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Life at Banza Nokki. 
lastly, whether she will prove obedient, before they 
will marry her. If they find her faulty in any of 
these points, they immediately send her back again 
to her parents.” The woman, not being looked 
upon the worse for being returned into stores, soon 
afterwards underwent another trial, perhaps with 
success. Converts were fined nine crowns for 
such irregularities. “ But, oh ! ” exclaims a good 
father, “ what pains do we take to bring them to 
marry the lover, and how many ridiculous argu¬ 
ments and reasons do they bring to excuse them¬ 
selves from this duty and restraint.” He tells us 
how he refused absolution to a dying woman, un¬ 
less she compelled her daughter to marry a man with 
whom she was “ living upon trial.” The mother 
answered wisely enough, “ Father, I will never 
give my daughter cause to curse me after I am 
dead, by obliging her to wedlock where she does 
not fancy.” Whereupon the priest replied, “ What! 
do you not stand more in awe of a temporal than 
an eternal curse ?” and, working upon the feelings 
of the girl, who began to tremble and to weep, ex¬ 
torted from her a promise to accept the “ feigned 
husband.” He adds, “ Notwithstanding this, some 
obstinate mothers have rather chosen to die uncon¬ 
fessed, than to concern themselves with the mar¬ 
riage of their daughters.” Being obliged to attend 
Communion at Easter, these temporary couples 
would part on the first day of Lent; obtain absolu- 
