MAEE1AGE IX ALBANIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 356, 24 February 1881, Page 3

MAEEIAGE IX ALBANIA.

Albanian marriage arrangements are yerv peculiar. When a damsel arrives at marriageable age, her-parents publish the their friends and acquainShould no suit or come forward, it rests with her brothers to find odc A brother thus circumstanced will somatomes come up to $ ™ a !? tf\ m ,lie street and make the complimentary proposal then and there. " You are just 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 gentleman thus honored gives a sort of half-acquiesence, and then hurrips off to instruct some old lady to act as a go-between. Should he be satisfied with the report made, after due enquiry by this adviser, the wedding is arranged ; but not until the very last moment is the expectant bridegroom allowed to see his future spouse, and then it would be contrary to the prescriptions of society for liim to draw back, however unprepossessing she might happen to be. After the performance of the ceremony a very curious piece of etiquette comes into play. Among Asiatics and uncivilised people generally, it is the rule for the bride-elect to feign coyness ; but nmoDg the 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 After the marriage feast is over, and the newly-made wife has withdrawn, her husband lingers behind ; and not until he has been subjected to a variety of rough usage by her relatives are the piescriptions of etiquette considered to be sufficiently complied with to admit pi his following the lady.