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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 6 



Francisco, and was not too upset to learn that he had 

 been drinking since early morning and was wander- 

 ing in the streets completely drunk. "Well," said 

 Norberto, "we have made the attempt to comply with 

 custom. Tomorrow we will try again, and if we don't 

 find Francisco, the president himself will have to take 

 a hand." 



Next afternoon Francisco appeared at the house of 

 Maria, completely drunk and very angry. After ston- 

 ing the house he entered the door without being ask- 

 ed — the latter act a far worse breach of good manners 

 than the former — and came face to face with Maria. 

 She tried to calm him, explaining that the young 

 people had eloped of their own accord, but Francisco 

 merely cursed and shouted that his daughter should 

 come home. When he tried to throw stones at Ma- 

 ria, she seized him by the wrists and literally threw 

 him out into the street, where he was taken in hand 

 by his wife who had been searching for him. Mean- 

 while, Laura, at the approach of her father, ran to 

 a neighboring patio and hid herself, and when he 

 had been thrown out, returned to the door and burst 

 out laughing, "Ay, tiiere go my drunken father and 

 my mother." 



In spite of the inauspicious start of the day, Don 

 Bernabe decided in the night that another attempt 

 should be made to ask Francisco's pardon for the theft 

 of his daughter. So the same party of the night before 

 again set out, to be told at Francisco's house that 

 he was not at home. In a desperate but fruitless effort 

 to comply with custom the members of the commis- 

 sion split to visit all cantinas, hoping to encounter 

 Francisco. Thoroughly dejected they met later in 

 the evening and consoled themselves with the caba- 

 llito which was to have consoled Francisco. 



It was now decided that further dealings with the 

 family of Laura were out of the question, and that 

 the civil marriage should take place the following 

 Sunday. After this was done, Isaac's brother Gil- 

 dardo went to see the priest to ask about the time 

 of "presentation"' and publishing of the banns. The 

 priest replied that Laura's mother had come to see 

 him, saying that Maria had not wished the young 

 people to be married by the Church, but only by the 

 civil authorities. Gildardo assured the priest that 

 this was erroneous, and arranged to bring Isaac and 

 Laura immediately. But the comedy of errors was 

 still underway. Isaac had gone on foot to Quiroga 

 to buy meat for dinner, and Maria set out, also on 

 foot, to try to catch him. Several hours later they 

 both returned, exhausted, and meanwhile the priest 

 had sent word tliat he Avas still awaiting them. Final- 

 ly they all assembled, Laura solemnly swore she had 

 eloped of her own free will, and both said there 

 were no reasons why they should not be married. The 

 data were recorded and signed by witnesses, and 

 everyone went home. 



Laura was now to live under the watchful eye of 

 Carlota in her house, and Isaac was not to enter 

 except during the daytime. The Church marriage 

 was delayed for more than 3 months because of the 

 poverty of Maria and her inability to borrow suffi- 



cient money from her friends to attend properly to 

 the wedding. Meanwhile. Isaac continued frequently 

 to visit Laura at night, in spite of the decision that 

 he was to remain away, until by the end of the period 

 they were openly living together. 



The wedding took place early in August, and Vi- 

 cente and Natividad, as godparents, outdid them- 

 selves to give the young couple a good start. But the 

 family disputes with the parents of Laura were never 

 patched up, and they took no part in the ceremony. 



Marital discord between Isaac and his wife was 

 probably largely the fault of Laura. In the words 

 of the town, no respeta, she did not show deference 

 to anyone, least of all her parents-in-law. and this is 

 the worst sign of bad breeding. Even before the 

 Church wedding there were several arguments, and 

 several times Laura returned home to be advised by 

 her mother to insult Isaac's family. Five days after 

 the Church wedding she blandly refused to make tor- 

 tillas for the house, a direct insult to Isaac's mother, 

 and then began to chant groserias, ugly things, at her 

 husband himself. He in rage slapped her, and she 

 again went home. Presently she returned, resolved 

 to carry off her clothing, but found Isaac standing 

 in the door. She struck him. and he countered with 

 blows and kicks. While the scullle continued Laura's 

 mother arrived, and she began also to hit Isaac. Pre- 

 sently Maria arrived, a big stone in each hand, which 

 she threw at Laura's mother, and when a younger 

 sister of Laura appeared. Don Bernabe emerged from 

 the house with a knife and threatened all with death 

 unless they stopped. Both sides willingly agreed to 

 go to the court to try to settle the argument, but by 

 bad luck the tvjiewriter had been broken, and since 

 it was impossible to continue work, the judge had 

 locked the door and gone home. Both parties went 

 home, but later the grandparents of Laura appeared, 

 determined to beat Maria, but, encountering only old 

 Don Bernabe, they attacked him instead. Gildardo 

 come running to defend his grandfather, livid with 

 rage, and the attackers fled. But since the court was 

 closed it was im]jossible to take immediate legal ac- 

 tion. Meanwhile. Natividad and Vicente arrived, hop- 

 ing to settle the dispute. Vicente declared he would 

 have one more try and then wash his hands of the 

 whole thing. Natividad, as guardian of the family 

 budget, simply lamented the great expense they had 

 gone to as godparents, and the lost time in giving 

 advice to the young couple. 



Yet 2 days later Laura was back in the house 

 living with Isaac, and Gildardo was feeling very sorry 

 for her. With variations this theme continued over the 

 next year. Laura living part of the time with her 

 family, and part of the time with Isaac. The birth 

 of a child temporarily reconciled them, but soon 

 again they were separated. As this paper goes to 

 press domestic harmony has not yet been achieved, 

 nor does it appear probable that it will be. 



STATISTICAL DATA 



Tzintzuntzan marriage statistics have been 

 more carelessly kept than birth registrations. 



