Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-11-13
Retrothe1 and Bridal
1. Customs.

Retrothel and Bridal
II Customs.
The custom Of introducing cakes
is, like many other observances,
of heather origin. Brides. on the
day before their marriage, sacri-
feed cakes to Diana to- secure her
favor. Later on, notifications of
the heathen customs became in
grated on the religious obseryan-
ces of the early Christians. It was
usual amongst the latter to send
the surplus wine and bead that
had been blessed at the Eucharist
to the newly married, to be parta-
ken by them alone, and possibly 10
this observance may be traced the
custom of giving drink of wine
and sopped cake TO the bridegroom
in the church In this mixture it
was also usual to soak flowers. Thus
the sOps-in- wine came to be a fan
ciful name for pinls and carnations,
which were generally used fer that
purpose.
Cakes, waters, and the like were
blessed and put into sweet wine,
which was presented to the bride,
and probably these flowers were
thought to resemble them. i has
been inferred that such pinks were
often put into wine to give it fla
yor. Blonnt in his 'Tentues, alludes
to 'sextury of July-h ,wer wine.
1t was, however, usual to have sub
stantial sops in wines at weddings,
as one Of the officials at Petrucllo'1 ;
marriage found ont to his cost, when
that erratic tanner of shrews
"Quaf'ed off the rnuscadel, and threw the sops
All i'll the sexton's face"
This custom (not the throwing the
s"ps) is alluded to by Decker
(lfO2):
"And when we are at ehnrch bring the wine and
cakes.
An old song Q606) says:
"sops in wine, spice, cakes dealing
Again, in the Compleat Vintner
] IQ72W:
"What priest can join two lovers bands.
But wine must seal the marriage bands?"
1t would be interesting, if space al
lowed, to describe ut length the ole
customs of throwing rice and corn
and bedding the bride and bride
groom. the struggle for his point:
and garters-from which originate,
the more graceful custom Of dis
tributing wedding favors throw
: ING the slipper, ani other inciden-
: tai observanceS. The elder siste
was bound to dance barefoot at TIN
; wedding of a younger one, or til
, inevitable fate will happen whic
, is foretold by NatEarina:
must dance barefoot her wedding day,
And for your love to her, LEAD APES IN HE'LL" "
So Queen Fadadinida, who o
the death of King Chrononhotor
: tholcgos agrees, for the sake {
peace, to marry both her courtier
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. an
5 Ringi"n-Funnilos. thus dispose,
/ her faithful maid-of honor, Tatlan
the:
Pity for You, wl,o've served so long, 50 we'll
= Should die virgin, and lead apes in hell
) hoose for yourself de tr girl, our empire roun
Your portion is twelve hundred thousand pound.
Not a bad dot for a need
corrtier,A
The origin Of the prevalent b
lief as to the final fate of old mai,
Is, though more ancient, as oDscnj
as that which prevails concerniu
p good Americans, who, when the
U die, go to Paris.
Old maids, generally speakin
are exposed to uEdeserved ridicul
There are many who have renal
= ed faithful to the memory of lc
70 love, or have elected from choice
~ life of single b!essedness, whilst
s not untrequently happens til
in youth, beauty, talents, aad oppc
De tunity have been sacrificed in t
Sc sick-room, or, still worse, to t
n caprices of parents. Take Core
liza as an example. In good SCOT
G God s mInS'erIng spirits on ear
y have o ten taken the form Of sing
"a women. Florence Nightinga
with her noble band of nurs
most Of whom voluntarily resign
MI the comforts and luxuries viii
], wealth could procure, for the d
u gers and hardships of the Scuti
IN and other CriInean hospitals. OF [
Wee W 10 less pestilent fever dens of l.
: W don. Those who know the elor
Nv Nv Of the mansion of Enbl>, near Ro
IN. sey, III Humps hire, with its mol
e ancestral trees, will appreciate
sell-sacrifce of this lady. Ang
al, Burdett- -Coutts is another noble
ell stance Of life devoted to the W
8. fare of the poor and needy. ST.