THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. 



er later in the seoton ; for I havo mot with it upon 



ilaners of tnncy the last of July. AsA Fitch, No- 



tembtr, 15, 1856. 



. I ■ I 



Woman in Barbarism. 



We have niroftdy referred to a very curiously in- 

 teresting article in tho Inst number of the Wedmin- 

 ster Review, on " The Position of Woman in Barbar- 

 ism, and among the Ancients." We copy a few of the 

 most striking passages ; — 



" A betrothed New Zealand girl not only becomes 

 ' tapucd ' 10 her future husband, and to him alone, but 

 even if ho should die, no other man can make a 

 proposal to her. As may be supposed, a severe check 

 is thus imposed on the growth of the population. 

 Though ditlering in form, yet e.<sentially similar in 

 practice and effect, is tho universal custom of tho Hin- 

 doos (commended by the Abbe Dubois!) according to 

 which, widows may not marry iignin, * even when they 

 lose their husbnnds at the age of six or seven ; for it is 

 not rare to see widows no older, particularly among the 

 lirahmins, ivhere an old man of sixty, or upwards, 

 takes for his second wife o child of that lender age.' 



" Of all nations the Chinese carry out the system of 

 early betrothal most completely : parents in China not 

 only bargain for the marriage of their children during 

 their infancy, but while they are yet unborn. ' Two 

 friends will make a solemn promise, or even lake an oath, 

 to unite in marriage the children of different se.\es that 

 may be born to them ; and the solemniiy of thocngnge- 

 uient is marked by Iheir tearing, recipiocally. a jaeco 

 out of their tunics, and giving it tocach other.' In cur- 

 ious contrast to this custom, wo fmd a >till greater stretch 

 of parental assumption among the Mongols, who not 

 infrequently betroth or marry Iheir children after 

 tlicy arc dead! Tho contract having been regularly 

 drawn up, and rude representations of the various gifts, 

 usually received by tho parents of the bride when a 

 living coupio is betrothed, having been made, they 

 commit the whole to (he flumes, and thus, as they 

 bolicvo, convey them through the medium of the 

 smoke, to Iheir children in tho other world, that they 

 may become hu.«band and wifo in due form. Tho 

 parent,^ of each, after Ihis.considcr Ihcinselves ns mutu- 

 ally related, just as if a real connection had taken place 

 between Iheir living children. Among the Moslems, 

 ' the marriage-contract is often performed several years 

 before the consummation, when the two parlies are 

 yet chihlren.or during llie infancy of cho girl.' If, when 

 a daughter is betrothed during infancy, the contract 

 should not assume the form of actual sale, it is, nev- 

 ertheless, usual fur the bridegroom, at the time ho 

 acquires pcsciession of his bride, to pay into tho hands 

 of her father a sum considered equivalent to tho cur- 

 rent value of a wife. 



" The life of on Australian beauty is graphically 

 portrayed in the fijllowing pussage : — 



" 'Should a female be possesfod of considerable per- 

 sonal attractions, the first year of .her life must ne- 

 cessarily bo very unhappy. In her early infancy she 

 is betrothed to some man, even at this period ad 

 vanced in year.«, and by whom, as .eho approaches the 

 age of puberty, she is watched with a degree of vigi- 

 lance and care, which increases in proportion to the 

 disparity of years between them ; it is, probably, from 

 this circumstance that so many of them are addicted 

 to intrigues, in which, if they arc detected by their 

 husbands, death, or a spear through some portion of 

 the body, is their certain fate ; indeed, the bare suspicion 

 of infidelity upon their part, is enough to insure to 

 them the most cruel and brutal treatment. For these 

 causes, during youth they are compelled, whether 

 pregnant or not, to accompany their husbands in all 

 their excursions, and are thus subject to violent and 

 continued exercise and fatigue at periods when re- 

 pose is indispensable. 



" But, even supposing a woman to give no encour- 

 ngcment to her admirers, many plots are always laid 

 to carry her off, and in tho encounters which result 

 from these, she is almost certain to receive some vio- 

 lent injury ; for each of the combatants orders her to 

 follow him, and in tho event of her refusing, throws a 

 spear at her. 



" The early life of a young woman at all celebra- 

 ted for beauty is, generally, one continued series of 

 captivity to different masters, of ghastly wounds, of 

 wandering? in strange families, of rapid flights, of bad 

 treatment from other females amongst whom she is 

 brought a stranger by her captor; and rarely do you 

 see a form of unusual grace and elegance, but it is 

 marked and scarred by the furrows of old wounds ; 

 and many a female thus wanders %everal hundred 

 miles from the home of her infancy, being carried off 

 aucoessively to di.staut and more distant points." 



* * « )S * 



=' But the most famous instance of regular internn- 

 ionnl trade in wmuen, is that carried on at Constanti- 

 nople—the supply being chiefly obtained from Oeor- 

 gia and Circassia. And such is the power of custom. 



that the Circassian damsels are nothing loth to be thus 

 exported from their mountain homes. Six Circassian 

 girls, from twelve to fifteen years of age, intended for 

 the slave-market of Constantinople, wore found on 

 board a Turkish vessel, recently captured by the Rus- 

 siiins. They proved to belong to a race with whom 

 Russia was at pence. 'J'he Russian general, therefore, 

 ' ordered them to be informed that the choice was open 

 to them, to be sent back to their homes with the prince 

 of their own race ' (also one of the captives,) ' to mar- 

 ry Rus-sians and Cossacks of iheir free choice, to re- 

 turn with Baron Ilaxthausen (a spectator of the scene) 

 to Germany where all the women are fros, or, lastly, to 

 accompany tho Turkish captain, who would sell them 

 in the Blare market at Constantinople. They unani- 

 mously, and without a moment's consideration, ex- 

 claimed, ' To Constantinople to be sold !' " 



" The son of a chief (of the I'uncah tribe,) a youth, 

 eighteen years old, wishing to connect himself with 

 soiuc of the most influential men of the tribe, for the 

 sake of securing their countenance, had an interview 

 with one of the most distingui.'.hed, and made an ar- 

 rangement with him for the hand of his daughter, 

 whom he was to receive on a certain day, at a certain 

 hour, and for whom ho was to give two horsec, a gun, 

 and several pounds of tobacco. It wa« enjoined on 

 the father, as a condition of the espousal, that ho 

 should keep the contract a profound secret. In like 

 manner, he soon made similar arrangements with three 

 other leading men of the tribe, each of whom had a 

 young and beautiful daughter of marriageable age. 

 To oath of tho fathers he promised two horses, and 

 other articles, as stipulated for in tho first instance, 

 laying on each the same injunctions of secrecy, until 

 he should announce to the whole tribe that he was to 

 be married. At the liine appointed, they all assembled, 

 ignorant of the fair hand that was to be placed in his. 

 He got some of his young friends to lead up tho eight 

 horses ; ho then look two of them, with the other pre- 

 sents agreed upon, and, advancing to the first of the 

 chiefs with whom lie had made tho compact, and whose 

 daughter was standing by his side, said to him, ' You 

 promised mo tho hand of your daughter on this day, 

 for which I was to give you two horses,' etc. The fatlier 

 assented, receiving tho presents, and giving his child, 

 when some confusion ensued from tho simultaneous re* 

 m(tnstrances which were suddenly made by tho other 

 three parents who had entered into similar contracts. 

 As soon as they could be pacified, and silence could be 

 restorcd,*the ambitious young chief exultingly replied, 

 ' You have all acknowledged, in public, your promises 

 lo me, which I shall expect you to fulfil. I am here 

 to perform all the engngemenls which I have made, 

 and I expect you all lo do the same.' No more was 

 said. He led up the two horses for each, and de- 

 livered the other presents, loudiDg off to his wignnm 

 his four brides I 



* * » » » 



"Throughout tho broad expanse of Asia, from 

 limo immemorial, the lot of woman has been that of 

 wretched personal slavery and social abasement ; hut, 

 in China, her miserable condition seems to touch tho 

 extreme that is possible lor human nature to endure. 

 She is sold to her future husband without even being 

 consulted on Ihe subject j to inform her of so ruuoh as 

 his name, Is considered quite superfluous, and in tho 

 family of her purchaser she is expected lo obey cveij 

 one without exception. Accordirrg loan old Chinese 

 writer, ' Tho newly married wifo should bo but a shad- 

 ow and an echo in tho house.* Her husband can strike 

 her with impunity, starve her, sell her, and oven let 

 Iter out for a longer or shorter period, ns is done in 

 tho province of Teho-Kiaug. Tho number of women 

 driven to suicide by their accumulated sufferings, is 

 very great. When a Chinaman thus loses his wifo, 

 ho usually manifests, we are told, ' a groat deal of emo- 

 tion ; for, in fact, he has suffered a considerable lose!, 

 and will bo under tho necessity of buying another wifo !' 

 Tho mean, bullying selfishness of tho Chinese of the 

 present day, towards iheir women, is but a counter- 

 part of their inhuman cowardice and readiness lo sac- 

 rifice them to their conquerors in former limes. 



" The position of woman in Ancient Assyria is abun- 

 dantly illustrated by the extraordinary method adopt- 

 ed to dispo.«e of them in marriage. Speaking of As- 

 syrian customs, Herodotus says, naivcli/ : — ' The wis- 

 est, in my idea, is Hits, which, I understand, holds, 

 alsoamongihe Veneliansof Illyria. Whatever maid- 

 ens might be of marriagonblo years, were all collected 

 and biought into one certain place,around which stood 

 a multitude of men, A crier called up each girl 

 separately, and offered her for sale ; he began with 

 the prettiest of the lot; and when she had found a 

 rich lidding, ho sold her off; and called up another 

 — the next ho ranked in beauty. All these girls 

 were sold off in marriage; the rich men, that were 

 candidates for a wifo, liado against one another, fur 

 the handsomest : the more humble classes, desirous 

 of gelling partners, did not require, absolutely, beau- 

 ty, but were willing to take even tho ugly girls for a 

 sum of money. Therefore, when tho crier had gone 

 through the list of Ihe prettiest women, and disposed 

 of them, he put up the ugliest, or some one that was a 



cripple, if any there were, and offering to dispose of 

 her, called out for the bidder that tvould, for the smal- 

 lest sum, lake her to live with him ; so ho wont on till 

 he came to her thai he considered tho least forbid- 

 ding. Tho money for this was got by the sale of tho 

 pretty maidens, so that the handsome and well-shaped 

 gave dowries to the ugly and deformed. 



" Marriage is, lo a Hindoo, the great— the most es- 

 sential of all objects. A man who is not married is 

 considered lobe u person without establishment, and, al- 

 most as a useless member of society. Until he arrives 

 at this state, he is consulted on no great affairs, nor 

 employed on any important trust. In short, he is 

 looked upon as a man out of the pnle of nature. It 

 is by moans of his wife that a man enjoys all earth- 

 ly happiness. A man without a wife is an imperfect 

 being. The young Brahmin is not only urged to mar- 

 ry, but the divine lawgiver—' the son of Brahma ' — 

 directs him in his choice: ' A twice-born man ' must 

 ' studiously avoid the ten following families,' bo they 

 ever so rich: — 'The family which has omitted pro- 

 scribed acts of religion ; that which has produced no 

 male children ; that in which the Veda had not been 

 read; that which has thick hair on the body;' and 

 those which have been subject to certain specified dis- 

 eases. ' Lor him not marry a girl with reddish hair; 

 * "' nor one immoderately talkative ; * '•' nor 

 ono with any name raising an image of terror. Let 

 him choose for his wife a girl whose form has i.o defect , 

 who has an agreeable name ; who walks gracefully, 

 like n phenicopteros, or like a young elephant ; whose 

 hair and teeth are moderule respeclively in quantity 

 and in size; whose body has exquisite softness.' 

 Though a Brahmin may be ' in the greatest difficulty 

 to find a suitable match,' he must not think of a wo- 

 man of an inferior caslo as his first wife ; ' A Brah- 

 min, if ho takes a Siudra lo his bed, as his first vife 

 sinks to the regions of torment. * * For the crime 

 of him, who thus illegally drinks the moisture of a 

 Sudra's lips, the law declares no expiation.' " 



Beautify your Home. 



Ever}' man should do his best to own a home. The 

 first money ho can spare ought to bo invested in a 

 dwelling, where his family can live permanently. 

 \'iewed as a matter of economy, this is importaiil, not 

 only because be can ordinarily build more cheaply 

 than he can rent, but because of the expense caused 

 by frequent change of residence. A man who early 

 in life builds a home for himself and family, will save 

 some thousands of dollars in tho^course of twentj' vcars 

 besides avoiding the inconvenience and trouble of re- 

 movals. Apart from this, there is something agreeable 

 to our better nature in having a home that we can call 

 our own. It is a form of properly that is more than 

 properly. It speaks to Ihe heart, enlists the sentiments, 

 and ennobles the possessor. The associations that 

 spring up around it, as the birthplace of children, — as 

 the scene of life's holiest emotions — as the sanctuary 

 where the spirit cherishes its purest thoughts, are such 

 as all value ; and whenever their influence is exerted, 

 tho moral sensibilities are improved and exalted. 

 The greater part of our happiness in this world is 

 found at home ; but how few recollect that the hnppi- 

 noss of to-dny is increased by the place where we were 

 happy on yesterday, and that, insensibly, scenes and 

 circumstances gather up a store of blessedness for tho 

 weary hours of the future I On this account we should 

 do all in our power to make home attractive. Nol on- 

 ly should we cultivate such tempers as servo lo render 

 ils intercourse amiable and affectionate, but we should 

 strive to adorn it wilh those charms which good sense 

 and refinement so easily impart lo it. We say easily, 

 for there are persons who think that a homo can not be, 

 'oeautificd without a considerable outlay of money. 

 Such people are in error. It costs little to have n 

 neat flower-garden, and lo surround your dwelling 

 wilh those simple beauties which delight the eye far 

 more than expensive objects. If you will let the sun- 

 shine and the dew adorn your yard, they will do more 

 for you than any artist. Nature delights in beauty. 

 She loves to brighten Ihe landscape and make it agree- 

 able lo the eye. She hangs the ivy around the ruin, 

 and over the stump of a withered tree twines tho 

 graceful vine. A thousand arts she practices to ani- 

 mate the senses and ploase Ibo mind. Follow her ex- 

 ample, and do fur yourself what she is always labor- 

 ing lo do fur you. Beauty is a divine instrumentality. 

 It is ono of God's chosen forms of power. We never 

 see creative energy without something beyond mere 

 existence, and hence the whole universe is a teacher 

 and intpirerof beauty. Every man was born lobe an 

 artist, so far as the apprccialion and enjoyment of 

 beauty are concerned, and he rob? himself of one of 

 the precious gifts of his being if he fails to fulfill this 

 beneficent purpose of his creation. — Southern Timts. 



SIGN'S OF TALL. 



The biling airs llic siirinkiiig flesh appal 



And every tliiiif; proclaii 

 Except provisions. 



i llie approach of fnllj 



