Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-12-24
FOR FEMININE READERS


babes & feeling their feet0 to old men and
women, their steps tottering On the
brink Of the grave, wear gold and silver
ornaments. They even invent new
places for carrying them and it Is no un-
common thing TO see Cingalese belle
with the top Of her ears covered with gold
Iplate or wire. large pair Of rings PEN
daut from the lobes of the ear, gold or
silver circlet around her hair, her nose
adorned with rings. bracelets on her
wrists. rings on her fingers and silver
plates on her toes.
Old Notions Concermimg Brldemaide.
Importance was formerly attached TO
the colors which the bride wore on her
wedding day. Thus, In On old book en-
titled Fifteen Comforts OF Marriage. 4
bride and her bridesmaids are represented
conversing togetherrespecting the colors
to be used for the decoration Of the bridal
dress. It was finally decided, after vari-
Gus colors had been rejected, TO mingle
gold tissue with grass green, this being
considered symbolical Of youthful jol-
Iity.
Again, that the Office Of a bridemaid
was in times past not altogether sino qua
non may be gathered from the fact that
during the period Of the wedding festivi-
ties, which are often extended over q
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 s'iing-
ing the stocking" at which the bride
maids took appointment lead ceremony
to which no small Importance was at
tached. It has been made the subject
sof frequent allusion by our old writer's,
and one rhyme, describing wedding,
tells us:
but still 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 stocking, thrown by one of
the bridesmaids, tell upon his head, it
was regarded as an omen that she herself
would soon be married, and a similar
pr0gn0stic was taken from the falling of
the brides stocking. thrown by one of
the groomsmen. 1t was the bridemaids'
duty, too, to present the bride with the
"benediction posset, SO called from the
words uttered over it; practice thus
noticed by Herrick, in his 'Hesperides:"
'sWhat 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 this custom:
I'm came the bridesmaids with the posset,
The bridegroom eat id spigte."
Once more, the trademarks were sup
posed to look after the brides pecuniary
interests. Thus, at the church porch,
when the bridegroom produced the ring
and other articles relating to his mar
riage, the chief bridemald took charge
OF the 'sdow-purse, /" which was publicly
given to the bride as an installment of
her pin money Horace Walpole, writ
ing to Miss Berry in the year 1891,
speaks Of the dow-purse as thing Of
the past, and writes as follows:
'Our wedding is over very properly,
though with little ceremony, and moth
ing Of ancient fashion but two bride
maids. The endowing purse, / believe,
has been left off since broad pieces
were called in and melted down. =
1t has been pointed out. however, that
survival of the usage is preserved in
Cumberland. The bridegroom provides
himself with gold and crown pieces,
and when the service reaches the point,
with all my worldly goods / thee en-
dow he takes the money. hands the
clergyman his fee, and pours the rest
into q handkerchief which the bride
maid holds for his bride.
In Scotland, the bridemaid is popular
" known as the "best maid, and one
of her principal duties was to convey the
hriHn9n farnonrfo an fha vvnddSufr ~ hnr
future home The first article generally
taken into the house was vessel of salt,
portion Of which was sprinkled over
the floor, as protection against the
ssevil eye. She also attended the bride
when she called on her friends, and gave
Q personal invitation to her wedding.
Osisselps Family Magdsine.