The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-05-23

DOMEN1CO MORETTI.
But to the bridal couples! They are
so numerous on the wooded island that
one stops counting them and numbers
them as part of the scenery of the
island along with the black swans and
the white geese. They seem to prefer
its simplicity to the gildcd elegance of
the Administration building or the
gold and white of the public reception
rooms.
The Midway Plaisancc is another
charming place at the fair 1t is as
quaint and as different from the rest
of the exposition as though it were no
part Of it. There arc thirteen villages
upon il. and each village is a, complete
rs if it had been brought directly from
the place which it represents without
c"cn undergoing n change of scene.
All a!nn% the Midway Plaisancc bridal
couples arc seen wandering through
out the day and as late into the night
as the guard will permit. And early
the next morning they arc at it again,
still sightseeing and still enjoying.
And just here comes in the funny
part of some of the bride-and-groom
episodes. The Midway Plaisancc is full
of very interesting and very attentive
women who inhabit the villages. and
sometimes the young bridcgrooms are
attracted by their charms more than
is agreeable to the feelings of the
brides.
In the Turkish village there is girl
who was sent here because she was the
faircst girl in Bethlehem, the sacred
city OF Palestine. Her lame is Esther.
and she Is known as ''thc daughter OF
liamilli.' Esther is as lovely as the
day and She dresses in the picturesque
costume worn by the natives of Judea.
Her hair IS piled high on the top of her
head and there it is covered hy Z great
hcad-drcss of snow-whitc linen that
falls to hcrfcct It is just such head
dress as Mrs. George Gould wore in one
OF Nr. DAYS plays when She was Miss
Edith Kingdom and was part and par
eel OF Days stock company. And it is
said that it was in this costume that
the young multi-mllionaire saw her
and was charmed 10y her beauty.
Esther the daughter of IIanilli. is
an actress also, and She is to appear in
the Turkish theatcr and play every
day all summer. When the bridal
couples wander through the Midway
Plaisancc, and when the young bride
grOoms see Esther in their visit to the
Turkish village, they are charmed past
all concealment, and rave over the rich
olive in her checks and the soft, won
dering look in her eyes.
The brides do not always relish this
admiration, and it is noticed by every
one that the visit TO the Turkish vii
lagc is made shorter than to the others.
1T is not that object to having my
husband look at beautiful woman"
said one of the Young brides TO friend,
as she hurried her month-old groom
along, IF it were only a civilized
woman that he is admiring. But to
stand and stare like that n / a heather
and, perhaps, a sun worshipcr, too,
fairly makes my blood run cold. Come
away, all of you, aS quickly as you
can"
The fair grounds are full of bridal
spots. 1t is just the place for honey
moon outing. 1t is quite different
from the Centennial, for there it was
more like mere exhibition. But here
it is as if one were enjoying real life in
distant and ideal lands. BY all means,
if yon are not married and expect to be
married some day, shorten up the time
If YOU can, and come to the fair on q
tour. Or, if you are celebrating n we'd
ding anniversary and want to bring
the past back very wildly, and grow
young again with the brides and
grooms, come by all means You can
talk about it forever afterwards. And,
as young bride eXubcrantly ex-
pressed it:
I'VE feel as if we had been ali around
the world on our wedding tour and
now we arc ready to go home and live
on the memory of our, journey. We Wis
tied tho crown jewels in the tower of
London; we drank Russian tea in n
Russian tea house; we rode in n Jan
ancso jinraclSshaw, took Chinese
dinner, sailed across the lagoon to the
California building and then took the
intramural railway home. And we did
it all in three days and saw thousand
sights besides. Chicago is now tho
idyllic place for wedding tourists,