The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-01-03
Our Q0lio.
From Harper's Weekly.
Betrothal and Bridal Customs.


Betrothal and Bridal Customs.
The custom Of introducing cakes is, like
many other observances, of heather origin.
Brides, on the day before their marriage,
sacrificed cakes to Diana to secure her ia.
vor. Later on, notifications Of the hea-
then customs became ingraited on the re-
ligious observances of the early Christians.
1t was usual amongst the latter to send the
surplus wine aud bread that had been
blessed at the Eucharist to the newly mar
ried, to be partaken by them alone, and
possibly to this observance may be traced
the custom Of giving drink Of wine aud
sopped cake to the bridegroom in the
church. In this mixture it was also usual
to soak flowers Thus the sons.in-wine
came to be fanciful name 70, pinks and
carnations, which were generally used for
that purpose.
Cakes, waters, and the like, were blessed
and put into sweet wine, which was pre-
seuted to the bride, and probably these
flowers were thought to resemble them.
1t has been inferred that such pinks were
often put into wine to give it favor.
Blount, in his "Tenures," alludes to a
"sextury of July.hower wine" 1t was,
however, usual to have substantial sops in
wine at weddings, as one of the officials at
Petruchio's marriage found out to his cost,
when that erratic tanner Of shrews
.QuaG a OF the muscadal. aud threw the sops
All Ia the seNlon's face
This custom (not the throwing the sops) Is
alluded to by Decker (i602):
And when We are at church bring the wine and
cakes
An old song (l606) says:
"sops in wine, spice cakes a-dealing"
Again, in the "Complea at Vintner" (l720);
what priest can join two lovers hands
But wine must seal the marriage bandsf"
1t would be interesting, if space allowed
to describe at length the old customs Of
throwing rice and corn, and bedding the
bride and bridegroom, the struggle for his
points and garters-from which originated
the more graceful custom of distributing
wedding favors-throwing the slipper, aud
other incidental observances. The elder
sister was bound to dance barefoot at the
wedding of younger one, or the ineyita.
BILE fate will happen which is foretold by
Katharine
she Is your treaurc, she must have a husband,
must dance barefoot on her wedding day,
Aud, for your love 10 her. iold apes in hsN'
So Queen Fadadinida, who, on the death
Of King Observation-Disclosures, agrees, fol
the sake of peace, to marry both her eour
tiers Neutrality-suspicious. and Rig
don. Funnidos, thus disposes Of her faithful
maid-of- honor, Tatlanthe;
"PIly for you, Tho'go served 50 long, so sell,
should die q virgin, aud lead apes IN he'll;
Choose for yourself dear girl our Empire round
Your portion is twelve hundred thousand pound"
Not bad "dot' for a needy courter.
The origin of the prevalent belief as tc
the dnal fate of the old maids is, though
more ancient, as obscure as that which pre-
walls concerning good Americans who
when they die, go to Paris.
Old maids, generally speaking are ex,
| posed TO undeserved ridicule. There are
many who have remained faithful 10 the
memory Of lost love, or who have elected
from choice life Of single blessedness
whilst it not unfrequently happens that
youth, beauty, talents and opportunity
have been sacrificed in the sick room, or,
still worse, to the caprices ofparents. Take
COrdelia as an example. In good sooth,
Gods ministering spirits on earth have
often taken the form of single women.
Florence Nightingale, with her noble
band of nurses, most of whom voluntarily
resigned all the comforts and luxuries
which wealth could procure, for the dan
gers and hardships Of the Seutari and other
Crimeau hospitals, or the no less pestilent
fever dens Of London Those who know
the glories Of the mansion of Embly, near
Romsey, in Hampshire, with its noble an
oestFal trees, will appreciate the selfsacri-
fee Of this lady. Angela Hurdett- Coutts
is another noble instance of life devoted
to the welfare Of the poor and needy.
Such women, old maids though they may
be, have their place but little below that Of
the angels, and, thank God, England has
produced many such, whose memory will
survive as sweet-smelling SAVIOR. There
are many women in the flesh to each of
whom Rogers lines will apply:
"oh she was good as she was fair
None, none earth above her
As pure in thought as angels arc
To know her was 70 love her"
To qualified extent, the same remarks
may be applied to old bachelors-some, at
least; they have kept true to the memory
of dead love, whose place iu their hearts
no one could fill. The ballad addressed to
MARY in Heaven" gives appropriate cx-
preston to the sentiment we have endeav-
ored to convey. Throughout life they are
longing
rFor tho touch Of q vanish "a hand,
And The sound of voice thai is sIll'
1t may bo that the grave holds all that
made life dear, and they feel
more was buried with thee, love
Than Just the beautiful clay
You lcit TO chill the passionate kiss,
When you stole from this life away"
Still il is one of the most mournful
things to see either a man or woman who
has missed his or her legitimate fate,
OF the times and seasons for marrying,
it is necessary to choose not only the man,
but the hour not alone the season, but the
day. Here is the rule:
Monday for wealth,
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day OF ALL
Thursday for crosses,
Friday for losses,