Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-12-03

train OF uphfted lanterns, proceeds to the
bridegrooms house. Hurrah for Hymen!
Every chamber and every room, from
nook to corner, the whole house is mer
rily lit and ablaze with a forest of
candles. Upon the altar of family wor-
ship, unseen gods seem to assemble, de-
scending the beams of Pickering lights
and graciously accepting the joyful
offerings of game of the mountains,
fishes of the seas and the first growths
of the earth. Hurrah fo- the holy
union!
Yonder in the best hall of the house,
the candles, larger than mans arm,
blithely spread their rays over the new
carpets. the new ceilings, the new doors,
and the new walls; and in deep cut
niche there hangs silken panel whereon
stand venerable couple of snow
crowned ages, under an evergreen
bower of stalwart pine, praising the rise
of yonder sun, mathematical of happy
union, pure life, old age, and increasing
health. To its left another hangs with a
picture of snow white crane leisurely
contemplating the serene blossoms of
the ume tree-suggestive of chaste lofti-
ness of philosophic salvation.
On the right hand side the third panel
represents q tortoise. covered with sea-
weeds, trailing like long tassels of golden
wool, in calm rest under few graceful
bamboo trees, famous for their pliable
but unbreakable strength the whole
10; rla p,nal- Int IL n lNIa
virtue and slow but sure triumph of
Righteousness. Then in the center of the
hall on small lacquered table, are dis
played heaps of Kombu, q seaweed OF
great tenacity and duration, and Of other
vegetables. equally mathematical of vari
GUS human virtues, skillfully piled and
carved into shapes of a prospecting pine
tree, pair of cranes, their nest and
nestlings, and so on-indicating the happy
future of the union which is now going
to be made.
But hush! here comes Mrs. Nakaudo,
the earthly representative of the god
Hymen, leading by the arm the bride,
so fair and SO modest, blushing under
silken veil; they pass in solemnly through
the guests door and seat themselves be-
fore the symbolic table. Three minutes
later, Mr.. Nakaudo leads in the bride
groom, who takes his seat opposite the
bride; and llr. " opposite Mrs. n. These
are truly man and wife of estimable
character aud are the mutual friends OF
the bride and bridegroom's parents or
guardians, honored by the latter with
the trust OF officiating at the holy cere-
mony.
Well, then, the rs introduce the young
people each 10 the ether. Inaudible ac-
acknowledgements and solemn bowling on
both sides fsllow. Then Mr. n. proceeds
to declare the duties of man and
wife. and OF their welded life-a solemn
declaration, uttered in slow, soft, but
penetrating tone. \ funny sight, how
ever. looked from its funny side-two
men ard two women sitting cross legged
on the carpet, numbling gravely over
heap of tasteless weeds and roots! But
to see the matter so funnily one must be
funny creature too. Looked at from
the serious side, how much more pro-
found in its truth than in mere show
OF ceremony.
"Henceforward you are husband and
wife" So says our Nakaudo; and they
become husband and wife. They do not
exchange promises, nor do they grasp
each other by the hands.
"Henceforward you are husband and
wife" So commands the Nakaudo, and
they VOW each other in unuttered words
strict obedience to this commandment,
and signify this by drinking spirit OF
Sake out of the same cup, three and
three and three-nine times.
So ends the sacred ceremony. Then
.he nearest relatives of the husband are
hurried in turn to the presence Of the
bride to be introduced to her. All! but
now follows the banquet, only not a
good, jolly one. 1t is a family banquet;
none but the blood relatives of the hus-
band and the very nearest of the bride
are present. 1t is solemn, formal one
in spite of all the magnificent dishes and
sparkling wines.
So cnds a japanese wedding in solem-
nifty from beginning to the end, and I
rather think it should course L am
not writing of our jinrikisiiamen's and
coolies wedding, which some smart for.
eigners saw, and to which they added
little color and introduced silly modlfica-
tons, and finally fitted up for model
festival of Christian churches to raise
charity! Yet l do not mean to say cur
lower classes marry without any cere
mony; only they are generally jolly peo-
pie, and everything goes in Jolly way
with them.
The legal side of marriage in Japan is
only this, that no marriage is legal until
it is registered at the registry office, and
the law recognizes only one man and one
woman as wife and husband. Japan
is not polygamous nation.
If it is the question of law, Japan is
not a polygamous nation. If, as matter
of popular sentiment, the younger gener-
alton has it entirely against anything
short of total announcement of the old
idea-and what nation has not had its
old idea in practice at one time or an
other? At all events, if the Japanese
marriage system seems all unnatural to
foreigners, we have still the satisfaction
of being able to disprove that silly state
ment which has Of late greatly tickled
the incurable sore of bald-headed, false.
teethed bachelors and maidens, "3lar
riage is failure because it is emi'
nently successful in Japan, although di-