor lie". Her illness was not serious until a fortnight ago, and she finally suceunvbed to pneumonia. A tew minutes before her death she asked her maid to look after her dogs, and told her when she could no longer teed them to shoot them. Then she 1 wispered, “I am going—give me your hand,” and the end came. On tlio following day (Sunday), the body was placed in ft plain chestnut wood eollin, and taken in a one-horse cab to Lucca There wore no mourners. On the Monday she was buried (in the little cemetery of Bagni-di-Lucca, in tho presence of a dozen people. 1 lie service was read by the .Bey. .Mr Law, the British chaplain at Pisa. It is all a sad story. “OuidaV writings must have brought her scores of thousands of pounds. But she bad no idea of the value of money, and nearly all her caprices, which were not a. lew were on lines of lavish extrava"anee At. the time when sha could not- afford it, she had a good dinner provided for every dog that could bo found in Florence. Messrs J\lticmi.Usn have “Ouida’s” last novel in type; and -at the time of her death, the authoress had the proofs underporrection.

HERE AND THERE. df you will use plenty of stewed l’ruit in your diet* ( oat irosh' llsli, drillk hot water on rising and before meals, and take nine or ten glasses of water during the day, you will bo taking the host possible measures to get rid of a cold.

AVomen and girls in Austria, ])<’ ceelaratiou- of tlie Minister of Public Instruction, may now enter the Universities under tlio same conditions as men, may lecture in hospitals, and be appointed by the proicssors as assistants.

Queen Alexandra, as is well known, is very loud of (lowers, and owners of cottages around Sandringham pay special attention to tlioir gardens, knowing that Her Majesty will admire their flowers as she drives through tlie village streets.

An English observer who has -been taking notes on tlie subject, asserts limit- tlio owners of large ami beautiful'eyes are rarely clever. “Hie law of compensation,” she remarks. Some time ago George Eliot said that beautiful eyes are not always ,accompanied by the beautiful souls one would naturally look ’for behind them.; yet it. is often assorted that anyone who looks out upon the world with a clear, straightforward gaze is to be trusted. Are the eyes an index to character then, or aro they notr Some scientists ought- to settle the question. AVo have, palmistry and piirenoi'.ogy; why not opticology?

It is said that Madame Melba wants to make Australia a great musical art centre. Her scheme is to establish regular seasons of grand opera hero. Some of tho greatest living .artists, including herself, will' be heard in Australia next year or tho year after if the proposal is successful. It .will bo a -splendid triumph for women if a woman’s tact can accomplish what- syndicates anil experienced managers have failed to bring about. There is tho desire here lor moro music and better music. Thero is a good deal of money, but Australians will not spend money on music unless they are well entertained. They want to hear good performances. 'Ale-lb i wants them to have these things.

An English observer, who lias been taking notes on the subject, asserts that the owners of large and bentiful eyes are rarely clever. “The law of comnensation,” she remarks. Some time ago George Eliot said that beautiful eyes are not always accompanied by the beautiful souls one would naturally look for .behind them yet it is often asserted that anyone who looks out (moil the. would with a clear, strait-forward gaze is to be trusted. Are the eyes an endix to character, then, or arc they not? ■Homo scientists ought to settle the phrenology] why not opticology ?