The Republican journal., 1896-10-15

1ashlon OF the stage when something pa
thetlc is about to take place. The bridal
party energies from private rooms and
takes Its stand at the head of the sala-
the bride always in white, with veil and
train, orange blossoms, prayer book and
| rosary, the groom in the regulation claw
hammer coat, white tie, gloves, etc. The
civil ceremony, required by the amended
constitution of the Republic to legalize
the marriage contract, is then carefully
gone through with This done. the cure
takes his place and performs a small part
OF the church service. After this the
cure goes away leaving the job but half
completed; supper is partaken of and the
ball begins. All night long the feasting
and the dancing continues. At four in
the morning the cathedral bell peals forth
its summons. Instantly the merriment
ceases. The bride and groom set out on
foot, or on horse-back, if the distance is
long, followed by a procession Of rela-
tives and friends. The priest meets them
while the bride extends her small right
hand and the groom places therein thr-
teen coins, repeating the customary
phrase equivalent to the English with
all my worldly goods thee endow." The
bride responds in the usual words, and
then the company, led by the cure, passes
slowly towards the main altar where all
kneel while the nuptial mass is celebrat-
ed This concludes the ceremony. In
stead of departing on wedding tour
amid a shower of rice and old slippers,
the bride and groom go at once to their
new home, where a wedding breakfast
has been spread for all concerned, in so
many elaborate courses that the day is far
spent before its conclusion.
| have been ma king enquiries of the
Yankee doctor at Tegucigalpa about the
healthfuiness of the country. He tells
nue. that diseases are really very few
Fevers are extremely rare, except along
the coast where the calentura coast
feveD prevails, during the hottest months.
'Calentura," or every other day fever,
resembles in its effects the mode of at
tack Of the worst type of fever and ague
known in the United characterize
ed by cold shudderings, varied bv quick
ilushes of heat, sickness at the stomach.
an intolerable headache, dizziness, weak
ness of the limbs and aching OF the Joints
and a general desire to die and be done
pure and simple, any more than of sea-
sickness or fever and ague. Yellow fever
and cholera, which have more than once
decimated other cities of Central Ameri-
ca, have never yet visited Tegucgalpa,
and but few cases have occurred in any
part OF Honduras; for the northeast trade
winds seem to act as a constant disenfec-
| tant from all epidemies Foreigners are
often afflicted with a painful cutaneous
eruption resembling boils, here called
''granos;n they attack the legs below the
knee and swell the feet to such degree
that it is impossible to wear boots or
shoes. 1t is cured by baths of salt water
Elephantiasis, though not common, is oc-
casionally found in the upland regions.
One leg only is stricken with the loath
some disease, and that unlucky member
gradually increases to double and treble
the size of the other, the swelling often
reaching above the thigh. The common
ly accepted explanation of this incurable
and fatal malady is that it comes from
drinking impure water Goitre is not
confined to any particular locality, but is
most prevalent in the mountainous dis
tricts, where, as in Switzerland, the poor
er classes are subject to it. We met with
many women disfgured by large swell
ling, or wen, protruding from the fore
part of the neck, directly under the chin.
1t is not goitre, but s'gueguecho," or
swelling of the glands of the neck-a
most disgusting thing which has never
been satisfactorily accounted for.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.
The Women'S Influence,