Liberia 



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heart than is met with in the worst of the Europeanised black 

 women, while of course there is a chance for both bhick and 

 white women that by absorbing something of abstract Christian 

 morality they may become better citizens of the world, even 

 if for the time they lose in our eyes their picturesque 

 attributes. 



When the old woman who directs the girls' school con- 

 siders that any ot her pupils have arrived at marriageable age, 

 she informs the parents, who pass on the news to the young, 

 middle-aged, or old man who may have bespoken their 

 daughter ; for very often a man will take a fancy to a little 

 girl-child and bespeak her when she becomes marriageable in 

 after years. 



On being thus advised, the prospective husband brings 

 the girl's parents presents, partly for the schoolmistress, and 

 partly for the girl. When her marriage is definitely arranged, 

 the girl is probably rubbed all over her body with a pomade made 

 of animal fat and palm oil mixed, so that her skin is glistening. 

 The old governess of the bush school decks her with many 

 weird ornaments which are supposed to have some spiritual or 

 medicinal charm, and in this guise leads her to the husband's 

 village. 



Here great preparations for a feast have been made, and 

 " lashings " of palm-wine are distributed to the assembled 

 guests ; while if the bridegroom is of any respectable condition 

 he supplies some form of European alcohol in addition— rum, 

 brandy, or syrupy liqueurs with a German or Italian name. 

 Music of some form will be called in to contribute to the 

 occasion. It the village is anywhere near a Mandingo settle- 

 ment, the professional singers will go with their little harps, 

 or other instruments, and the songs may have some approach 

 to the white man's idea of melody. But in pure savagery 



1038 



