Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-10-16
WEDDING CAsKETs.
Olden Time Marriages and the Present
Which Accompanied Them.

Olden Time Marriages and the Presents
Which Accompanied Them.
When men stole their wives without the
formality Of considering in the least the
feelings, wishes or preferences Of the
ladies concerned, there was no thought Of
presenting the bride with any thing save
the necessary utensils for housekeeping,
says the st. Louis Globe-Democrat, and the
promise of condign punishment in case they
were not properly and efficiently used.
When, however, marriage became con-
tract and was recognized as such, the con-
sent Of the bride was an important prelimi-
nary, and was generally secured by gifts,
sometimes of nominal, often of real value.
AS civilization changed the conditions Of
life, the married state became much more
expensive; the wife became drag on the
resources of her husband, and then began
10 demand that, instead Of paying for their
wives, they should receive some compensa-
ton for being willing TO marry. This origl-
mated the brides dowry, on the principle
that as marriage is contract and the az
penses of married man are far greater
than those of bachelor, the bride should
contribute to the resources Of the house
hold.
In every Welsh neighborhood, until al
most the middle of the present century,
there was fupctionary known as the bid
der. The duty OF this important official was
TO give notice Of an approaching marriage,
which he did by peFambulating the neigh
borhood and surrounding country announce
ing the festivities, inviting every body to
attend, and stating in pleasant Welsh dog
gerel rhymes the important people who
would be present, the merits Of the groom,
the beauty and graces OF the bride, and the
oh ~ ali Of ho yiop de- 4 az
would be placed before the guests. He also
served notice on all persons indebted in wed
ding gifts to the groom and bride or to their
parents to pay up at once, the meaning Of
which peculiar dun will be apparent in the
light OF the fact that on previous occasions
the parents of the pair have contributed to
the household effects Of half the peighbor-
hood, and naturally desire return,
On the day of the wedding the presents are
laid out In rows on tables, and an auctioneer,
paid for the purpose, attends and values at a
cash rate every thing that has been present
ed Receipts in due form are given, and in
case the gift is not tbs payment of debt
similarly incurred, q return Of similar value
is expected when a marriage takes place
in the family Of the donor. BY this plan
the drain on resources Of families for we'd
ding presents is, In some measure, made
good by a return, for among the Welsh the
same kind Of article is, If possible, returned
when payment is requested, so that he who
gives a pickle dish receives pickle dish,
and 70 prevent multiplicity OF pickle dishes
consultation OF neighbors is generally held
at which the gifts TO be made acc determined
Among the wedding presents, however,
there Is often one which, from its pc
culiarity, is observable. IT is gift from
| the groom TO the bride, and is Ia the form OF
a small box, to contain such little trinkets
/ as she may have. Once it was an tnvarla-
Bile accompaniment of wedding, but, like
! The bidding and the bidder, it Is now falling
into disQse, and is more rarely seen than
even in the middle OF the present century.
But three or four hundred years ago the
wedding casket was as important an acces-
sorry to the ceremony as the ring,
During the middle ages there were among
the Kings and noblemen of Europe two
kinds Of marriages-the one in which the
i wife shared the honor of her husband, and
her children inherited his rank and fortune
if he bad any, the other in which he gave
his left hand during the ceremony; his wife
was merely his legalized companion, hel
/ children could not inherit his property, anC
she herself did not take his name nor SHARE
his rank. The latter marriage was con
/ frmed the morning after its celebration by
g1ft-the rgengahe-generally OF oeeui
to property, the documents being iuciOsee
in a small but valuable box. In passing, il
may be noted that many complications grew
out Of these two styles Of matrimony, fol
certain noblemen conceived the idea that
beside regular, right-hand wife they were
entitled also 70 morganatic or left-hant
spouse, If they wanted enc. Philip Land
grave, Of Hesse, one Of the supporters ofth,
reformation, was Of this opinion, but being
= man Of prudence, determined to take &c
, clesiastical counsel on the subject. and &C