lion has in his mouth 7,000 teeth,
and every tooth has 7,000 different stings or poisons. So with the
tiger and serpents. Every viper has 7,000 tails and on every tail 7,000
stingers, and every stinger contains 7,000 kinds of poison. The common
drink of the inmates of hell is poison drunk from iron cups. Their
meals will be the flesh of animals and even their own flesh. Satan and
his servants will torture them with spears and swords of iron. There
will be no rest for them day or night. Men and women will gnash their
teeth against their own children. All will be weeping, cursing and
blaspheming. Hell is surrounded by walls of iron over which none can
escape.

CHAPTER XII.

MATRIMONY.

Marriage among Assyrians is considered as sacred as the ordination of
priests, but is subordinate to or less sacred than the sacrament of the
Lord's supper or baptism. Therefore marriage is a solemn service and
the rules relating to it are very strict. Engagements for marriage are
made by the parents of the contracting parties rather than by the young
people themselves. Girls are strictly forbidden speaking of or
referring to marriage in the presence of their parents or brothers. If
a young man loves a young lady, he does not ask his parents' consent to
marriage, but tells his aunt or married sister about what cupid has
done for him. This news is soon conveyed to his mother and then it is
proper for her to call on the mother of the young lady. If not already
acquainted with the young woman, this visit will give her an
opportunity to form an opinion of her. If that opinion is favorable,
all is well and the matter will be further considered. But if the
opinion is unfavorable she returns home and tells her son that she is
not pleased and does not want him to marry this girl. This method must
be resorted to as the girls and boys in Assyria do not have an
opportunity to associate as they do in America. Mothers always advise
their girls not to walk with boys and young men, and custom does not
permit it. Therefore, if she meets a young man in the street, she bows,
and perhaps blushes a little, as she passes. If lovers are passing each
other, custom does not allow them to stop and converse, but it does
allow the young man to telegraph his message of love with a wink.
Several months usually elapse between the engagement and marriage.

[Illustration: NESTORIAN WEDDING.]

The method of making an engagement is quite different from that o