The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-18
CONCERNING BRIDESMAIDS.
Old Notions Entertained by These Very Sweet
and Very Interesting People.

Old Notions Entertained by These Very Sweet
and Very Interesting People.
Casselrs Magazine for November.
Importance was formerly attached to the col
ors which the bride wore on her wedding day.
Thus in an old book entitled the Fifteen Com
forts of Marriage, a bride and her bridesmaids
are represented conversing together respecting
the colors to be used for the decoration of tbs
bridal dress. 1t was finally decided, after varl'
Gus colors had been rejected, ito mingle a gold
tissue with grass green, this being symbolie;d
of youthful jollity.
Again, that the Office of a bridesmaid was ia
times past not altogether sine qua non may be
gathered from the fact that during the period Of
the wedding festivities, which often extended
over a week, the bridesmaids vera expected TO
be in attendance, and to do whatever they could
to promote their success.
Then there was the custom Of '~finging the
stocking at which the bridesmaids took a
prominent lead, a ceremony to which no small
Importance was attached. 1t has been made the
subject of frequent allusion by our old writers,
and one rhyme, describing a 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 bride
groom's stocking. thrown by one of the brides
maids, fell upon his head, it was regarded as an
omen that she herself would soon be married;
and a similar prognostic was taken from the
falling of the brides stocking, thrown by one of
III SIOOliCLIJus IL Mdo 1lC DIlQCSDadAu NdNl1
too, to present the bride with the ''benediction
posset." so called from the words utteredd over
it: a practice thus noticed by Herriek, i'll 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 this custom:
in came the bridesmaids with the posset,
The bridegroom eat in spight."
Once more, the bridesmaids were supposed to
look after the brides pecuniary interests. Thus,
at the church porch, when the bridegroom pro
duced the ring and other articles relating to his
marriage, the chief bridesmaid took charge Of
the ''dow-purse," which was publicly given to
the bride as an installment of her pin-meney.
Horace Walpole, writing to Miss Berry in the
year 1871, speaks of the dow-purse as a thing Of
the past, and writes as follows:
'Our wedding is over very properly, though
with little ceremony, and nothing of ancient
fashion but two bridesmaids. The endowing
purse, / believe, has been left off since broad
pieces were called in and melted down"
Ithas been pointed out, however, that a sur
vival of this usage is preseryed}in Cumberland.
The bridegroom provides himself with gold and
crown pieces, and when the service reaches the
point, with all my worldly goods ! thee endow,"
he takes the money, hands the clergyman his
fee, and pours the rest into the handkerchief
which the bridesmaid holds for the bride.
In Scotland the bridesmaid is popularity known
as the best maid, " and one of her principal
duties was to convey the brides presents on the
wedding to her future home. The first
article generally taken into the house was
a vessel of salt, a portion Of which was sprinkled
over the floor, as a protection against the evil
eye" She also attended the bride when she
called on her friends, and gave a personal iHvi-
tation to her wedding.