Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-05-18
n NEWLY WE'D.



Them Evils of the Rice Habit.
1t is a Pullman porter, who is talking
to an attentive scribe.
Hardly a week goes by" says the
porter, that don't see a bridal couple
just starting IN on their honeymoon.
| don't exactly know how lean tell them,
but they are as plainly marked to my
eyes as If they had the words bride and
groom stamped in big letters on their
foreheads. There is something about
them that gives the whole situation
away; a kind of a cling-right-next-to-me-
darling air, OF course. | have made a
mistake now and then. but it is very sell
dom | do, and I've often found out, after
changing my mind two or three times,
that was right after all, though certain
appearances were against it. We gem
orally have a test which never fails, and
when a doubtful party comes along we
spring it on them, just to be sure, you
know.
Whats the test? Well, I'll tell you.
Not many weeks ago a couple got into
my car and sat down very quietly in
their arm chairs as if they had been used
to it all their lives. These didn't seem to
have the bride and groom air about them
at all, and from external appearances
they might have been brother and sister
or married for years, but still there
was a something there that made me
suspicious, sc when | saw them together
l went to the news company's boy and /
says: Bill, here's a doubtful party; get
out the sample copies
80 Bill got his tests and started
through the car. He handed books to
everybody, and when he came to the sus-
pected party he took out of his pile two
little books, and said, SO nSrly every
body could hear him: Very useful books.
sir; hints on housekeeping and hints TO
newly married people. Only 25 cents
THAT did it. The girl got as red as a
rose and the man blushed and said a
weak sort Of 'N-n-n-no.' Then they
looked at each other and sort of snick-
cred, and | caught him full in the eyes
and smiled a sweet smile, giving him a
respectful wink at the same time. 1t
vas all settled in a minute, and there
was no doubt about it. Well, he took it
very good naturally, and asked me after
ward how in the world he had given
himself ~away-he couldn't imagine. /
believe we could always tell, and talked
so nicely he gave me a dollar when / got
through with him.
There are plenty of other ~giveaways
by which can spot brideand a groom,
and they are safe generally Us the test.
One day a couple came in the car
which, by the way was jam full-and
the moment they entered it was plain as
day that they were newly welded. l
passed by them one or twice. and then
went in my closet and got the dust pan
and brush. ] walked right up to where
the bride was sitting and busted up a
painful of rice that lay on the floor
around her in a complete circle. Well,
if the people in that car didn't laugh, I'm
another.
The custom OF throwing rice after a
bridal couple always makes it unpleasant
for the party, as lots OF rice is almost
sure to stick to their clothes, hats and in
their hair. About the funniest rice
thing l ever saw was that which hap
pened in my car just two or three weeks
ago. \ couple came in, and the test re-
vealed to me that they were bride and
groom. They didn't seem to take kindly
to it, however, and we couldn't get any
satisfaction out of them at all. By and
by the man said to his wife: Seems TO
me this umbrella is not rolled up very
nice"
Then he carefully unrolled it, and,
being. out anne three or four pocket
fuls Of rice all over the seats and floor.
Their friends had rolled up G lot inside
the folds of the umbrella, and, next to
the young man l heard tell about who,
when he went to sign his nam in a
hotel register, dropped a lot of rice on
the book when he took off his hat, it was
the most binding thing l ever knew
Philadelphia Record.