Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-07-22

ENGLISH WEDDING CUsToMs-A London
paper publishes an elaborate account of the
customs observed 10 connection With fashionable
VI ddings 10 England. The invited guests as
eemble at the church and there await the bride.
The main point of diffsrerc between invitations
hinges 90 the fact that in some cases the hour
Of the breakfast is specified, and 10 others it is
not. When the hour of the breakfast is speci.
fed the guests are not expo cted to drive straight
to the house from the church, but to present
themselves about twenty minutes before the
hour named.
Usually the bride and bridesmaids aud their
cavaliers drive off first from the church to the
residence of the BRIDES parents. aud other
guests follow in irroeu ulsr order. When we'd
dinRs occur 10 the afternoon the guests 20
straight to the house, and the refreshments
provided are such as are given at large after
noon reception, with the addition of wedding
cake. 10 the interval between the return from
church aud breakfast the guests are generally
employed 10 inspecting the wedding presents;
but there is frequently sn afternoon party two
days before the wedding for the exhibition of
these gifts, at which the trousesu is generally
exhibited. The number OF the bridesmaids
varies With the taste of the bride, but tho BRIDE.
groom is Usually only attended by one frieod ss
best man, and the groomsmen are not consider.
ed fashionable sppendsges. The best man takes
the head bridesmaid to breakfast. The speech
making is made as brief as possible, but the
guest Of the highest rank is expected to propose
the health of the bridegroom, and the BRIDE
groom responds with the understanding that
bis remarks Gao have no greater merit than
brevity.
In some casas the party drink the health Of
the bridesmaids, which must be proposed by
the bridegroom and responded to by the best
mao. Previous to her health being drunk. the
bride eats the wedding cake. of whish every
person present must eat small piece. She
then retires for brief period to change her
dress, and when she departs on her bridal tour
two white shoes, at least. should be thrown af
ter the carriage. one by the chief bridesm lid,
and the other by the best man. 1t is uoder-
stood that this ceremony is the farewell of the
unmarried to those who have Just left their
ranks.
The GREEK QUEsTIoN.-Turkey has refused
to obey the mandate of the last Berlin confer.
erce and reconstruct tho Greek frontier. The
territory proposed to be ceded to Greece is not
much larger than this city and county. The
Turks are brave and apsthetc. Including Bul.
garia aud Roumauia. the Christian population
of Turkey 10 Europe outnumbers the O,msulis
about fifteen to one, and it is proposed by Rus
sis 10 particular, to let the Turks aud Christsus
fight 1t out and determine by foroe Of arms
which shall hold the couotry south of the Bal
kans. The only tribes that w,uld be likely to
make much of a struggle outside Of CONSTANT.
nople are the Mohammsdan Alb ,nians, a hardy,
warlke, mountaineering people, but quite few
in numbers. The Albsui.us s,uth Of the
Scombi for the most part belong to the Greek
Church, and for the most part are 10 sympathy
with the Greeks across the frontier The R,u
manians, Servians and BuIgsrisps are all pretty
we'll drilled nov. and would naturally io 10
any general ou break for the purpose of expe.
ing the Turks from Europe.
SMOKING IN THE PRESENCE OF WoHEN.-
1t was wise father who said to his son, BE.
ware of the woman who allows you to kiss her"
The woman who does not require OF q man the
| form of respect, invites him to discard the SUBJ
stance. And there is one violation of the form
| which is recent and gross. and might be we'll
| cited as striking illustration Of the decay of
manners. It is the practice of smoking il the
society of ladies in public places, whether driv.
| ing or walking, or sailing, or sitting.
The are preu1 chevslters who would be honest
| y amazed if they were told they did not behave
like gentlemen, who sitting with lady on
hotel pizzs or strolliug in spublic park, whip
out cigarette. light it, and puff as TRANQUILITY Is
if they were alone in their rooms Or young
man comes alone upon the deck of q steamer,
where throngs of ladies are sitting. and blows
clouds of tobacco smoke in their facss, without
even remarking that tobacco is dissgreeable to
some people.
Thisis not. indeed one O, the seven deadly sins,
but man who unconcernedly sings false betrsys
that he has no ear for music and the man who
smokes in this Way shows that he is no quite
gentleman.