The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-05
AN EGYPTIAN BRIDE.
She Was in an Ordinary Wedding Pro-
cessiOn in tho Streets Of Cairo.

She Was in an Ordinary Wedding Pro-
cession in tho Streets Of Cairo.
It was in the Barrage, that famous
bridge or double weir, the eastern part
spanning the Damietta and the western the
Rosetta branch of the Nile. 1t was there
that the late khedive built a lovely pal
ace and still more lovely garden, which he
perhaps graced with his presence once in
his life and left to decay, just as ali Egyp-
tians have done since the world begun,
never renewing, never reviving, but build
ing as child would build toy house, TO
pub down and begin another. An Ameri
can engineer, one of she 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
blossom and bear fruit in the deserted gar
den.
1t was from the balcony of his house,
part of the 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 lit is
fantasia" exclaimed our host; fantasia
meaning any fete or fiesta. Down the long
white road they came, procession of
horsemen 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 a groom and caparlsoned
camel, with rich blanket and embroidered
saddle, and after this another camel with
even more gorgeous trappings, who bore
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 train car
rying household furniture, bedding, stuffS,
chests, pots and pans, and all the various
appurtenances essential to housekeeping
and furnishing in an oriental country.
1t was the brides coming to the hus-
bands house, the last day of the wedding,
and the conclusion of the seven days
feasting. In few hours be would for the
first time lift the veil to see whether, in
deed, what his mother has told him is
true; whether she is almond-eyed and
rosy-cheeked, and supple of limb and
graceful Of form; whether she has 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 ever been vouchsafed him.
Poor fellow: do those brilliant curtains
shroud loneliness or deformity?
Has the mother been won over by the
pile of stuffs and the earrings and brace
let's 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 also is supposed to be ignor-
ant of the lineaments of her husband? The
bride is a woman; there are windows,
though latticed windows, in her house In
the village over the plain, and the brown
eyes were never darkened when, yelled
and shrouded, she went to the mosque or
well. We may be sure the bride has seen
him many 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.-Cor.
Hartford Courant.