The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-28
At A TURKISH WEDDING.
Three American Girls Bidden as Guests II
COnsta n inople.

legged on the couch before WOru came
that the bride was approaching. Then
we all crowded out into the hall and
up one fight of stairs to the room pre-
pared for the reception of the bride.
/ This room was gorgeously furnished in
| European style, with bright red car
/ pet chairs upholstered in scarlet and
! gold satin, and with window hangings
! OF the same material Between the
/ two windows opposite the door large
armchair stood beneath bower of ar
| titicial rose bushes, profusely blossom
| ing with red and yellow tissue paper
roses. The other chairs were ranged
against the wall on three sides of the
! room.
! A great tumult and clatter of voices
| announced the arrival of the bride. AS
the party was heard ascending the
stairs all the women, who had removed
their wells on coming into the house,
hastily threw them over their heads
again. First came the sister of the
groom 1.-THE real hostess), then the
I brides relatives (only women, of
course), and then the groom, a fine
/ looking young man in dark blue mill
tary uniform holding the bride by the
elbow. At sight of her all the women
broke cut in EXPLANATIONS of pious ad-
lniration. And certainly her costume
was gorgeous enough to excite wonder
at least. She was dressed in long
trained gown of pink satin, embroidered
with silver roses Her tightly curled
hair was crowned with ostrich plumes
fastened with spray of diamonds, and
a veil Of silk and tinsel fell to the end
of her train. From her headdress on
either side of her face, dangled long
streaners Of silver tinsel threads.
But all this elegance b. no means
drew attention from the face of the
bride, which was made most conspicu-
GUS by being adorned with big clusters
of brilliants stuck with gum arabic on
the forehead, either cheek, and chin.
| need not add that the effect was
grotesque.
The groom escorted her into the
room of state, and the guests were
pressing in after them, when relative
of the bride quickly closed the door
and held it for few minutes until it
was opened by the young man. The
moment he reappeared the women
threw their wells over their heads again
and literally pushed him down stairs
with all speed, exclaiming: Hurry.
hurry" 1t was an undignified retreat,
but as it was an innovation to allow
the bridegroom even this much parti.
cipation in the ceremony, propriety
made it necessary for him to withdraw
as soon as he had seated the bride.
They told us that he would go to his
part of the house to make merry with
his masculine friends.
AS soon as he had vanished below we
oil fiocked in to look at the bride. She
was carefully arranged in the chair
under the tissue-paper roses. Her
downcast eyes were fixed upon her
folded. white-gloved hands, where
rings sparkled on every finger, and as we
sat solemnly about the room in silent,
admiring circle, with eyes fixed upon
this rigid. Misunderstanding fig
ure, l felt as if vo were assist
ing at the wora-'5 of some
heather idol. An extra pair of arms
would have made the illusion
quite complete. But after few min
utes had elapsed the bride proved her
self human being by fainting away.
Of course this caused great tumult and
confusion. The women all talked at
once, and rushed wildly about like SO
many hens, until at last the bride was
carried into another room to recover
she was back in the chair of state, as
rigid as ever.
Later in the day. and after partaking
of meal that had been prepared for
us, we went back to drink last cup of
coffee in the presence of the bride and
to chat little with our hostess before
taking leave. Several of the brides
them kissed her on either cheek (care-
fully, SO as not to dislodge the dia-
monds) and whispered something in
her ear, to which she replied with eyes
still downcast. Poor thing: they told
us she would have to sit in state for
three successive days before the we'd
ding could be considered at an end.
At last, with many salaams and ex-
changes of compliments, we took leave
of all the assembly. Our hostess shook
hands with us-out of respect to our
custom-and thanked us elaboratelv
for the honor we had conferred upon
them by our presence at the ceremony.
And the smiling throng of slaves fol-
lowed us to the street door, reiterating:
Good by. come again. until our car
riage ratified away over the cobble-
stones of Stamboul--N Y. Post.
Thoughtlessness of speech.
It is not, however. the pen that