The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-15
All the World goes to the Little
Widow Thumbs Wedding.


y team Of bay thoroughbreds drew
the h4ud,Ome carriage in which Mrs.
Gen. Tom Thumb and the Iiliputian
Count Primo Magri rode TO the Church
Of Holy Trinity TO be married Yesterday
afternoon They cantered UP 10 the
reduced white canopy before the wide
church doors 70 a narrow pathway in a
dense lhruu- Of men, women. and chill
dreu. Il took fifty policemen to open a
way Tor the carriage. Men and women
hid the tyar corners Of F~orty-secOnd
street and Madison avenue from view.
crowded the roadways full. were bank
ed on the stOops of private residences,
and filed the house windows with
punches Of curious faces. Men and boys
who could not find an inch of sidewalk
To- stand on hung on in clusters OF lamp
posts and telegrap poles, and stuck fast
to The ornamental lamps that light the
/ church gatrways at night. 1t took the
tiny members of the bridal party ten
minutes to get from the carriage door to
the little reception 0 in the corridor,
where they stopped awhile to throw
aside ther outer wraps and group for the
wedding march.
Nobody was admitted to the church
without a card. The assembly was no.
table. Men and women who are famous
figures III society were mingled with the
atrlcal celebrities. politicians, club men.
dudes, and policemen. The ome out
numbered the men two to one. In the
galleries they rose tier above tier in
banks of Easter millinery. On the floor
they stood on tiptoe on the pew seats,
sat IN rows on the pew backs, Chamber
ed on Administer ottOmans, and banked
themselves around the chancel stairs six
rows deep. Mrs. Paran Stevens and
a party Of friends had two pews. Mrs.
August Belmont looked on near by and
other seats were occupied by members
OF the Astor, Harper, and Vanderbilt
families. MavOr Grace, who had been
invited, wasn't there, but some of his
family were. Mr.. BarnuIn had received
thousands Of requests for invitations
That he couldn't grant, because the limit
was reached long before he got the let
tiers.
The strains of Mendelssohn's We'd
ding March tioated from the gold-fres-
coed rga at 3! O'Clock, forty police
men, who stretched in compact file along
either side Of the central aisle. drew
themselves up statuesquely, the 5000
spectators all stood up together with a
rustic "f silk that sounded like the lap
OF waves Gu a sandy beach, and the
bridal party slowly entered. They look
eel Ike procession OF brilliantly dressed
dolls Ahead walked Major Newell,
The 4rooIn's best man, with Miss Lucie
Adams, the tiny bridesmaid. leaning on
his ann. The Count Magri, with his
bride on his arm, walked next. The
bride was dressed as elegantly as she
was On Feb. 10, 1868, when she walked
amid 4 similar throng in Grace Church
to b. married to Gen. Tom Thumb. |
Her robust little form was enveloped in
Il gown oi lavender satin. brOcaded in |
uncut velvet. 1t had a court train as
long again as the bride. The front was
decked with lace beaded with pearls.
he neck was low and the sleeves were
short. Cinderella slippers of lavender
satin adorned her fees, which loosely fit
a No. 8 infant shoe. The slippers were
buttOned over handsome lace stockings.
\ comb that blazed with diamonds held
her Jet black HAIR coiled at the back OF
head. A diamond necklace with a
pendant giIttered around her throat.
bracelets sparkled at her wrists,
lavender kid gloves that reached
nearly to her shoulders covered her shape
y white hands and arms. The gloves
we're OF the size known as ''tour-anG a
laii infants, and they we're made on a
.ptclal block Ia her left hand she car
ned a bouquet OF pink La France roses
hat was much bigger than her head
obedy who looked at her smiling face
would have thought it possible that She
lad passed her tortieth year.
The Count Magrl was in evening dress
! BIZ solitaire diamod made the bosom
I his glossy shirt luminous, and a gold
chain dangled at the waistcoat as
Ike walked. The little Major was In
vrn'ng dress, too, and the bridesmaid
7Ort Il gown Of white satin, cut walking
~ n. aGd With low neck and Short
r~vca. Long white gloves almost hid
or whita arms. and a blush mantled her a
ome.y face. Her light wavy hair was l
ut short and curied at the neck, and a I
racetul bang waved above her sparkling ).
Tue eyes. Her smile was Just about an |
ich long, and very winsome and c%ontip- |
OGs. Y
Rector ". +. Watkins stood amid the 6
lass of Easter flowers at the chancel in :
flowing white surplice, Smiling await E
e the party. Silver haired William :
Llgby OF bridgeport who is executor of <
Tom Thumbs estate under his will e
the brides hand 10 his own bio d
hlte gloved palm and gave her away to
lie Count formally with a bow and a a
smile. Miss Lucie Adams nick. p
the tiny wedding ring from the pocket Id
her gown, and the Count fitted It on u
e brides finger with a daintiness that 10
AIDE the big throng of on-lookers laugh q
libby with pleasure. Then the Count 81
lprlnted a kiss on his brides red Inns. CT
q tail hector Watkins, STOPPING away ID
er until 1t seemed to those ia back pews -
at he touched the ground, kissed the 10
tie woman too. Everybody laughed al d
aasantiy again as he did it. Then ~
eryo9dy IN the church beamed smiles u ne
the receedlug procession as the ue
ain pe''ou wi
lhree minutes later handsomely dress We y.
women crowded. around the chancel ~
plucked buds from the shrubs until "
hing but the green leaves were left ey'
Is lmpetuous raid was prompted by arr
ueSIie 70 secure mementOs of the -
iulhg; Men and women ran after the 1t
lily driven carriage. and watched the
'ty allght and ascend the steps of the On
rray Hill Hotel. In room 254 the
pie held a wedding reception. Scores w
women waited hours in the corridors Gu
a efance to kiss the bride and con- 70
tuIate her. \ golden-haired three I
rod, whose face was pretty as a bic. sue
came IN smilingly and fitted a fresh SuI
y Ia the groom's coat lapel. She was Car
as tail as he. The Countess kissed rec
" bril-
\ on are real good she said" and yer
mus invite me to your wedding when and
grow up" SuI
tina
run in a Japanese Dress. thr,
" wor
idon, March 1--WE are all talkino c;g.