The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-03-21

trance, and we were conducted to seat!
among the ladies. Pipes and perfumed
drinks were served, and the bridal cake
made of twenty-six different fruits, wat
presented on golden salver. Our fair
neighbors, some of whom literally blazed
with jewels, were strikingly beautiful.
Presently the bride appeared at the
door, and we all rose and remained
standing as she advanced, supported on
each side by the two she6ecnyieh, or
slight and. graceful in appearance,
though not decidedly beautiful, and was
attired with tho utmost elegance Her
dress was q pale blue silk, heavy with
gold embroidery and over her long
dark hair, her neck, bosom and wrist,
played thousand rainbow CLEANS from
the jewels which covered them. The
Jewish musicians, seated at the bottom
of the hall, struck up loud, rejoicing
harmony on their violins, guitars and
dulcimers, and the women servants,
grouped at the door, uttered that wild,
shrill cry, which accompanies all such
festivals in the east.
The bride was careful to preserve
the decorum expected of her, by speak
ing no word nor losing the sad, resign
ed expression of her countenance. She
assembled to the divan, bowed to each of
us with low, reverential inclination,
and seated herself on the cushions
The music and dances, lasted some time,
accompanied by the zughaTeet, or cry
of the women, which was repeated with
double force when we rose to take leave.
The whole company waited on us to the
street door, and one of the servants sta
toned in the court shouted some long
sing-song phrases after US as we passed
out I could not learn the words, but
was told that it was an invocation of
prosperity upon us, in return for the
honor which our visit had conferred.
In the evening went to view Chris
tian marriage procession, which about
midnight, conveyed the bride to the
house of the bridegroom. The house. it
appeared, was too small to receive all
the friends of the family, and Joined
large lumber of them, who repaired to
the terrace of the English consulate, to
greet the procession as it passed. The
first persons who appeared were COM
pany of bufoons; after them four jan
issaries, carrying silver maces; then
the male friends, bearing colored Ian
terms and perfumed torches, raised on
gilded poles; then the females, among
whom l saw some beautiful Madonna
faces in the torchlight: aud finally the
bride herself, covered from head to foot
with veil of cloth of gold, and urged
along by two maidens for it is the eti-
quette of such occasions that the bride
should resist being taken, and must be
forced every step of the way, so that she
is frequently three hours in going the
distance of a mile. We watched the
procession long time, winding away
through the streets-a line of torches,
and songs, and incense, and noisy jubi-
lee-under the sweet starlight of hea-
ven.
HOSPITAL FOR CATS AT ALEPPo.
The other remarkable thing here is
the hospital for cats. This was found
ed long ago by rich, cat-loving Mus
sulman, and is one of the best endowed
institutions in the city. An old mosque
is appropriated to the purpose, under
the cnaFIe oI several oltectorS, anu
here sick cats are nursed, homeless cats
find shelter, and decrepid cats gratefully
purr away their declining yesrs. The
whole category embraces several hum
dreds, and it is quite sight to behold
the court, the corridors and terraces of
the mosque swarming with them. Here.
one with a bruised limb is receiving
cataplasm; there, a catcleptic patient
is tenderly cared for; and so on,
throug the long concatenation of feline
diseases. Aleppo moreover, rejoices in
a greater number of cats than even Je-
rusalem. At rough guess, 1 should
thus state the population of toe city,
Turks and Arabs, 10000; Christians
of ali denominations, $4,000; Jews,
10000; dogs $4,000, and cats 5000.