The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-12-09
Wholesale Matrimony.
THE CURIOUS PROCESSION OF BRIDES AND
GROOMS IN NEW YORK

GROOMS IN NEW YORK.
A very curious procession took place
recently. says the New York Mercury.
on East Second street. 1t consisted of
thlrty-two young couples, all of them
dressed in the national costume of the
bohemian CZechs. The men wore short
Jackets with caps Of green velvet, en-
broidered in gold and silver. The pro-
cession, which was headed by small
band and by venerable prelate in his
full vestments, moved through Second
street to Avenue a, and then through
Essex street to Broome street, where in
the large hall Of the building No. 237 Il
ceremony such rs has never before been
witnessed in New York took place. 1t
was simply wholesale wedding of thir-
ty-two young Czechs with thirty
buxom lasses from the land of Nepo-
muk, the patron saint of Bohemia.
There is probably no country in the
world where the wedding ceremony is
looked upon with more religious awe
than in Bohemia. The Czech colony in
women engaged in the manufacture of
cigars, or in glass blowing, has recently
received strong accessions, principally
from Prague and the surrounding coun
try. Notwithstanding the prostration
of business, these Czechs have -four
ished more than any other element of
our foreign population. They are very
thrifty. sober and industrious, and they
say that there is not single Bohe-
mian pauper in the city. Some of the
female cigar makers of that nationality
have relatively large sums in the saw
ings banks. They are a very energetic
class of females and by no means unat-
tractive in personal appearance. There
being no priest here able to perform the
nupital rites in the Czech language, the
young couples who were ready to get
married clubbed together and sent for
the Right Rev. Bishop Habelczek from
Prague, to marry them all at once.
When the bishop arrived here, a singu-
lar complication occurred. The num-
Der of couples that had sent for him
was found to be thirty three, a very I'M
lucky number, and hence it was deter
mined that only thirty-two couples
should be married. They drew lots as
TO which couple should be excluded
and the hapless lovers who were select
ed manifested their disappointment in Il
very lively manner. The bishop con-
soled them by promising to marry them
soon. The wedding ceremonies on
Broome street were very impressive.
After the service had been read the old
err portion Of the female audience,
among whom there were many mothers
of the brides and bridegrooms, burst
into startling lamentations, while the
grooms looked unc0ncerned. ald the
brides blushingly dropped their eyes.
When the prelate had blessed them, salt
and bread were handed round and par
taken of by everybody. The bride
grooms did not kiss their brides, the
Czechs considering it indecent even for
husbands to kiss their wives in public.
WoMAN's love is likened to vine.
Perhaps.it is like it. though it is very
strong in hours of need, as strong as it
is tender. Yes, surely, we will not de-
ny that it is our nature to ask for COM
fort and support, and seek to Irvine our
selves about something that can offer
And there is no better reason than
this very trait of ours why We should be
careful how we give our hearts, and
make very sure that the man We choose
also has Il heart-a strong and honest
one-and that his love is of the kind to
be enduring; and that he has ingrained
in his nature that most excellent and
manly quality-trustwort He
should be an oak, not a reed for though
in Summer weather the vine may drape
the reed very prettily, it will not resist
the tempest. Nor need the vine dread
the ruggedest oak. Its bark may be
gnarled, its branches knotted; but all
the greener and fresher will be the foil
age that it bears, all the more tenderly
will it shadow that which is beneath it.
There is sweetness in weakness; some
thing very loveable in many IL faint
willeI and unenduring man but two
vines cannot support each other. They
only tangle and fall upon the ground
The stronger, the Drawer, the more un-
like woman a man is, the better for his
wife. Remember this, girls. This is the
advice of q sister woman, who speaks
for the safety and happiness of her sex.
~
HE BLESSINGS OF WoMAN'S SOCIETY.
ALL men who avoid female society
have dull perceptions, and have gross
tastes, and revolt against what is pure.
Your club swaggerers, who are sucking
the butts of billiard-cues all night, call
female society insipid. Poetry IS unin-
spring to a yokel; beauty has no charms
for blind man; music does not please
a poor beast, who does not know one
tune from another; but, as true cpl
cure is hardly ever tired of water-cress
and brown bread and butter I nrotest