ung man could assume that he hadn’t passed the test. If he continued to sit there like a stunned mullet, hoping against hope that the young miss would come back any old minute, one of the more venerable members of her family would very courteously stand up, walk to the door, open it wide, and throw a very meaningful look at the suitor. Loath though he was to do iWhile we bewail the lot of women, courtship for men wasn’t always a picnic either, especially in times where he had to make all the moves, and could end up with egg on his face.

That’s why for a long time, the matchmakers were so popular. They could make the initial foray into the enemy country, and only after finding the inhabitants not unfriendly, was the young man given the go-ahead.

The young man was aware, that this early indications of interest, did not mean a definite victory. Not wishing to risk public ridicule, he would sally forth, with the matchmaker at his side, to the house of his beloved, always at night. He explained the hour to himself, by pointing out that spirits were ever jealous of human happiness, and the less the spirits saw, the better for all concerned. But really, he just didn’t want everyone to know if his visit turned out to be a complete disaster.

Once inside the house, the suitor would produce a bottle of vodka, with a red ribbon and flowers tied around it. He would ask for a glass from the girl he was after. The girl would leave the room. If interested, she would be back in a twinkling of an eye, carrying a glass in her eager little hands. There would be a drink of vodka all around, and generally everyone would become friendly and chatty.

On the other hand, if the clock was ticking and ticking, and the was no sign of the girl – and the house consisted of two and a half rooms - the young man could assume that he hadn’t passed the test. If he continued to sit there like a stunned mullet, hoping against hope that the young miss would come back any old minute, one of the more venerable members of her family would very courteously stand up, walk to the door, open it wide, and throw a very meaningful look at the suitor. Loath though he was to do i

young man given the go-ahead.

The young man was aware, that this early indications of interest, did not mean a definite victory. Not wishing to risk public ridicule, he would sally forth, with the matchmaker at his side, to the house of his beloved, always at night. He explained the hour to himself, by pointing out that spirits were ever jealous of human happiness, and the less the spirits saw, the better for all concerned. But really, he just didn’t want everyone to know if his visit turned out to be a complete disaster.

Once inside the house, the suitor would produce a bottle of vodka, with a red ribbon and flowers tied around it. He would ask for a glass from the girl he was after. The girl would leave the room. If interested, she would be back in a twinkling of an eye, carrying a glass in her eager little hands. There would be a drink of vodka all around, and generally everyone would become friendly and chatty.

On the other hand, if the clock was ticking and ticking, and the was no sign of the girl – and the house consisted of two and a half rooms - the young man could assume that he hadn’t passed the test. If he continued to sit there like a stunned mullet, hoping against hope that the young miss would come back any old minute, one of the more venerable members of her family would very courteously stand up, walk to the door, open it wide, and throw a very meaningful look at the suitor. Loath though he was to do i

appiness, and the less the spirits saw, the better for all concerned. But really, he just didn’t want everyone to know if his visit turned out to be a complete disaster.

Once inside the house, the suitor would produce a bottle of vodka, with a red ribbon and flowers tied around it. He would ask for a glass from the girl he was after. The girl would leave the room. If interested, she would be back in a twinkling of an eye, carrying a glass in her eager little hands. There would be a drink of vodka all around, and generally everyone would become friendly and chatty.

On the other hand, if the clock was ticking and ticking, and the was no sign of the girl – and the house consisted of two and a half rooms - the young man could assume that he hadn’t passed the test. If he continued to sit there like a stunned mullet, hoping against hope that the young miss would come back any old minute, one of the more venerable members of her family would very courteously stand up, walk to the door, open it wide, and throw a very meaningful look at the suitor. Loath though he was to do i

e room. If interested, she would be back in a twinkling of an eye, carrying a glass in her eager little hands. There would be a drink of vodka all around, and generally everyone would become friendly and chatty.

On the other hand, if the clock was ticking and ticking, and the was no sign of the girl – and the house consisted of two and a half rooms - the young man could assume that he hadn’t passed the test. If he continued to sit there like a stunned mullet, hoping against hope that the young miss would come back any old minute, one of the more venerable members of her family would very courteously stand up, walk to the door, open it wide, and throw a very meaningful look at the suitor. Loath though he was to do i

ung man could assume that he hadn’t passed the test. If he continued to sit there like a stunned mullet, hoping against hope that the young miss would come back any old minute, one of the more venerable members of her family would very courteously stand up, walk to the door, open it wide, and throw a very meaningful look at the suitor. Loath though he was to do it, the young man had no option but to pick up his unwanted vodka, and take his leave.

If however, his vodka had been happily consumed, he would be back for another visit, with another bottle of vodka several days later.

This time, however, there would be not only drinking, but also eating, and general rejoicing. However, it was up to the lady, to decide whether she was ready for a commitment. If she, herself, took a sip of the vodka, and passed her glass to the gentleman, and he took a sip as well, it was as good as a ring on the finger. If, on the other hand, this second meeting didn’t go as well as the first one, and there was no sip of the vodka by the intended, then it was assumed that negotiations were at end.

In order to make this quite clear, without having to actually spell it out, instead of serving the suitor something delectable, he would be served what is know as the black soup, being a broth with a dollop of duck’s blood and the addition of sugar and vinegar. One look at the black mass, and the suitor knew he’d been rejected, and could stop wasting his good vodka.