The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-04-25
THF FOLLY OF THROWING RICE.

Is it not time that some one said word
concerning the rude and silly habit of
throwing rice over the bride and groom at
their first departure from the old home on
their wedding day, of tying favors on their
luggage, and slipper on the carriage that
takes them to the station, and SO tells the
story of the day to gaping and Indifferent,
if not curious, crowd?
Can anything be more notifying, even
in her happiness, to the young bride, who
chances to find herself in shower and
opens her umbrella in Broadway, than to
have different shower fall on her in the
scattering of the rice with which the thing
was filled? And is there really and humor,
or any true fun, in dealing such humil-
iation and vexaton to any one? 1t is GER
tainly mystery how those who call them
selves her friends, and even her sisters and
brothers, can be willing to tease her in
such way at time when it might be
supposed their tenderness would wish to
spare her bushes, instead of letting her
keep her dear secret from the world and
indulge in the notion that people are tax
ing her joy for an old story. But as it is.
the bride remembered in this way is not
sure during the whole period of this first
flush of happiness, as we have heard more
than one bride declare, at what moment
she is not going to be betrayed by grains of
rice appearing from the folds of her gown,
done up in her handkerchiefs or dropping
from any great hat or scarf she may have
put on, so that she has not a moment Of
freedom before people.
We lately heard Of wedding where a
multitude of carnations were thrown over
the pair, and of another where they were
strewn with violets and of one where they
were pelted with double handfus Of rose
petals. Nothing could have been prettier
than this, more poetical, more picturesque;
it was the expression OF wish that the
days OF their life might go by henceforth as
lightly as as if they trod on flowers that
beauty and fragrance might follow along
all their ways; it was sending the feast
with them, in gentle reminder Of how
much Joy they took away there was some
thing idylic about it. as about young love
everywhere and it seems a shame, when
! such pretty customs might be general, that
the ridiculous RECT throwing and slipper
| business should still be pursued and that
the first newly welded moments, as the
carriage leaves the door, should be given
ever to the unpleasantness of getting rid Of
the vulgar and disagreeable testimonial Of
officious meddlesomeness Why, indeed,
is it necessary to throw anything at all
over the newly married people? Is there
now luck in the goodbye kiss, that luck
must be invoked with slipper? And is a
solemn thing as marriage to be treated as =
joke? If, indeed, the custom is main
tanned in order to prevent gloom, to dis.
guise with a jest the pain of parting
and Of severing of old ties, then if
the throwing of the flowers be not as
efficient as the rice for that purpose,
let the wits Of the merrymakers be set at
work to devise something that shall meet
the demands Of the occasion without max
ing itself felt disagreeably before strangers
some time afterward, remembering that a
Jest pursued too far becomes an insult. =
Harpers Bazaar.