Photo by D. W. Iddings 



NATIVE se:rvian marki;t women 



The peasant women o£ Servia are always ready to assist their country in time of war. 

 Often the women form themselves into military companies and drill as a sort of home 

 reserve. 



journey or more from home. The steps 

 toward bringing about a marriage are 

 generally undertaken by a relative or 

 friend, through whom the father seeking 

 a bride for his son begins negotiations 

 looking to a meeting of the young people. 

 A Servian woman makes a good house- 

 wife. She prides herself upon her house- 

 hold linen, her jams, jellies and sweet- 

 meats, and her daily meals. 



AFFAIRS OF THE HEART 



The marriage customs of the Servians 

 are peculiar in other particulars. There 

 are no bridesmaids at a wedding, but two 

 godfathers, each of whom must buy the 



bride material for a silk dress. A man, 

 called the "dever," acts in the capacity of 

 best man. He carries a bouquet, wears 

 much ludicrous regalia, including a white 

 sash, and must be the constant attendant 

 of the bride during the entire day of the 

 wedding. The Servian bride is usually 

 older than the groom, for in the average 

 household the girls are kept from marry- 

 ing as long as possible. Their aid in 

 household affairs at home is too impor- 

 tant to encourage them to matrimony. 

 On the other hand, most of the young 

 men in Sersaa marry before they are 

 twenty. 



Every European country has its na- 



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