Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-03-06

surely an article which in its origin
was universally regarded as an emblem
OF modesty and subsection !. is we'll
worthy of attack by our oracular
amazons. In the mean time, it is the
almost universal custom throughout
the civilized world for brides to wear
the veil at the marriage ceremony.
Naturally, the fashion as to color,
shape and materials differs, and what
would be good form in one country
would be considered the height OF bad
taste in another. For instance, the
Roman brides wear yellow veils, the
Bokhara damsels favor rose color, tho
Persians and Greeks vivid red, while
the wells of Turkish brides arc usually
OF brocade, and if appertaining to a
wealthy family, are often of almost
fabulous worth. What would doubt
less appear strangest of ell to English
eyes is that OF q Spanish bride, which
is invariably black.
The ancient Greeks had very pretty
story to account for the origin of the
bridal veil, which, if not strictly nc.
curate, is, think, we'll worthy of u
place in our article. 1t is shortly rs
follows:
Icarus. having given his daughter,
the beautiful Penelope, in marriage
to Ulysses, begged of him to make his
future homo in Sparta, to which
proposition, however, his son.in-law
would not consent. An appeal to his
daughters filial affections having
proved unsuccessful, and seeing Peno-
lope ready to depart with her hus-
band, Icarus renewed his efforts to de-
tain her, and even insisted upon fol-
lowing their chariot on its way to
Ithaca.
Ulysses, wearied with the importuni-
ties of fcarus, said to his wife: "You
can best answer your fathers request !;
it is yours to determine whether you
will remain with your father, or de-
part with your husband. You are
mistress of the decision"
The lovely Penelope, finding herself
in this cruel dilemma, blushed,' and,
without word, drew her veil over
hcr fnce, thereby intimating to her
father that she could not grant his re-
quest, and fell into her husbands
arms.
Icarus, deeply touched by this
scene, and being DESTROYS that it
should be transmitted to posterity rs
an example, erected, on the exact spot
where Penelope had thrown tho voil
over her face, marble statue to
modesty, that from that date tho veil
might serve rs n symbol Of modesty
among women.
AS We have already limited, the Spar
tans were not, wo regret to say, justi-
fled in their CLAIM of being tho origi-
majors of the bridal veil, for it was Ill
use among the hebrews "a. least five
centuries before the time of ULYSSES.
as is evident from the following pass
age in Genesis: ''Rebckan took a veil
when she saw Isaac coming towards
her and covered herself" it being
usual, even in those early days-12o7
ID. O.-for women to wear wells, ospe.
cially in the case of brides.
Among the Hebrews the females
wore the veil as token of modestN
and subsection TO their husbands, and
this is the meaning attached to tho
bridal veil throughout the East to tn,
present day, and, indeed, though
somewhat obscured and lost sight of,
in Christian countries as we'll.
We may therefore trust that. con.
sidering tho hold it has upon the peo
pies of the earth, coupled with its un
doubted antiquity, the bridal veil may
yet long be spared tho humiliation oil
becoming another dragon across til,
path of modern st. George. House
hold World.