San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-03-21
A Sweet Egyptian Bride.

1 ~ "&S ~ Wiz lSosAAoNSl
bridge or double weir, the eastern
part spanning the Damietta and tn
Rosetta branch of the Nile. 1t wal
there that the late Khedive built
lovely palace and still more lovely
garden, which he perhaps graceo
with his presence once in his life anu
lett to decay, just as all Egyptians
have done since the world begun,
never renewing, never reviviDg, but
bu,lding as a child would build 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 ne who walks under the shadow
of the palms and gathers the Wild
roses, and eats the golden oranges
that, whether or no blossom, and bear
fruit in the deserted garden.
1t was from the balcony of his house
a part of she old palace, looking out
on the beautiful blooming country.
the green fields. the lovely mysterious
river, that we saw cavalcade
approaching and heard the sound of
the lutte and pipe. ''It is fantasia"
exclaim ID our host; a fantasia mean
ing any fete or fiesta. Down the long
white road they came, a procession OF
horesman on white Arabian steeds,
the last man dressed in handsome
raiment and bearing himself with the
proud air of one upon whom all eyes
were fixed. Next him strobe groom
ed and caparisoned camel, with q rich
blanket and embroidered saddle, after
this another camel with even more
gorgeous. trappings, who bore rich
palanquin, curtalned 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 train carrying household
furniture, bedding, stuffs, chests,
pots and pans, and all the various
appurtenances essential to house
keeping and furnishing in an oriental
country. 1t was the BRIDES comiag
to the husbands house, the last day
Of the wedding, and the conclusion of
the seven days. feasting. In a few
hours he would, for the first time, lift
the veil and see whether what his
mother has told him is true
whether she is almond eyed and rosy
checked, and supple of limb and
graceful of torn; whether she has
voice like the cooling of 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
ever been vouchsafed him. Poor fell
low; do those brilliant curtains shroud
loneliness or deformity?
Has the mother been won over by
the pile ofstuffs and the earrings and
bracelets to fancy beauty where there
are only riches? 1t has happened 30
in other lands. But the bride-have
no plying words for the bride, who
also is supposed to be ignorant of the
liDeaments of her husband? The
bride is woman; there are
windows, though latticed windows,
in her house in the village over the
plain, and the brown ewes were never
darkened, when, yelled and shrouded
she went to the mosque or well. We
may be sure the bride has seen him
manga 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
thing or not.
Everyone who visits Chicago and
goes to service at all. goes to hear DR..
Thomas or Professor Swing, and
these two devines are consequently
always classed together. Both are
are liberal in their views, both hold
their services, and both are liberal
patrons of the music and the drama.
Naturally, they are in no little
demand for weddings, and in this
line I am. Inld thay frenuently