A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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Was So Astonished At This, Considering The Child's Extreme Youth,
That I Remarked He No Doubt Meant Her Betrothal, But He Assured Me
That She Would Then Be Married And Delivered Over To Her Husband.
On my asking whether the girl loved her intended bridegroom, I was
told that she would see him for the first time at the celebration of
the nuptials.
The Baboo informed me further, that every person like
himself looked out for a son-in-law as soon as possible, and that
the younger a girl married the more honourable was it accounted; an
unmarried daughter was a disgrace to her father, who was looked upon
as possessed of no paternal love if he did not get her off his
hands. As soon as he has found a son-in-law, he describes his
bodily and mental qualities as well as his worldly circumstances to
his wife, and with this description she is obliged to content
herself, for she is never allowed to see her future son-in-law,
either as the betrothed, or the husband of her child. The
bridegroom is never considered to belong to the family of the bride,
but the latter leaves her own relations for those of her husband.
No woman, however, is allowed to see or speak with the male
relations of her husband, nor dare she ever appear before the men-
servants of her household without being veiled. If she wishes to
pay a visit to her mother, she is carried to her shut up in a
palanquin.
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