Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-09-21
A SUBSTITUTE FOR RICE THROWING.
Confetti Used at an English Wedding In
Place of the Grain.

Confetti Used at an English Wedding In
Place of the Grain.
Most of us who have had anything
to do with weddings have had oxpc-
rionccS of,the direful effects of tho
showers of rice which mark the de-
parturc of the bride and bridegroom.
There arc few young couples wht
have not entered upon their honey,
moon in actual physical pain, thanks
to the stony grains which have stung
their eyes and ears and have found
their way into their clothes and
down their nccks Worse disasters
even than this have followed the use
of rice as Il sign of the good will Of
their friends, and serious accidents
have not infrcquently occurred in
consequence of the reckless shower
ing of these grains. The horses havo
boon scared, and this in some cases
has led to Tho ovcrtlrning of tho
carriage and the severe injury of its
occupants. Attempts have OCCASION
ally been made to mend this state Of
affairs, but until lately nothing has
taken the place of rice Rose petals
and small flowers have been tried,
but they have many disadvantages,
notably that of becoming crushed
to pulp and leaving unSightly stains
on the carpets of the house. Shreds
Of colored paper have occasionally
been used but in these there is some
thing too suggestive of the school
boys "hare and hounds" to excite
much interest.
At a recent fashionable double
wedding at the West End considcra-
bic admiration was caused among
the guests by tho distribution Of
confetti as a substitute for the Of
Tending rice. They were such as arc
used at Eastboulne and the Riviera
for the battles of flowers and on sim
liar occasions. For the benefit Of
such readers as are unacquaintod
with confetti may describe them
as tiny paper waters principally gold
and silver, with II few colored ones
intermiXcd by way of adding to tho
effect The progress of each bride
| Inyrp thp StnironSn tp tba 10 r,in pp
on this particular occasion was mado
in u shower of gold and silver-sure-
ly quito as good an omen for her flu
turo prosperity as could possibly DO
afforded by the proSaic grains Of
rice. The effect of the myriads Of
sparkling confetti was absolutely
charming and fairyliko as they flut.
tered to the ground, the sun catch.
ing them as they fell. Certainly
they chung about the dresses of tho
newly married couples, but they did
no harm and We're soon shaken off.
In the house rs they fell on tho
floral decorations and sparkled
among the roses and ferns they pro.
duccd Il result that is well worthy
of note by those whose business it
is to provide novelties for functions
of this sort. AS for the horses, they
were sublimely unconscious of tho
tiny gold and silver pieces with
which their backs had been sprin.
kled by the time they started
1t is not surprising to hear that
the introduction of these confetti at
the Eastbourno fctes has CAUSED
their manufacture to be measured
literally by the ton, and when oncu
they are brought into use at we'd
dings tens of tons will be mentioned
in connection with them, and many
happy pair, when they begin their
new life, will no longer have occa.
sion to eXclaim, Save US from our
friends I'--London Queen.