Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-06-05

ous WHaS are all inc Joys we nOlQ,
Compared to joys above us!
AND what are rank, and power, and gold,
Compared to hearts that love us?
So fleet our years, so full of tears,
So closely Death is waiting
God gives us space for loving grace
But leaves no time for hating
j WEDDING GIFTS.
A Custom of Great Antiqwity an
/ Universal Precedence among Civil
| tzed Nations---Items Of Interes
i Concerning Nwptials in Wales, Ger
i many, Poland, Nor,cay, ireland an.
ElseiUhere.
Dr. Mackenzie In the Philadelphia saturda,
Night.
There was as much truth as wit il
the observation made by . famoui
society man, that nowadays matri
mony had become mere matter-o'.
money" Gentlemen don't like to wed
unless each bride can bring something
like her own weight in gold, and the
fair sex also look after their own in.
terests.
The expenses of the bridal trip have
become very considerable. Former.
ly, there was reasonable limit In
this respect. Latterly, the usual Jour.
fneying to places which are declared
to be fashionable" has been very
much abandoned, but tour through
Europe, its substitute, consumes very
much money.
An anecdote respecting q BRIDE
groom, who was in business in coun-
try town, amused me 80 much, when
| first heard it, that venture to think
it worth repeating here. Al any rate,
it is apropos of the subject intend to
discuss now.
The hero, fine young fellow, who
bad worked hard to build up good
paying business, got married one fine
morning, and had made his arrange
ments for wedding trip. After the
ceremony had been performed in the
church (there are many couatry peo-
pie who do not think it a proper mar
riage ii done In n parlor,) the happy
couple went home to the wedding
breakfast--not phantom feast of ice
cream, coffee, lean chicken, ETC., but a
good, solid meal, on which people
could travel.
The first thing the young man did,
after entering the house, and welcom-
ing with a kiss his future mistress, was
to open his business letters, of which
several had arrived by mail while he
was changing his condition. One Of
these affected him good deal-though
n nj H~< L..
good breakfast.
When he had put himself outside"
Of that, he contrived to get his wife
and his uncle into an unoccupied
room, and, producing the letter, ex-
planned that 1t contained several bus
lness orders, involving certain and
early profit of over thousand dol
lars-provided that he remained on
the spot to carry the business
through.
In this dilemma, unwilling that his
bride should lose her promised trip,
this newly-made Benedict made the
matter-of-fact proposal that his uncle,
staid and reliable person should ac-
company the lady over the line Of trav-
rfafefse har .toashandA had honed to
The bride, who seems to have been
q sensible, practical damsel, declared
that che loved her mate too much to
interfere with his prospect of making
money, and, accepting "the situation" !"
went of on her trip with the uncle
instead of the nephew.
Instead of an absence of two or
three weeks, which was in the orig
inal programme, she remained only q
few days, coming back, she said,
merely to see how her husband was
getting on. She was quoted ever
after as a capital exemplar of reas-
enable wife - which, indeed, she
was.
Wedding presents, now so common
in the first stage of matrimonY, have
come down from the feudal system.
In almost all parts of the civilized
world such things are gwen and re-
ceived, and, l might add, expected.
In q start in married life, certain
necessaries, in the way of furniture,
napery, crockery, and so on, were al
ways acceptable. Rich people and
feudal Lords would not object, on the
bridal of their daughters, to receive
presents from their vassals.
In different countries different
modes prevail. The Penny wedding
in Scotland, of which Wilkie gave q
lively and accurate idea in one of his
domestic paintings, are peculiar. In
vited guests make contributions in
money Gone shilling is the general
tribute, and half crown is prince
ly offering); out Of the sum thus col
lected the not very costly expenses
of the feast were paid, and the sur
plus went toward buying the furni-
ture.
In the weddings Of the poorer clas-
ses in Ireland this levying contribu-
tions on guests never takes place for,
however poor Paddy may be, his
pride revolts from the appearance OF
poverty on such an occasion. There
is q collection, however, to raise q
sum for literally compensating the
clerical gentleman who "has tied the
knot" and in the house of . rich
farmer this swells up to good round
sum.
In Wales, among the small farmers
and traders, the custom prevails to
this day Of "bidding" not single
guests, but whole families, to q wed
ding. That such an event is to come
off, with the where and when, is duly
advertised in the local newspaper
with request that all persons who
in time past, have been similarly
Obliged in that manner, will attend
bringing presents for the bride an(
groom.
Besides this, particular and almos
peremptory invitations, in writing
are sent to each household on whom
the to-be-wedded folks may hay'
some especial claim for former gener
osity under like circumstances.
i Presents of all sorts-food, furni
ture, -four, fuel, table and ehambe
linen-even sheep, lambs, calves
: goats and ponies-are among til
gifts.
In Germany there is the "pay wed
. ding" at which the bride receives he
, guests with q basin before her, leael
, person depositing jewel, silve
, spoon or piece Of money, at tn
same time, apologizIng for the dona
ton being so far below value, com
pared with the damseps deserts.
i In some parts Of Germany the rul
l is that the expenses of the marriag
feast shall be met by each guest pay
ing for what he eats and drinks
just as If he were in hotel, but nc
, at fair hotel prices. Thus the enter
l tsjnment sometimes extends over sey
! eral days, and the young couple ofte
2 realize sum out Of the profits suff
! cient to start them fairly in life.-
From one to three hundred guests ar
often present throughout these festi,
q tiles.
= Sometimes the flow Of presen
: takes very different course. In T,
land, q lady is not regarded as elig
!. Bile for double blessedness until sf
!. has wrought with her own hani
cloth and garments for each Of hi
future lords friends (groomsmen) .
o companying him to the altar.
In Norway the clergyman has to
. propitiated with two or three bla,
# ders of mipce meat, made by the han
= of the bride. and q bottle or two
brandy. I'm that country, most pre-
ents made on npptial occasions tal
a., E.s1 - - l. ann