Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-03-22
household linen. kitchen utensils sill.

| household linen, Kitchen utensils, Sill
yer articles, carpets. curtains, china,
furniture and piano. The latter is
said to be indispensable. They do not
care for plated articles. but require
that everything should be of solid sill
yer. People in very moderate circum-
stances begin early to lay by something
for the dowry of thoir daughters.
Wedding presents are seldom given by
friends. Should young wife die with
out leaving any children behind. her
dowry can be lawfully claimed by her
parents. The husband can retain only
the bed and the picture with which
his deceased vito was ceremonially
blessed.
Some times the young ladies' form
parties to help the intended bride make
her clothes. 1t is said to be popular
belief that if any part of the rousseau
forming the dowry be unpicked, the
Young couple will pick quarrels when
they are together.
The month of May is supposed to be
an unlucky month for marrying. The
name of the month resembles in sound
the Russian verb "to worry;" hence,
in part, the superstition. A more
likely explanation is this, that. as the
winter breaks up in May and the snow
melts, leaving much garbage to tester
in the hot sun, Il great amount of sick
ness is prevalent. and the month comes
to be regarded rs one unlucky and
trying
The guests are far more numerous
ut a Russian than at an English we'd
ding, They are invited to be ''assist-
ants at the wedding. The witness.
who is generally the grandest of tho
connections" of the family is the most
important person. He pays the priests
fees. Then come the ladies of honor
and the bridesmen. The latter have to
purchase sweetmeats for the brides
maids. The 'boyran, who carries
the sacred picture of Christ in silver
and gilt, is generally little boy.
When the party arrives ut the church
it is his duty to hand the two pictures
to the "reader" who places them be-
hind the royal gates" or leaning
against the altar screen.
The old nurse or housekeeper, super
intends the carrying of the dowry
from the house of the bride to that of
her future husband, and arranges
everything for the use of the bride.
There is no law rs to the number of
bridesma dis or their costumes. Their
dresses are not all alike.
On the eve of the wedding day some
times farewell girls party" is Civ
en-. No gentleman attends this. All
those present must be from the I'm mar
ried. TheV sing choruses, chase each
other in the garden, and romp to their
hearts content They devOur any
amount of tea, Ice cream. lemonade
and sweetmeats. After supper they
say farewell and leave the intended
bride very exhausted in view of the
ceremonies Of the following day. The
old custom for the betrothcd pair to
fast (eat nothing) on the day of their
marriage until the ceremony, which, in
the family of noble always takes
place in the evening. This makes the
day most tiresome TO girl The
bride distributes her east off girlsh
TOYS, ribbons and jewclry to her COM
panions. These things are called
''mailen beauty" The peasant girls
cut up and divide among their compan-
ions on their wedding day the long
ribbons which are fastened at the end
of the plat of hair which hangs down
the back These peasants immed late
ly after their MARI age have the hair
braided in two plats and wound around
the head, then covered with a sort OF
tight cap tied behind, or with cotton
or silk handkerchief. When at Pagola
in Florin, often saw the unmarried
girls troOping along in the evetide,
baud in hand. singing their weird mel
odies. and friends told me to notice
the difference in the st lie of the hair
of the married and unmarried. The
MARI ed women have in addition, un-
der the invariabe handkerchief, lit
piece of linen, n lappet about the SIZE
of a form, hanging over the centre of
the forehead. This is more evident
proof of marriage than wearing n we'd
ding ring.
When the women begin to braid up
the hair, they sing part of wedding
song.
Ali my braid, nv braid OF maiden hair;
Ali soon shall 1t be divided in two!