The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-05-22
I'll + BULLETIN,
TWO ROYAL MARRIAGES.
SINGULAR BRIDAL COSTUMES
BISMARCK DANCING WITH
a TAPER In HIS HAND

Berlin and Vienna were enlivenod las,
month By sroyal marriage 10 each city
Ia vienna the ante-nuptial court festivals
were marked by the al mission Of mem Der.
of the press, . circumstance very unusual
at exclusive gatherings Of the KIND The
match was known ~ be one Of mutual In.
cllhation, and not Of politics, and the pee.
pie gave free vent to their Joy; many
| charitable Institutions were established 10
honor OF the occasion, and all the towns
ana provinces sent deputstiVns to con-
graduate The imperial couple. Hungs-
ran AMI Polish magnates, in their
! national costumes, knights Of various or.
dsrs, generals, am bsssaoors and ladies OF
rank gave the Austrian festivities an APP
p,arance of extreme msgniiiccnee.
At the marriage Of Emperor Wilhelm :
nephew some queer post-nupiial cereno-
mails OF the oidcn time were observed.
The pretty, blushing young bride arrived
from Al,enburg ia the state carriage Of
the royal family, house on wheels, all
gilt and sutmounted by helmet and
crown. drawn by eight horses, it's exterior
crowned with pages or lackeys Of all de-
grees TIE ceremony was performed IN
the evening at the palace chapel, in the
Then came supper and the extraordinary
pageant Of the fackel-tanz, which, in nc
cordance with old court custom, closed the
day, or night The Berlin correspondent
Of the London Times gives the following
description Of the closing entertainments:
The fackol-tst Z, or torchlight minuet,
il courtly rite perform d, curiously
enough, not by the chsmbcrlains, but by
the members of the Cabinet on the occa
sion Of royal marriages. The torches,
symbolical Of bymenial bliss, have, indeed,
long been supercedcd by tapers Of exc us
te odor and light, but now, as 200 years
ago the ministers OF tho crown consider
It as honor to be selected 20 move grace
fully up and down 70 the measured
cadence of the music, and, candle 10
hand, pay their respects to the new
married couple. So highly valued Is
the honor OF sharing in the display IL
the present instance a question had
arisen a. TO the member oi the cabinet
who should have the pas Of tue others.
Count Won Room, being the Prussian
premier, claimed precedence Of Prince
Bismarck, who, in bic Prussian capacity,
is only minister Of foreign affairs, while
Prince Bismarck, asserting the German
chancellor to be a more important person.
age than any minister, premier included,
insisted on bis right TO lead of the minuet,
and marshal the luminous host before the
royal throne; ! need hardly say that as
usual the prince had i. Lis own way,
stepped first and foremost, aud held the
biggest taper. Tho ministerial prelude
over, the bride, likewise in accordance
with traditional etiquette, walked up TO
the emperor, and, bowling low, requested
the honor Of dancing with
his majesty. This was the
signal for the general polonaise of
he court, ministers always keeping
ahead, torch in hand. At the conclusion
Of the polonaise, tie young people retired
the mem Der. OF tho cabinet having previ-
ousiy assigned their tapers TO a like num-
Der OF pages, whose office it is 10 light the
happy pair TO their apartments. Imme-
diately after began the remarkable cere-
mony of the distribution Of the garter,
common 10 all classes in the middle ages,
but nowadays observed only by royalty
and the country folk Of some primitive
districts. A riband, called the brides gar
ter, with her initials interviewer 10 ii, lie
presented 10 the gentlemen Of the court,
who pin it around their coat sleeves, car
rying it home as trophy Of the day and
"reminiscences Of the event