Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-18
WEDDING At OAHU.
MARITAL CUsT0MS OF THE M
TIYES.
The Wedding Processions-Mak
the Bride Cry-Cheap House.
keeping Outfit-Etc.


dings since have been here, but the best
have ever seen, and in fact one of the best
ever held at Laie, occurred about two weeks
ago. OF course all of the white people were
solicited to 90, as their attendance serves to
give all eciat TO the affair very much ap-
preciated by our dusky neighbors. The
bride was girl about IS years old, and
lived only few rods rom my own door.
Her name was Mele Mary, and she has
served for some time as one of our kitchen
maids. So she had imbibed high notions
as TO dress and personal adornments. The
groom was 4 young man about IS years
old, should Judge, and lived down at I.aie
Malou, as the little cluster Of houses is
called, two miles south of here.
About 10 O'Clock Saturday morning the
bell which is commonly used as a signal
for all sorts Of gatherings iingled out its
shrill summons. | had been watching
from the doorway the little grass hut be-
low the hill, where dWelt the center of the
DAYS interest-Mele. Girls and bows in
shining white, awkWardly crowned with
wreaths, and peggng about with uncom-
Portable shoes on, ran III and out the hut.
Out flew the bride once in q curious IN
dress fashion, with hair tightly screwed in
curl papers. After her rushed the groom :;
| and only the dense shelter of the trees and
bushes can tell what followed, in the way
OF frQlic. However, from all parts of the
compass locked gaily- dressed crowd the
women appearing mostly in white with
startling combinations of coloIs as orna-
ments, in the shape of ribbons, scarfs, arti-
fetal and real flowers jostling each other
on the same spreading breast. In about
half an hour all was ready, and
THE PROCESSION FORMED
The brass band hired for the day at the
muuifcent sum of 50, with feast privileges.
took the lead, followed by stout woman
! bearing the national flag. The members of
! the Hui Manaiva Lea (Relief Society fol-
| lowed. Then came the Hui Opio young
! Peoples Association), and now the bride
and groom pace slowly behind, the brides
| head held down, either with modesty or
| frantic fear least her unusual head gear
might fall Of, am unable 10 decide Which.
| Behind them came three bridesmaids, ac-
! cOmpanied by three groomsmen in quite the
orthodox way. The father and mother,
| relatives, friends and promiscuous crowd
Of men, women and children bring up the
rear. We follow at convenient distance.
I j
school-house where the ceremony is to be
| performed. Evidently, the man. er Of con-
! Quoting the affair was prearranged, for all
| perform theil parts with the stiff precision
of Impractical actors.
In font of a small table the native gen
| tlcman Peter stands, with the case and
| grace CT q courtier. The bridesmaids and
groomsmen precede the bride and groom,
and on nearing the table separate and
! allow the bridal couple TO stand at the foot
of the small column facing the preacher.
Peter gives out hymn, which is taken up
by nearly all present and sung with great
gusto. He next offers a short prayer and
again gives out hymn. This hymn is
sung to the Hawaiian national air, and is
| modulated about like the Doxologv. Nat
urally this sets the chief actors to CRYING.
When this is over to the satisfaction of
every one present, Peter commences har-
rangue
ADDRESSING THE BRIDE AND GROOM
In succession. While he is talking we
have nothing else to do, as we understand
so little of it, but to examine the dresses
worn by the bride and her attendants
She, like almost every native woman,
| seems 10 be unconscious that nothing looks
half so well on a native as their own flow
ing, concealing, graceful holokus. We call
them Mother Hubbard wrappers. She has
on sort of wrapper drawn tightly back
with shirred overdress trimmed with mar
row lace. The loopings on the front are
ornamented with white-cloth rosebuds
Her black shoes look quite rs awkward as
they feel, am sure; her hair is frizzled
and curled and covered with white vail,
made of the same material as her dress
(white linen cheese cloth and edged all
round with narrow cheap lace. The stamp
of the bolt stares boldly out in one corner
OF the vail, which reaches to the waist, ad-
yertising the enterprising American who
thus proclaims himself on the house-tops,
or headtops, without purse or scrip. Arti-
fetal roses surmount the vail, while o
bunch of lovely dropping oleanders are
carelessly pinned in her bosom.
The groom and his attendants wear
white canvas or moleskin pants and vests,
with either white or black coats. The
bridesmaids look so odd, almost slouchy,
in in.made waist dresses of white, with
high wreaths OF oleande-S, roses, and ferns
pressed down over their triZzled and be-
curled heads thar, but for decency, one
could not help laughing. All this while,
Peter has been telling these young people
HOW PLEAsAETLY THEY MUST DWELL To-
GErHEE,
Aud sundry other things no doubt about
their trying at least to be true 10 each other
three parts of the time. Then he holds up
paper which suppose to be the marriage
certiiica t, but which turns out TO be his
license to marry, and politely requests us
all to look closely at it, and thus be sure of
his authority. And then aloit waves the
certificate, and its merits are descanted on
at length. After this he slowly pronOunces
them man and wife. Once more he lifts
I IN, irit
nearly all the audience, and then solemny
pronounces long benediction.
We thought then it was over, but it vas
not Peter left the table and marched
! down 10 the group, the couple advancing
| to meet Elm. Taking their hands, he pro-
! caeded to make them cry in the most ap-
proved fashion, all hands joining in the
| pleasant diversion. Assuming q lighter
| tone, be congratulated them warmly, and
| turned them round 10 face the conGrega
/ ton, instead Of himself. As soon as he
was through the bridesmaid and grooms-
man, furthest from the bridal pair, adj
vanced toward each other, ciasped hands
| formally, and marched up to the bride and
groom, the girl kissing the bride and the
| boy saluting his lost companion. That
done, they wheeled around and
marched back, taking their former
places. The second couple next went
| through the same performance, followed by
the third The mother then advanced, and
1 after her retreat, the poor, ill-ueated old
father tottered up and
RUBBED NOSES WITH HIS DEPARTING DAUGH-
! TER
| Just here the brass band reused US from
the semi-paralytic state into which this
scene had thrown u.s. and we slowly recoy-
cred We, too, should have been affected
| by this always important event, if we had
! felt as though marriage to them was any
thing more than a snowy event. Good
| gracious my ears Jingle every week with
some new scandal among these lustful peo-
pie, and when it is one of my favorites, to
/ whom | have shown more than usual kind
ness, and who seemed as exemplary as any
| white person could be, l just feel sick
ened with disgust, and wonder at the
! infinite patience of those who will
| labor year after year for the redemption OF
such degraded, fallen race. But when
| one remembers that, in all their traditions,
there is no such thing remembered as vir-
tue and constancy-when one knows that
| there never has been even the form OF q
marriage among them until introduced by
the white men, who have too often sank
to the low level around them, instead of
seeking to raise the Hawaiian Standard
then slight hope arises within the earnest
heart, lghtened by the knowledge that
! Ill ha frf1r,A