The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04
AN ARABCOUPLE Welded.
PICTURESoUE CEREMONY At THE
NIRONTTE CHJRCH.

BRILLIANT A~ssembIaRe or the washlnetou
Street Colony Lighted Csndles Per-
fumes, and RosnrIer - Poems or Cou-
graduation In syriae and Ensiish.
With poetry and song Mr.. Fsris A. Ferzan
and Miss Sassol MaloOf were welded In st.
Peters Maronite Church at 81 Washington street
on Sunday night. II was after 4 o'clock when
the wedding party entered the church. which IL
in the fourth story Of a building turned into .
tenement inhabited by Arabs. Going UP through
the narrow winding halls and the dark stair
ways, the air Of which was fragrant with the
aromatic perfumes OF the Orient, the guests
found themselves in n large, low room filled
with seats, which faced an altar.
shortly after the doors were opened these
seats were filled with an audience nine-tenths
of which was Arabic. The men for the most
part wore the ordinary American black cutaway
suit, and the one or two who appeared In their
characteristic silken raiment of brilliant hue
stood out consplcuously magnificent among their
brethren. As for the women, who were in the
majority, surely no other nation whose daugh.
ters have come to this country could show such
a galaxy of beauty. or the sixty or seventy
women present not half q dozen were really
plain. and fully one-third were beautiful. These
Arab women are very dark. with hair Of the
blue-black color 30 seldom seen In this part Of
the world. Their eyes, soft and large. deep-set
under broad. low foreheads. are the darkest Of
brown, and their compilations of the real olivs
through which the warm red tints flush deeply.
Their hands and feet arc small and their figures
rounded. In dress. while they affect the Ameri-
can styles, they add q spice of individualitv, .
dash of bright color here and there that illumi-
mates and sets of their dusky beauty.
or this style of beauty was the bride, but he's
dress was OF pure white silk throughout, and Q
largo white vail enveloned hor In m a,ft cIoud
She was a large woman, and carried herself
magniicently. The bridegroom. on whose arm
she entered the room, was a stalwart, handsoma
Arab OF perhaps 30 years OF age. He wore .
black cutaway coat and black trousers. Al the
pair entered there was the same murmur that
runs through an American wedding audience
when the organ peals out the "Lohengrin"
wedding march.
Here there was no music at the beginning. Az
the pair anne forward candles nearly two feet
long were distributed among the guests and
lighted. In the blaze of light, the priest, Peter
the pair. Beside them stood the best man, Saiim
Elias. and the bridesmaid, Mrs. Hafz Azoob, a
and SPONSORS M y 5 were Grouped about. At a I siRnsl
from igG,a the e. priest T. every every, guest I Hrose holding his
straight ahead of him, began n rapid chant that
rose and fell in irregular cadences. The Ian.
guage was syriac: A chorister took up the chant
in n high voice. 1t was n warning to the bride
and groom against the pitfalls In the path on
which they were setting forth.
slipped on the bridegroom's. finger, the other
Both replied. It was their acceptance Of the
marriage vows. A little ripple went through
Arab lHq S SriSs Sometimes Gnesr replies Saes" aNo s@sa TO the aus an
ton at the altar. and a breathless, interest
always attaches to the priests question: All
but the voices soon fell away, leaving the as
sistant priest to finish 1t alone.
Nh Gnnna mn urhn N aId NhA ~fr-a -@.-
held out two rosaries, one Of white beads. the
other OF black. Chanting in low tones the priest
bridegroom. The cross dansied down the back
Of his neck, and the beads waved gently to and
a ifs 5%ntt H4af But bis sl nSsfi Ts %fiisslf from e l' iiftih !.
his hand to push the troublesome objects away,
S Manid Se a ah fFir Ttfe ltbG reaeRs OF ms st hoss; TO sneeEd
Meanwhile the black beads were hung on the
bride who With womsn's adroitnsss contriyed
ornamentation. Two other circlets Of beads were
produced and hung over the wrists Of the pair.
times in a chorus. The candles heated the low
every one was tanning except the wedding party.
Now the chant stopped. The priest Joined the
over them the rosaries. Again the solemn music
rose, the beads were removed, and the priest
Every candle in the audience was blown out. and
a Sitting smoke arose, through which an usher
sGSiS E ss 6 .ssS sssISGlstl %Eiie1 H IL ss s:1 sfs:Rs 4 II:
hridaernam Elias Ear1an was abont 10 rasJ IL
pa,jen 49,
was - poem oIls tuiation1 atiehliy the nus-
shaken hands with them in congratulation,
Others were waiting, but the formal felicita-
tons must DO finished first. The bride-
groom's brother read his poem in Syriac.
IL was as long as the Declaration
Sbd Inds ss %scS n aea to Mr. NJ A saiin Elias ssr , hsa
read his poem. Up to this time there had
been three candles still burning held by the
ushers. Mr.. Elias's poem was so stirring that he
knocked all three TO the floor by his gestures, and
they were extinguished. There was still light
enough from the lamps, and he finished his
TO look dazed. He had stood there for an hour