Connecticut western news., 1873-01-03
A Jewish Wedding In Algiers.

A JeWlSh wedding In Algiers.
 Lady Herbert, in recent English work entitled "Algerie in 1S71," gives description of Jewish wedding which possesses features new, we imagine, to most of our readers
 "We paused in our sightseeing to go with Madame de C----and her beautiful daughter to see Jewish wedding, for which she had kindly obtained LIS an invitation. We were received in an alcoved room, where a breakfast of sweetmeats, cakes, and sweet wines, was sent out, the bride and her parents being seated on a divan at one end, dressed in rich Jewish costume. After short time, we were told to preced the young lady to the Moorish vapor- bath, which is the next part of the ceremony. Such marvellous scene as there met our eye I despair of repro ducing on paper! About fifty young Jewish girls, from twelve to twenty years of age, whose only clothing was a scarf of gold or silver gauge around their Joins, with their beautiful dark hair all down their backs, and their lovely white necks and arms, covered with lecklaces and bracelets, were seen dimly standing in the water through cloud of steam and incense, waiting for the bride, and when she appeared received her with loud, shrill cries of Iii Lii Lii ? in continually ascend ing scale. Among these girls were hideous negresses equally scantily cloth ed, and one or two of them with their black, whooly hair dyed bright orange color: these were the bathing-women. They seized us by the arm and wanted to force us to undress too, which we stoutly resisted and took refuge on | the raised marble slab which surround ed the bath, and where the pretty little bride, with her mother and aunts, were standing waiting to be unrobed too.
 They took off her heavy velvet clothes, and she appeared in beautiful gold | figured gauge chemise and some lovely short red-and-gold drawers they then led her, with the same cries, into an tuner room, stif1ing with wet vapor and steam, and here the poor child, who was only thirteen, remained for three moE- | tal hours, the women pouring water on her head from picturesque-shaped gold jars, and every kind of comestic and sweet scent being rubbed upon her. 1 Being unable to stand the intense heat and overpowering smell any longer, we escaped for time into the open air ; but returned after about an hour to find another bride going through the same cermonies. Some of the bridesmaids were very beautiful one especially, though Jewess, had regularly golden hair and blue eyes And the whole scene was like ballet at the opera, or rather a set of maids or water-nymphs in a picture ; not like anything in real life Their glorious hair floating over their shoulders, with their beautifully modelled arms, rounded in graceful curves as they disported themselves round the bride, would have driven a sculptor or painter wild with delight But could not get over the ndelicacy of the whole thing it was c scene i,e the nude with vengeance
 (" At half-past three oclock tile follow ing morning, we got up and went to the brides house for the conclusion of the cermony. A great crowd of men and musicians were grouped in the lower court. Above, the bride was sitting in state, in the deep recess of a handsome Moresque room, veIed in white gauge, while red-and-gold figured scarf hung in graceful folds behind her head. On either side of her were two venerable looking old men with long, white boards, and in front of her another, holding a candelabrum with three candles.
 They were Rabbis, and chanted psalms alternately with songs of praise about the dove with the beautiful eyes, etc. in fact, sort of canticle. All this time the minstrels in the quadrangle below were making a noise, while over the carved gallery above, looking down upon them, leaned variety of Jewish women, all beautifully dressed in brown velvet and satin, with stomachers and girdles richly brocaded in gold, and gold-em- broidered lappets hanging from the black-silk head-dress which is the in variable costume of their race. This went on ,for hours, till the poor little bride looked quite worn out. From time to time spoonfuls of soup were put into her mouth, which she strove to re- sist /; and then she was conducted into the court below, where the same eere- monies were gone through, except that a species of buffoon danced before her, and was rewarded by ten-franc bits put into his mouth, which he kept in his cheek while drawling out a queer kind of song, which we supposed was witty, as the audience were in fits of laughter Every thing was done, both upstairs and down, to make the bride laugh, even to chucking and pulling her under the chin. But she remained impressive, it being part of her business to look grave, and to prove by her demureness that she was old enough to be married. All of @ sudden, the same unearthly cry or yell of Iii Lii ! Lii ! was heard ill the outside court, caught up instantly by every one in and out of the house, INthought of the words, Behold the bridegroom cometh ? so exactly were the old traditions preserved. A very ordinary-looking youth, in frock coat and red fez, accordingly, made his ap- pearance, and then the women covered their faces with their gauge handker- chiefs, and the men, who never ceased eating and drinking at intervals during the whole night, formed themselves into procession while the brides father Ca venerable-looking old Jew, with a Hong, white beard, white turban, and crimson sash) led her to the carriage which was to take her to the bridegroom s home, we all following, and the women B cry of Lii il Lii Lii! Iii l" resounding through the narrow streets