The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-03-20
A Jewish Wedding in Algeria.

iloIl tiN NubJDlHct ShtlCu VI " JtW-
ish wedding in Algeria, extracted from
the recent work of Lady Herbert on
"Algeria in 1871, it will be seen what
a fearful and wonderful thing the we'd
ding ceremony, rs practiced at the pre-
sent day i'll that country, is. Particu-
lar harsh is it upon the poor bride; so
much so that our American maidens
would doubtless declare, almost to u
man, that sooner than endure all the
steaming. scrubbing, fumigating, par
boiling, dressing, undressing, undress-
ing ballooing, psalmsinging, and mis-
cellaneous torture described by the fair
tourist, they would remain single all
their born days The account runs
thus, inLady II. s language
We paused in our sightseeing to go
with Mime. de c. and her beautiful
daughter to see Jewish wedding, for
which she had kindly obtained us IN
invitation. We were received in an
allowed room, where breakfast of
sweetmcats cakes and sweet wines were
set ont, the bride and her parents being
seated on diyun ut one end, dressed in
rich Jewish costume. After o short
time We We're told to precede the young
lady to the Moorish vHpor bath, which
is the next part of the ceremony. Such
n marvellous scene as there met our eyes
/ despair Of reproducing on paper.
About fifty Jewish young girls, from
twelve to twenty years Of age, whose
only clothing was scarf Of gold or sill
yer galze round their loins, with their
beautiful dark hair all down their backs,
and their lovely white necks and arms
covered with necklaces and bracelets,
were seen dimly through cloud OF
steam and incense, standing i'll the VIII
ter, waiting for The bride, and when she
appeared they received her with loud,
shnll cries of Iii! Lii Lii !! in a con-
tinually ascending scale. And among
these girls were hideous negresses
equally scantily clothed, and one or two
of them with their black woolly hair
dyed bright orange color: these were
the bathing women. They seized us by
the arm and wanted to folce rs to lln-
dress too, which we stoutly resisted and
took refuge on the raised marble slab
which surrounded the bath, and where
the pretty little bride, with her mother
and aunts, was standing waiting to be
unrobcd. They took off her heavy vel
yet clothes. and she appeared IN beau-
lovely short red and gold drawers
they thea led her, with the same cries,
into an inner room, which was stlfilng
with steam, and here the poor child,
who was only thirteen, remained 1or
three mortal hours, the women pouring
water ON her head from picturesquely-
sbapcd gold jars, and every kind o. cos
mptic and sweet incense being rubbed
upon her. Bciug unable to stand the
intense heat aud Oyerpowcrlng smell
,nv lonocr, we escaped for time into
the open sir, and returned after about
an hour TO find another bride going
through the same ceremonies. Some OF
the bridesmaids were very beautiful !;
one especially, though Jewlss, had
reoular Golden hair and blue eyes
And ,hc whole scene was like ballet
pt the upera, or rather IL set OF ater-
uvmths or naiads in picture, not IKE
nv tIipq in real life. Their glorious
bajr floating over their shoulders, with
their beautifully modelled arms rounded
in graceful curves as they disporten
fbcmselves around the bride, would
have driven II painter or sculptor wlld
with delight. But [ could not get over
the indelicacv Of the whole thing; 1t was
Il scene in the nude with vengeance.
At half past three o'clock, the follow
ING morning, we got up and went to tho
brides house for the conclusion OF the
ceremony. A great crown OF men anc
musicians we're grouped in the lowe
court Above, the bride WAS sitting il
sfotr in the deep recess Of q handsom,
uorcsoue room. vciled in white gauze
, while red and gold figured scarf hun'
5 in graceful folds behind her head. Ol
either side of her were two venerabl
+ looking old men. with long white boards
: and in front of her another, holding
5 c,ndelabrum with three candles. The
g wcre rnbhis, and chanted psalms altel
y notoiv with songs of praise about 18th
Il dove with the beautiful eyes etc, l
!, fact a sorter cantick. All this time tn
4 minsfrrls in the quadrangular belo
Il wore "mnl,ing a noise, while over tn
Vt carved gallery above, looking dow
S unon them, leaned variety of JEWS
e women, all beautifully dressed in brow
II satin and velvet, with stomachers MI
e oirdles richly brocaded in gold, an
y cold embroidered lOppets hanging fro
g the black silk head dress, which is IL
t, ipvoriable costume of the race. Th
y went ON four hours, till the poor lit
y bride looked quite worn out. Fro
y time 10 time spoonfuls OF soup were p
J, p into her mouth, which she strove to
10 sist and then she was conducted III
~ hnlnu, tvhnre the same Ger