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Rh ity. But the deed has been done, and there is no help for the bride but to take what fate has given her and make the best of it. With the husband it is quite different, since he has the right to send his wife away if she does not suit him.

There is no fixed age at which the children are engaged or married. This is left entirely with the parents, whose business it is to make the match. It is no unusual thing to see a little bridegroom not more than ten or twelve years old. This is most likely to be the case with the high-class and well-to-do people, who have little trouble in making matches. The poor people often find it difficult to get wives for their sons or husbands for their daughters, as the case may be. I have often been approached by anxious mothers with requests to get wives for their sons. Not long since I visited a poor family who had one son. He was about fourteen and not engaged. This was a source of great trouble to the parents, especially to the mother, whose one desire then seemed to be to have a wife for that son. I have told in another chapter somewhat of the reasons for this inordinate desire on the part of parents to see their children married and feel the arms of grandchildren about their necks. It means far more to them than we can imagine. Therefore we should be slow to condemn before we have done all in our power to give them the light and show them the more excellent way.

Within the last few days I have had to deal with a case that will illustrate the way in which some of these engagements are made among the poor. Some