St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-08-19
THE DOOM OF THE BRIDESMAID


THE DOOM OF THE BRIDESMAID.
Abolstie. Il the RePeese.s.savs q Masa-
sshooA at WeAdlaga.
One hears every now and again that
the bridesmaid is doomed-that in the
near future the social chronicler will
be reading up" her function and du.
ties with view to suggesting the re.
vival of n pretty but obsolete custom,
and, indeed, there are not wanting
signs of the gradual disappearance Of
this traditional representative Of youth,
beauty and innocence. So says IN
English writer.
There seems to b . tendency 70 90
in for little girls Is bridesmaids just n
there is = tendency to 60 in for little
boys rs pages, and it is not unlikely
that, rs some cynical bachelor has said,
we shall presently be having bridal
professions in which the bride Twill
look like . Sunday-school teacher OF
the matron of IN infant school as she
walks up the aisle"
Now we all recognize In theory-aa
very often we do in reality-that there
can be nothing prettier than = little
group of fair satellites attending the
heroine of the bridal drama to the al
tar. The rigid antiquarians tell "a
that bride has NO right to more than
two maids-that every follower after
this is merely . supernumerary. But
modern brides who aspire to be fash
ionable are not content with such .
modest following; and Il II here that
the shoe pinches, for, unfortunately,
just as the number increases, SO OF
course does tho expense increase to the
bridegroom.
This is the real trouble about the
bridemaid. She II sweet, she is pretty,
she ID everything that the heart of man
not going forward to the altar can de-
sire; but she has come to be merely .
costly luxury. Il would not be SO bad
il she served any really useful purpose.
But her Office, unlike that of the old
time bridemaid, is practically . sine
cure. The duties are rs nominal rs the
responsibilities are imaginary, and it is
probably within the mark to say that
on the wedding day she enjoys herself
better than any other woman there.
Yet she expects. as matter Of right,
her dainty, costly bit Of jewelry or
other gift, and Of course the boquet
has to be provided by the bridegroom
rs we'll
The tax has become 20 burdensome
that the prospective and exasperated
benedicts are beginning to ask whether
the bridemaid can not be dispensed with
altogether, and rs . slight means Of
escape from the tax the tiny bride
maids are gradually being put in the
place Of their older sisters, the former
being naturally less exacting in the
matter of presents The so-called pages
are even better still, since they expect
neither jcwelry nor bouquets, and the
only objection to them seems to be that,
~ one lady has put it, they ''alter-
nately tread ON the brides train and
trot after it." A rehearsal might,
however, remove that cause of objec-
ton without much trouble.
In France il is said that new pro.
fession has sprung up IN connection with
weddings, whereby certain needy indi-
viduals are enabled to hire themselves
out rs '.givers away" Of brides who are
married without parental consent In
regard to bridemaids there might be
something of the same kind. In any
case the ''consideration" would Ger
tainly weigh less heavily ON the bride
groom than the present tax. Every
bridegroom must be affable and accom-
modating in the matter of bridemaids,
but experience has taught . good many
bridegroom that they can be some
what too agreeable for their own pock-
cts.
Select something nice for YOURSELF"
il . dangerous thing to say to pretty
bridemaid when You are arranging
about the usual gift We read recently
of a case in which bridegroom threw
his responsibility upon ten girls-just
fancy choosing presents for ten girls
BY asking them to make . selection for
themselves. Two only out of the ten
could agree, and on the sll-important
day the bride found herself deprived Of
four Of her friends, who had quarreled
irretricvably.
Evidently the exasperated bride
grooms mean to have their revenge,
and the brilliant bevy Of bridemaids
looking each like . Flora with her SUI
perb bouquet will soon be numbered
with the things that were. Sentiment
says that ON the whole it is . pity, but
sense and the pockets Of the bride
grooms declare in favor d the change.
-Philadelphia Press