The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-11
A FANTASIA.
Passing Glimpse by a Traveller Of
an Egyptian Bride Party.

1t was in the Barrage, that famous
bridge or double weir, the eastern part
spanning the Damietta, andthe western
part the Rosetta branch OF the Nile. 1t
was there that the lateKhe divebuilta
lovely palace and still more lovely
garden, which he perhaps graced with
his presence once inhis life and left to
decay, just as all Egyptians have done
since the world began, never renew
ing, never %reviving, but building, as a
child would a toy house, to pull down
and begin another.
An American engineer, one OF the
half dozen retained in Office, has
charge of the bridge, and it is he who
walks under the shadow of the palms
and gathers the wild roses and eats
the golden oranges that whether or
no blossm and bear fruit in the de-
serted garden.
1t was from the balcony Of his
house, a part of the old palace. look
ing out on the beautiful, blooming
country; the green fields, the lovely,
mysterious river, that we saw a caval-
cade approaching, and heard the
sound of the flute and pipe. 1T is a
fantasia exclaimed our host; q fan
tasia meaning any fete or fiesta.
Down the long white road they came,
a procession of horsemen on white
Arabian steeds, the last nan dressed
in handsomest raiment and bearing
himself with the proud air of one
upon whom all eyes were fixed.
Next to him strobe a groomed cap
arisoned camel, with a rich blanket
and an embroidered saddle, and after
this another camel with even more
gorgeous trappings, who bore q rich
palanquin curtained on every side
with gold and crimson hangings.
within sat the bride. Following the
bride were three other camels, on
which were seated yelled women, and
then came a train carrying household
furniture, bedding. stuffs, chests, pots
and pan all the various appurten-
ances essential to housekeeping and
furnishing in an oriental country.
1t was the brides coming to the hus-
bands house, the last day of the we'd
ding. and the conclusion of the seven
days feasting. In a few hours he
would for the first time lift the veil
and see whether indeed what his
mother had told him is true; whether
she is Acknowledged and rosy checked,
and supple of limb and graceful of
form; whether she has a voice like the
cooling OF a dove, and is learned in the
making of bread and dakkah, for not
one glimpse of her face, not one word
from her lips has yer been vouch-
safed him. Poor fellowl Do those
brilliant curtains shroud loveliness or
deformity?
Has the mother been won over by
the pile of stuffs and the earrings and
bracelets to fancy beauty where there
are only riches? 1t has happened so
in other lands. But the bride-have
| no plying words for the bride, who
is also supposed to be ignorant of the
lineaments OF her husband? The
bride is a woman; there are windows,
though latticed windows, in her
house in the village owe the plain,
and the brown eyes were never dark
ened, when, yelled and sbrouded, she
went to the mosque or we'll.
w may be sure the bride has seen
him many a day and oft, and loved or
hated him after the fashion OF women
who, heaven be praised, do not need
a century Of contemplation to make
up their minds whether they like a
| thing or not. Carlo Letter in the Hart.
ford Currant.