The Montana post., 1868-11-27
wooden wedding.


We are indebted to one of our friends
in Virginia City for the following
graphic description of an interesting
and pleasant affair which transpircd in
that city:
The idea of celebrating periodical an-
niversaries in hymenial affairs, first
originated with the Germans. With
their national fondness for pastime, over
which the spirit of Gambrinus is in-
voked to preside, they introduced the
custom, (now known by the familiar
name of paper wedding.) of commemOr-
ating the second wedding anniversary
with a grand display OF parti-colored
head dresses of paper. This was finally
carried TO the extent OF paper dresses
and paper nicknacks of every conceiva-
BILE form, which were presented to the
bride, and a wedding ceremony appro-
pirate TO the occasion was recited, and
the evening wound up with bountitul
libations of lager and merry making
generally. The wooden wedding on the
fifth. the tin wedding on the tenth, the
linen wedding on the fifteenth, the glass
wedding on the twentieth anniversary
of the marriage, all flowed naturally
from the old institution of the paper
wedding at fifty and the diamond we'd
ding at seventy-five.
There is something delightful in the
custom. Ii is redolent with the joys,
and, for the time being at least, ignores
the sorrows of welded life. When, at
the termination of FIVE years, couple
agree to celebrate the anniversary of
that decree which united them as one.
and to invite their friends to participate
in the festivities of the occasion, it is n
sign that all is well with them in that
dearest or cursedest of all domestic rela-
tions-marriage They have known its
blessings without its griefs. None of
the petty chickering's OF incompatible ma
lures have disturbed them. Their jour
ney of life has been all sunshine; time
for them has trod on naught but flowers
Well 1t is of such an occasion we now
write
Our friends, w. d. wann. Esq and
lady. celebrated their wooden wedding
at Rockfellow House, in Virginia, on
Wednesday evening last. The gather
ing was one OF those quiet agreeable
evening parties for which Virginia is
famous, and reflected as much union
and happiness among the citizens of
that town. as between the parties more
directly interested in the occasion.
The couple were the happy recipients
of many beautiful gifts, i'm the iabrica-
ton of which the cabinet makers had
been employed for a week previous to
the event. These were principally made
OF the variegated cedars of our noun
tains. Boxes of elegant workmanship.
brackets. card baskets, napkin rings,
vases, goblets. an exquisitely wrought
sett OF cedar jewelry with golden
d.
and not a few articles which united util-
ity with beauty, filed the tables of the
reception room, where at an early hour
in the evening tue company assembled.
The number and variety of these little
testimonials were highly appreciated,
and would have graced a like occasion
in an older community than that OF
Virginia. They seemed of themselves,
to indicate on the part of the givers
a desire TO impart variety, beauty and
utility TO an occasion, for which, neither
our merchants or mechanics had made
any provision. The sound of music
from the adjoining room soon summoned
the company there, and the evening
wore into the we sma hours before
the dance and merriment ceased. One
interruption only to this occurred, in the
form of a sumptuous supper, supplied
with every possible luxury and Wand to
be obtained in the mountains. Many,
and fragrant of good wishes, were the
congratulations bestowed upon the
happy husband and wife, who had been
so kindly and by so many befitting tes-
timonials, reminded that the first five
years or their journey through life to-
gether had passed away. We can but
add ours to the general wish that they
may live to be reminded by all the beau
tiful creations which man can devise,
and which are capable of being conse-
Grated to friendship and regard, whether
in tin, linen, glass, silver, gold or dia-
monds, of the increasing felicities which
cluster around happy union.