Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-05
ONLY THE BRIDES WILL oRJECr.
Proposition to Do Away With the
Wedding Present Practice.

II see in The STAR that Eva - and Mr.
Bank are to be married. OF course we will
nave an invitation to the wedding" said q
Washington lady to her better half.
We', We can hardly afford to Co." was the
reply.
why not?"
ut is too expensive q business this attend
ing weddings nowadays. You might as well
appear at the house without a wedding gar
ment as without a wedding present Some of
our ministers occasionally cry out against ex-
pensive funerals. / wish some one would
preach crusade against expensive weddings.
Inc preachers won't though They know on
what side their bread is buttered and most of
mem would turn up their noses il the wedding
lee was not go bill at least from a DEPART
i ,9 clerk or a $500 check from q half mil
honaire's son.
III you attend wedding these DAYS Won are
expected to bestow a wedding Vif, on tba b,;de
py an means. There is a fashion in these things
1nu you must give, not according to your lncli-
nstlou' or even according to YOUR means hut
Ia nlode OF the circle in which you move. III
you have daughter out of long clothes she "a
asked to be bridesmaid, and you can no more
reiuse 10 let her be one than you can TO dine At
the White House. The etiquette of society
strictly forbids it. Then, unhappy man. WOW
are IN for IL, and no mistake Ionr daugb,ar
~
course, give splendid present on her own ac-
count, whilst the maGnifcence of the Joint one
OF yourself and wife must be proportionately
increased. You are supposed 10 be the free citi
zen OF a free country, in which no one can tax
you save the representative you yourself have
helped elect, and here q lot of people who are
Just as often as not almost complete strangers
to you personally, can walk into your house,
or rather drag you into theirs. and without
your having the power to resist or call out
mulct you to the extent Of a months house
rent.
These are some of the pains and penalties
"nlcn You have to pay for being a recognized
member of society. But even when you have
made up your mind. or it has been made up
f'r you by your more lavish better half to
gave handsome present TO the lovely creature
VINO Is taking advantage of her position TO get
all SIZE can out of her friends and acquaint-
ances the question still remains what to give.
Your present must be nice and costly one
OF course. When You go to the reception il is
just possible that the lovely creature who has
lined you so heavily will have scarce time TO
recognize your existence. Anybody decently
acquainted with the annals Of religious perse-
cutlon Is aware that it was no uncommon thing
IN the ages of faith for house to be set against
house and family against family and for even
wives to denounce their husbands for refusing
to sacrifice TO the predominant belief. 1t is
Just the same now. 1t Is invariably the wife of
ones bosom that turns against one in this mat
ter OF wedding presents. What can't be cured
must be endured and we have no expectation
OF seeing these enforced benevolences abol-
lshed. But what can't be cured can sometimes
be mended Why can't we have a mixed house
and poll tax and do away in this matter of we'd
ding presents?"