Marrying and Giving in Marriage in Ireland.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 242, 18 February 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

Marrying and Giving in Marriage in Ireland.

The genial historian of " Harry Lorvequor " and the droll author of "The Colleen Bnwn "—and between thorn they have addressed a large audience— have created Irishmen of a highly agx-eeable type. However acquired, the English portrait of the irishman, is a good-natured, chivalrous, dare-devil sort of Bohemian, witty, spirited, aud above all thingsdolightfullr imprudent Now, it may be worth while to inquire whether this ostimate is quite uarraated by facts. To dispel any agreeabto illusion on tthis subject is at best an ungricioue task ; but if the process, while ib disposes of a good deal of "impulse," reveils an unsuspected business faculty, the inquiry will not be wholly disappointed. It will hardly be denied thiv wher.e impulse is an appreciable force tn character the love affairs., or in their absenoe the matrimonial conduct), of the individual will supply some evidence of it. An ideal .type of the romantic (outside a nonastery or >convent) is complete without a love element. Let .us look at Iriih .character by this light. "Where, thsn, is t-he •' romance " of persons who mirry without lave-making at all? And vthat kind of "impulse" is tit that yiung couple ■to have their marriages vcomplited— exoept the legal and formal conditions — .before tthay have ever mot? Then they <often have only a preliminary htroduction., so that ithey shall not he utter atrangera at the altar. Hete aye ia few .instances, neither .isolated nor jxaggerated, <af,the Irish marriage of con^nicnce. At .a. funeral, a gentleman (A) mota friend (B), vwith .whom .was his nephew wio had lately on agricultural responsibilities. Conversation turned upon tie nephew's .prospects. A bow an openkig for his daughter's Juture. Before tbj obsequies \were over, .a bargain in which money, farm-fixtwses,, cattle, etc., were the factors, iwas concluded for the maravge of A's .daughter vto jbhis young farmer .whom she had .never seen. No obstinacy, *o serious tobjeotion was anticipated 4 t<nd the .marriage took place a few woek» after--wards. Another .case was amusing because the .managers .were .slow in coming to items'. The pairing-.time in Ireland — between Christxoaa and Kent — had nearly jwssed ,ovor. On .^hco.v.e Tuesday,' in the tfter,nooix, the Romeo Jbeld «aut for aoothe: £60 in ji dowry ,of £700 Jto £800 } but to thfc demand the friends .of the bride-elect wer* jnafc disposed to jy^ield. ' It being undeair-' .able to postpone a 'settlement unti the other end of Leni^, mutual concessions yre«e jitnade .at the suggestion of the priest who .alter,w.ards officiated At the weddmg. The passionate youth w.aa ultimately aatkfied «rith An addition oi £30, and the hippy ioyers were joined in tuxie to finish fchemaridfigo foatiTxtiea before Aah Wednesday, Here is a case in which there was no narriage. A young man in a doubtful hisiqgu was advieod by a match-maker (doibt-; leas on commission) to mjurry. 'Ho -rep'ied that he was quit 6 ready if a candidate for the pajrtoeraßip possoasixig .a certain earn coiUa be found ; but he added thai his own fcraaiory was empty. Astonished at such presumption, tho agent rejoined that he could find both the lady and the caih ; but 1 they were only to be successfully sought by tbe, owner of at least an equal sum. That ended tbe transaction. ! Th« following extract is taken from on Irish newspaper report of an Irish breach-of-promise case:— "The defendant- . . . eta tod, that about two years ago. he was drinking with the plaintiff arid her brother in a public nouse, when the plaintiff's brother asiced him would he marry hit tiater. Defendant asked him what fortune would be got, and the brother said £209. Defendant said he would not marry her ttnleoJie got £300— that he cott^getth^ elsewhere," - . . . . -^ There is a familiar ane^dfote whjch briefly •ets tho whole matter la ,icl<wr light. .It w of a jgonooa who wo« wi^h a mother for the younger, offwo daughters. "Will you have the youhgof with^^.oo^ or tbe other with three T" said the mother 1 ; '•Faith," replied the wooer, "I'll have the ouldost. ' ; Shure there isn't the difference' ol f^, cow between any two women, in -the wurreld.'! '„-,, To go on multiplying instances .would be mere tedidue&efts. Even where details vary, the . keen , commercial spirit is the same. .If/ii mart's engagement pr,.hin mar,-* rti&6 fe* announced, the.' first its not whether th6^e,W anfeashy bs : how much ? Parents of the respectable sort make no secret of the policy , pursued for the benefit of their eligible offspring. < Ib never occurs to them to blush when the terms and conditions of these alliances are matter of gossip. An religious people, ' the Irish 'are untroubled by the thepry that marriages are made in heaven. • All this, of dourse, may seem to many, "practical " } minds matter for approval; and 1 do xiot say it isn't; It may be defended by its results ; and it is notorious that conjugal fidelity is a thiag upon which Ireland may be congratulated, with this, however, I am not now concerned ; I am only trying to ; , correct what appears a Popular misapprehension of Irish character, 'or itt'ihe fac^'bf the" marriage customs of fche country iff s really hajd to re,ta,in an un3hake'n faith' in the impulse,'.the.Romance,bhe .chivalry which are said to ,be its f imain! uhara'cjberistics, ' 'When these attribuks 3ung in .the •' sweet impassipnied lay.B/' »bf [Jover^l)ayis, ?! and their, brother^bar(|sj we re^xeniber the po'e^'s right to liqe'nse\ ,* After ul,,how 'could a' poe^ write glowing r yerses ibout /i: pu'rse-huritmjg ?— ' * St."/ , James's •razefcte. , , ' ' , ,' ' . k .

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