The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-09-18

A syxIAs W.pp,so-A nuptsi bath is a very
important affair with The ladies oil Syria Inc pain
IL the only place where they meet and smuss iheu-
selves in crowds IT stands Them in lieu OF ballroom
concert, theatre, and opera. "A bridal balm 10 an
nounced fortnight beforehand, az ball Is ID hu-
rope. Luckily FIR us Madame de Lsmsrline Was IN
vi,ed 20 one Of these entertainments at boyiooa anu
has gwen us description OF scene never 10 Do zoos
ed on by bearded face. Two bundled ladies oi me
town and IFS environs had been invited on this oeca
| sion and among then several Europeans, Each LADY
arrived at the rendezvous uffied as usual IN huge
wrapper Of white cloth. As they came IN, they ar
ranped themselves in groups on mats and cushions IN
the vesiibule their dark slaves and hired servants
took of their wrappers and they appeared IA oil The
gorgeous spendor of brig eoors and sparkling Jew
| ery When the whole party was assembled, wiz
| music struck up. Women, with the upper paIl o,
their persons clad merely with single fold oil red
psuxe uttered shril and wang cries, and played the
fife and tambone. This music never ceased through
out the day. and gave this scene OF pleasure ana eSi-
witty cha acter Of tumu and delirium that was per-
feet barbarian The betrothed lady made her appear
| ance sccompa MED BY her mother and her young
friends; and decked with such Dagni6cence that her
neck arms and bosom were completely concealed by
strings of gold coins and pearls, that hung upon her
| like chain mail. The fair bathers Immediately ias-
tened her, and stripped her one by one OF all her
| ornaments and her garments. The rest of the
ladies' had lille been undressed by their slaves,
and the different ceremonies of the bath commenced.
The music continued as before, and The fair crowd
passed from hall 10 hall with the oldest ceremonies
| and harangues. After The ladies' had been steamed
and washed, and perfumed waters poured over
them, then began the grand fun of The day. la an
instant all The two b hundred ladies were gambong,
romping dabbling, splashng throwing water 10 each
others faces, laughing chottering and squeaking, like
parcel of boys let loose from school TO roc in the
water; and whenever some childish trick excited
more than ordinary burst OF laughter among the
younger girls, the wild unearthly music sweled the
din with louder flourish At last The waiery diver
Of I'm sIO .p1
arranged the moist esses Of their mstresses, put
their necklaces and bracelets, and their sken and
velvet robes and shalwars, spread cushions the
welswept mats of the halls and produced their bas-
kets and sken wrappers containing materials for
picnic collation.. This consisted Of all sorts Of pas
try and CONNECTIONS, which the Turks aud Arabs
excel, with sherbe orange flower water, and all those
iced beverages profusely consummated by The people
of the East. Pipes and sheeshebs were forthcoming
for the married ladies' and cloud Of perfumed smoke
filed the air.
Coffee was abundanty handed round in small cups
inclosed in filigree vases Of gold and silver and tho
ladies' tongues were not idle The dancing women
were now admitted and performed Egyptian dances
| and the monotonous evoluions of Arabia, 10 the
| sound of the same music befroe. Thus passed the
whole day aud il was not TIL nghtfall that the rev.
elers escorted the be,rothed bride home TO her moth
| er's dwelling. The ceremony of the bath usually
takes place the day before the wedding and is ush-
cred in by more or less pompous procession, ac-
cordmg TO the rank and fortune OF the fair one The
procession generally pursues crcuitous route for
the sake Of greater display, and, on leaving the
house, turns to the risgt; it is headed by
men, bearing the linen to be used in the lady's
ablutions and the SKIRT undress, Sc, in which she
IS TO array herself. Other on either side flour
lsh long white sticks and jester plays his pranks
Tor the diversion of the company and the spectators
smoking censers perfume the air, and band in fam
cIiul attire, makes prodigious din with drums, Gym
balls and other NOISY instruments. They followed
by row of married women, relations, and friends of
the bnde; next comes string Of young Virgins,
closely yelled and Immediately behind them, under
canopy borne by four men, two figures seen sup
porting moving mass OF silk and cotton uncouth
shapeless bundle of drapery-
Sweetest nut hath sourest rind-
that ugly shell, imPervious TO every eye, concesls
within 1t the precious pearl the Eyed daughter
After sunset on the day succeeding the ceremony of
ine oath, another procession 10 made TO escort the
BRIDE home TO the house of her lord carefully avoid
ing all those streets in which there are public baths
for Is considered unlucky for the bride to pass be.
lore them On these occasions the we's dowry and
effects are borne along at the head of The pariyj
and wa.n,a sometimes happens, the lady fortune
ssts chiefly OF household furniture, il is comcal
enough 10 see the grand parade Of bedding, COW
ee.s od cushions pots, pans, kettles grdirons, and
all other domestic utensils not packed away van
and covered over with tarpauiDg after the manner
oil me Franks, as the people were ashamed Of their
good gear or had stolen il, but complacently dis
played TO the best advantage on the backs Of mules
and dromedenes, moving slowly along the head Of
the party Thus the procession takes its way 10 the
bndeerooms houte-men with ba.kets, throwing
sweetmeats 10 the crowd as it passes; the haI by man
always provides handsome supper on the occasion
and has II served up in separate rooms one for The
gentlemen, the other for the ladies. Afer the re-
past, Gil The female friends Of The BRIDE except those
of her kindred, take their leaves and the relations con-
duct heI TO the pup'lal chamber, wheie d,corum
mi. hal hax h,,.L Ia.