The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-07-31
NOTIONS ABOUT BRIDES

ef1he Qaeer Fanases 1has Haso Prs-
81: JAILED Among the ssperstitseus. :.
Importance was formerly attached 70
- eolors which the bride ypproA her
ding day. Thus, in am Cd book
Sntitled the Fifteen Comforts Of Mar
Rage, - bride and her bridesnaidshrs
represented conversing together re-
apecting the colorsto beAsed sfor the
decoration of the bridal dress 1t was
f1ally decided. after many colors had
been rejected, Ito mingle . gold tissue
Nth grass green, this bssing consid-.
cred sgmbolical of youthful jolity.
Again, that the office Of bridesmaid
was in 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 !
week, the bridesmaids were expected
to be in attendance, and do whatever
they could to promote their success.
Then there was the custom Of ''aing-
ing the stockings, at which the brides
maids took prominent lead, a cere-
mony to which no small importance
vas attached. 1t has been made the
subject of frequent allusion by our old
writer's, and one rhyme, describing q
wedding tells us:
'sBut still the stockings are to throw.
Some throw too high, and some &
There's none could hit the r. see low,
Nilsson further informs
bridegroom's stockinc ~ " thas II Inc
of the. bridesmaids ~, MroWn ~ enc
it was regarde' .eaa 1poa ms mead,
herself wor y s.,'.s ~ vmen .aal sne
salI proxnostic was taken from the
- ing Of the brides stockings, thrown
~ one OF the groomsmen. 1t was the
bridesmaids duty, too, TO present the
bride with the ssbenediction posset, = so
called from the words uttered over il: .
practice thus noticed by Herrick, in his
Hesperides:'
aWhat short, sweet prayers shall be said.
Ana how the posset shall be made
With cream OF liiies not of kline.
And maiden's blush for spiced wihen
Sucking thus alludes TO this custom:
~In came the bridesmaids With the posset.
me DruesRr0om eat IN spight."
Once more the bridesmaids were sup
posed to look after the brides pecu-
mary interests sThas, at the church
porch, when the bridegroom produced
the ring and other articles relating to
ms marriage, the chief bridesmaid took
charge OF the ssdow purse" which was
publicly given to the bride as an install-
ment OF her pin money. Horace Wal
pole, writing to Miss Berry III the year
llvls speaks of the dow purse as a thing
~ the pasts and writes as follows: !
Our wedding is over very properly.
fthoughswith little ceremony, and moth
ting Of ancient fashion but two brides
maids. The endowing purse, believe,
has been left off since broad pieces
we're called in and melted down.
Is has been pointed out, however,
that 2 survival of this, usage is pre-
served in Cumberland. The BRIDE
groom provides himself with gold and
crown pieces, and when the services
reaches the point, with all my world
~ goods I thee end0w,n he takes the
money. hands the clergyman his fee,
and pours the rest into 3 handkerchief
which the bridesmaid holds for the
bride.
In Scotland, the bridesmaid is. popu-
larly known rs the s.best maid,n and
one Of principal duties was to convey
the brides presents on the wedding to
her future homo. The first article gem
orally taken into the hoalse WAS vas
sal of salt, portion sofz which was
sprinkled sover the floor,s as protection
against the ssevil eye" She also at
Y tended the bride when she called on her
friends, and Caves personal invitation
to her wedding. = CasseTs Family
kagasise.