The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-29
I TURKISH WEDDING.



State Tor Three Days
For fully two hours we sat croSsleEged
on the couch before word came that the
bride was approaching. Then we all crowd
Ell out into the hail and mp one flight OF
stairs to he room especially prepared FOR
the reception Of the bride. This room was
EorEeoUsly furnished in European style.
with bright red carpet, chairs upholster-
ed in scarlet and gold satin, and with win
dow hEugiugs % the same material Be
tween the two windows opposite the door
8 large armchair stood beneath liver OF
artificial rosebUshes profuseIy blCSoning
with red and yellow tissue paper roses.
The other chairs were ranged against the
wall on three sides of the room.
y great tumult and c.aJter Of voices an
nounced the arrival Il the bride As the
party was heard ascending the stairs ali
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 lthe real hostessl,
then the brides relatives (only women, Of
course), and then the groom, a fine looking
young man in dark blue military uniform,
holding the bride b. the elbow. At sight
of her all the women broke out in eXclama-
lions Of pious admiration. And certainly
her costume was gorgeous enough to excite
wonder at least. She was dressed in a long
trained gown of pink satin, embroidered
with silver roses. Her tightly curled hair
was crowned with white ostrich plumes
fastened with a spray of diamonds. and n
veil of silk and tinsel fell TO the end Of her
train. From her headdress, on either side
of her face, dangled long streamers of sill
yer tinseI threads.
But all this elegance by no means drew
attention from the face of the bride which
was made most conspicuous 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 a relative of the bride quickly
closed the door and held it for a few min
utes 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 ali
speed, eXclaiming, Hurry, hurry" 1t was
an undignified retreat, but as it was an in
novatiOn to allow the bridegroom even this
much participation in the ceremony pro-
priety made it necessary for him to with
draw as soon as he had seated the bride
They told that he would go to his part
of the house to make merry with his mas
culine friends.
As soon as he had vanished below we all
hocked 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 fin
ger, and as we sat solemnly about the
room in a silent, admiring circle, with eyes
fixed upon this rigid, inanimate looking
figure, l felt as If we We're assisting at the
worship of some heather idol. An extra
pair of arms would have made the illusion
quite complete. But after few minutes
had elapsed the bride proved herself hui
| man 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 her breath. 1t was not
| long before she was back in the chair of
| state, as rigid as ever.
Later in the day, and after partaking OF
| a meal thac had been prepared for us, we
went back TO drink last cup of coffee in
| the presence of the bride and to chat a lit
| tie with our hostess before taking leave.
| Several of the brides relatives were just
| going, and each of them kissed her on either
! cheek Carefully, so as not to dislodge the
| diamonds) and whispered something in her
ear. to which she replied with eyes still
| downcast. Poor thingl They told us that
| she would have to sit in state for three sue
cessiye days before the wedding 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 deliberately for the honor
| we had conferred upon them by our pres
| ence at the ceremony. And the smiling
| throng OF slaves followed us to the street
| door, reiterating: 'GOodby! Come again.
until our carriage ratified away over the
cobblcstcnes of S6ambol.-New York Post.