The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-12-20
The Antl-A1onopo1iSt.
was fourteen wears TRANSPORTATION.

century, There and .then the man 9
and woman made mutual promise of
marriage before clergyman and sew
eral witnesses. After this the con- I
tract ofmarriage "a legal instrument)
was signed by both persons.
After this the man delivered to the
woman the ring and other gifts. In
the latter ages the espousals have al
ways been performed at the time as
the religious toffices of matrimony in
both the Western and Eastern churh
eS.
In Germany there usually elapse six
months between the betrothal. which
is made before the respective families
of both, and the actual wedding.
Long ago in England, before the
clergy proceeded to the marriage, it
was his duty to ask for the woman's
dover. viz ''The tokens of spousag
which were understood to be rings or
money or some other things to be
given by the man to the woman,
which said giving made the wedding.
especially when it is done by the be-
stoWal of ring.
| AS for the custom of brides being |
adorned with orange blossoms during |
the marriage ceremonial, there has ,
been a great deal said and written.
| One statement which / know to be |
incorrect, is that orange blossoms are
worn only at American marriages, and
that in Europe they are unseen on
such occasions.
In England, for long time past,
the orange blossoms have adorned the
Bride, bnt in other parts of Europe a
sprig of myrtle is perserentially used
| have seen this in Fracce and Italy,
where, as orange-grOves abound.
there can be no difficulty in obtaining
a few sprigs from the growing trees.
Formerly too, the myrtle was worn
at English marriages. In Sir Walter
SCOTS poem, '.Rokeby," a love-sick
hopeless youth, subdued by blue dew
lis and the unpleasant fact that his
sweetheart has given her heart to
another chap, sings mOurnful dirty,
in which are the following lines:
The myrtle bough bids lovers live,
But that Matilda will not 1--WE;
So, lady, twine no wreath for me,
Or Irvine it OF the cypress tree"
. In Moore'S cloves of the Angels,
where the Seraphs make love very
much on the fashion of human beings,
the institution of marriage is men
toned thus:
"Then first did woman's virgin brow,
That by lmeaneal chaplet wear,
Which, When it dies, no second VOW
Can bid new one bloom out there
In note Oh this passage, the poet
, widow is married. she is not allowed
- hor hno1 nn6 tho
l ancient Romans honored with
crown of modesty those who had en-
tered but once into the marriage
state.
5 There cannot be any doubt, think.
} that our American brides received
from the "old country the habit of
!, sporting orange-blossomst to Symbolic
1 their change of condition. 1t origin
!, ally came from the Saracens, or at
t least from the East, and the blossoms
l are said to have been worn as symbol
{ zeal of fecundity.
J In reply to the assertion that the in
5 PRODUCTION of the orange tree into
\ England is comparatively recent,
4 there is proof positive, from old man.
\ uscript letters of the period, that
e such trees flourished, and that their
t fruit was cultivated in gardens before
the close of the fifteenth century. at
which time the climate of England
s must have been much milder than II
!. has been for a long time, seeing that
e grapes. oranges and figs were ther
/ grown in the open air.
Q Among the Sarcens, where fruitful
y ness was considered good quality IL
T. | fo fna oh .,nnraeI u al 9m0n(
Il more civilized persons of the presen
time) the orange-flowers were worn a:
T. emblems of Il prosperous marriage
u seeing that the orange trees In thu
East bear fruit and blossoms at thu
y same time.
o A good deal might be said in cOnnec
IL ton with this matrimonial subJec
t upon the ring. its Significance and an
'e tiquity; upon the fees legally payable
to the clergyman and his clerk wh'
8 officiates at the religious servlce;upol
y curious local customs thereat: on pub
ol licatiou of banns publicly called II
~ church; on lucky and unlucky Omens
10 on substitutes for rings. and so on.
III Nv space is exhausted. and mus
a leave this for another day. On on
as point l want information-that is
how. where. and when began the Gu
rious custom of throwing an old sliI
y per s.for luck" after the newly wedde
J" couple when they leave, either TO
sc their own future abode. or on a jour
le nev to pass the honeymoon, whic
l. is about the surest mode of maxim
el them, from seeing so much of eac
DIT other. very tired by the time they &c
~ off the stills and drop down into ord
nary lifel''
D. Beware of false teeth with gutts
to percha fxings--Master Alec (who
H. fond of dogsl-There' no mistak
about your being thoroughbred. NJ;
ch ior Bumhlebiet Major Bumblebl
Mt mot displeased)-And how did 70
cd find that ont, my boys Master Ale
Mt why. cause YOU ye got q black roo
Id to your mouth.
II. Who is shel IN elderly lad.
er much interested III the progress I
~, / $50 Fast hnx-i-arr h1thpTt