Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-17
Brides and Grooms.

Nobody ever met, or expecLs to inset,
the women who can hear OF wedding
quite unmoved. 1t is a rite that in
terests the whole sex young and old,
pretty and plain, rich and poor, gentle
and simple. No matter how many we'd
dings they may have seen, they never
tire of them, but will 90 to one after the
other with untlagging interest and at
tention, as absorbed during theceremony
as though it were an utter novelty. The
bride is, of course, the centre OF at
traction. Even those who know her
quite intimately stare at her as though
they had never seen her before, deHouT-
ing each detail of her dress with eager
glances. As rule the bride who feels
least looks best. Emotion OF the intense
kind has not often a becoming effect,
and In this age of "nerves" agitation is
ant TO produce pallor, atendency to tears,
or an unbecoming flush. Tears seldom
beautiiy. Poets and painters glorliy
beauty in tears, but this is theory. In
practice, their first effect is to redden the
ewes; their second TO encsrnadiue the
nose; their third to develop y tendency
towards shifts. Some years ago all
brides wept. 1t was the correct thing.
We had not quite emerged from the
sentimental era. Mrs. Hemans' poetry
was much read, amt We all know hon
her brides behaved, weeping on her
fathers shoulder and their mothers
bosom, and reciting regretful parting
verses. so that one wondered that the
bridegroom was not offended by 80
much grief, and did not jump into tine
chariot" and leave her there. We are
more practical nowadays. The BRIDE
always smiles when she leaves the
Sestry, and occasionally is seen to do so
coming no the church. This last may
be- "coming in" but is rather venture
some thing to do just yet. She ought,
strictly speaking, to hang her head down
"A little DIT, not so much as brides dle
twenty years ago, but still quite per
crp,ibly. There is no earthly reason
yhv brides, as a rule, should hang their
heals. but fashion DEGREES that they shall.
They are going TO marry a man Ui their
choice. They are probably leaning upon
tine arm OF a father of whom they are
proud. Why should they hang their
hpadsl Perhaps fashion provides the
custom in order to meet the case oil the
brides who really ought to hang their
heais; those who are selling themselves
Tor a title, for an establishment. Tor
landed estates-even for home. How
ever, this may be, ten years hence the
dropping head will quite have gone
out.
The bridegroom tries to comfort HIM
sell. ii he be nervous, by thinking that
nobody will notice him much. "Every.
hoGy stares a. the bride and bridesmaids, "
he thinks. Little he wots OF the clear
eyes that take in every point OF his APP
pearanCe, every gesture, every look.
| Critically is he watched through the per-
| iormaUcc-a most trying one, no doubt.
I Feminine ears listen intently for his
Il will, iOr women never quite makes
up her mind about y man until she has
heard his voice. AZ he saws il firmly, in
in an even, full, deep voice, he is approx
Ell of. But how often, oh. how often,
does he growl il, or emit the important
words in a frightened squeak, or with
| the interval of nearly an octave between
! the tone of the first and that OF the
second syllable? Agitation makes his
voice play false, and no one is more
sstonished than he is himself at the ex-
traordinary sounds he has uttered.
The bridesmaids are generally brim-
ming over with a pleasant excitement,
especially il they think thier dresses be-
coming. From the demeanor OF the
chief 6riiemaid one would imagine that
the whole responsibility OF the proceed
ings rests upon her, from the license to
the ring, and from the breakfast to the
brOuyham. Arrived at the church she
or,leTs everyone about, sends maids and
Wallets iuSSing about iIvors, and too
often laugh and chatter rs though q
church were 40 more cOnsecrated
building than her own boudoir. She
lonks on the occasion as a dress re-
hearsal, in which she not only pays her
present role of bridemaid, but under
studies the chief part.