St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-11-22
WEDDINGS OF LONG AGO.
The Antics of the Bridesmaids-Some Oh
solete Customs.

4 WEDDINOS OF AONN7 Any,
The Antics of the Bridesmaids-Some Oh
solete Customs
Importance was formerly attached to
the colors which the bride wore on her
wedding day. Thus, in an old book,
entitled ''The Kitchen Comforts of Mar
rage" bride and her bridesmaids arc
represented conversing together re-
specting the colors to be used for the
decoration of the bridal dress. 1t was
finally decided, after various colors had
been rejected, ''to mingle gold tissue
with grass green" this being considered
symbolieal of youthful jollity.
Again, that the Office of a bridesmaid
was in times past altogether sine qua
non may be gathered from the fact that
during the period of the wedding festiV-
tiles, which often extended over week,
the bridesmaids were expected to be in
attendance, and to do whatever they
could to promote their success.
| Then there was the custom of cling
ing the stocking at which the brides
maids took q prominent lead-a cere"
mony to which no small Importance
was attached. It has been made the
subject of frequent allusion by our old
writers, and one rhyme, describing y
wedding, tells us:
But stiIl the stockings are to throw
Some throw too high and some too low,
There's none could hit the mark.
Nilsson further informs us that if the
bridegroom's stockings, thrown by one
of the bridesmaids, fell upon his heal,
it was regarded as an omen that she
herself would soon be married; ami .
similar prognostic was taken from the
falling of the brides stocking, thrown
by one of the groomsmen. 1t was the
bridesmaids duty, too, to present the
bride with the ''benediction posset, 50
called from the words uttered over it,
practice thus noticed by HerricA,,Fs.s
his ''Hesperides.
What short sweet prayers shall be said,
And how the posset shall be made
With cream of lilies, not of kline,
And maiden's blush for spiced wine.
Sucking thus alludes to the custom:
In came the bridesmaids with the posset,
The bridegroom eat in spfght.
Once more the bridesmaids were sur.
posed to look after the brides pccu,4i-
ary interests. Thus, at the church
porch, when the bridegroom produced
the ring and other articles relating to
his marriage, the chief bridesmaid took
charge of the s'dow-purse," which wai
publicly given to the bride as an In
stallment of her pin-money. Horace
Walpole, writing to Miss Berry in tIu,
year 1891, speaks of the dow-purse as %
thing of the past, and writes as follows:
t'Our wedding is over very FaoperlT,
though with little ceremony, and nota-
ing of ancient fashion but two brides
maids. The endowing purse, believe,
has been left off since broad pieces were
called in and melted down.
1t has been pointed out, hoWeve~,
that survival of this usage is preserved
in Cumberland. The bridegroom pro-
vices himself with gold and crowI
pieces, and when the service reaches She
point, e'with all my worldly goods [
thee endow," he takes the money,
hands the clergymen his fee, and pours
the rest into handkerchief which the
bridesmaid holds for the bride.
In Scotland, the bridesmaid is popu-
larly known as the :'best maid, and
one of her principal duties was to con-
yey the brides presents on the wedding
to her future home. The first article
generally taken into the house was 81
vessel of salt, a portion of which wa;
sprinkled over the floor as protection
against the '.evil eye.n She also at
tended the bride when she called on
friends, and gave personal invitation
to her wedding.-T. r. Z. Dyer, Ia
CasselI's Family Magazine.