Show S COERSHIP AND MARRIAGE Curious Customs Practiced in Other Parts of the World Some of the customs peculiar to courtship and manriage among thrace th-race of dwarfs who Inhabit the Andaman Anda-man island are according to I de Quatrefages who recently published a book called The Pygmies about these people very peculiar Not the least remarkable of them is the procedure pro-cedure of courtship The young man I who has made his choice addresses I himself to the parents who never refuse re-fuse but send the girl into the crest where before day she conceals herself The young man must find her I he does not succeed he must renounce re-nounce all claim to her The wedding ceremony of these people is equally curious M Quatrefages thus describes i The two parties climb two flexible trees growing near each other which an old man then makes to bend toward to-ward each other When the head of the man touches that of the girl they are legally married Turning from Asia to Europe we find a very curious custom prevailing in Roumania Among the peasantry of this country when a girl attains a marriageable age her trousseau which has in the meanwhile been carefully woven spun and embroidered by her mother and herself is placed in a painted wooden boxWhen When a young man thinks of asking ask-ing to b allowed to pay his attentions to the gIrl he is at liberty to ope the box which is always placed in a convenient position and examine the trousseau If he is satisfied with the quantity and quality of the dowry he makes formal application for the girls hand to retire but if not he is quite at liberty retre |