Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-02-18


pleasant labor Of making out the
list of guests to be invited has been
humorously compared to compiling
the assessors list, because in most
instances each invitation "to the
house," and occasionally the more
generally extended invitation to
the church is regarded in the light
Of permission for the recipient to
follow up the suggestion with
wedding gift. Just as surely as
each season brings with it some new
fashion in dress, sports, entertain
ments, so it develops like novelty
in wedding gifts. A bright woman
said the other day that she could
tell how long q woman had been at
housekeeping by the FIRST look
around her parlor.
This style Of pottery, lamps, jars,
or vases "come in" in such q year,
brasses in another, a certain style of
etchings, clocks and bric-a-brac in
still another period. One year was
known as the 'cut-glass' year, when
brides we're the recipients Of all
manner Of pitchers, dessert dishes,
etcetefa, and another year was GER
tainly the era of bon-bon dishes in
silverware. Far back in the dark
ages one can remember the time
when the after~dinner coffee sets of
cups and saucers, fourished to such
a degree of prosperity that one new
Unmarried pair were astounded by
receiving nineteen sets of these
articles, while another bride lament
ed her sending of seventeen
lamps!
THE PRIVILEGE OF EXCHANGING
DUPLICATES.
Fortunately, custom permits the
bride to exchange some gifts with
out fear Of hurting the donors
feelings. There is rarely difficulty
made at any of the large establish
ments in taking back redundant
piece of pottery or metal orna-
ments. or even silver, provided it
be unmarked. This is wise, for
very often the people who sally
forth to buy wedding gifts are ami
mated by the desire to give the
most fashionable article to be found,
and show they know what is the
latest craze. They perhaps do not
know what kind of a gift TO offer
an unknown young lady-for the
theory of bridal presents is that
they all are intended for the bride,
or their object may be to give not
so much what she will be pleased
to receive, but what they them
selves desire to bestow. A more
kindly view of the matter is to sup
pose that they judge the bride by
their own standard. and doing as
they would be done by, purchase
the most fashionable device in we'd
ding gifts.
GOING TO HOUSEKEEPING.
However, it often happens that
when either bride or bridegroom
has pronounced taste they can easily
be gratified by the flood OF gifts
bestowed on such on occasion.
Anxious are the inquiries as to
whether the young couple are or
are not going to housekeeping. If
they live in Philadelphia-the city
of honest is ter to one that they
intend to set up their own home
no matter on how modest scale.
Much depends on the circumstances
OF the pair. The brides mother
generally sees to it that her daugh-
ter has provision of house linen,
piles of shining damask table linen,
squads of doylies and platoons of
big square napkins. Supplies of
linen sheets for warm weather and
some muslin ones for winter; pillow
and bolster covers; all degrees of
towels and wash cloths are part of
the outfit.
If for any reason the bride has
not this plenishing of house and
table linen it is provided by some
kindly aunt or other relative. The
gift is often far more desirable
than the crowd of snowy, expensive,
but useless, articles 40 often smiling.
ly offered to young couple.
SHALL 1T BE USEFUL OR oRyA-
MENTAL.
These ornaments look well at
first. but quickly look ld-fashioned
when they lose their freshness.
The old friend of the family is
never far wrong when he sends his
hall clock or mantel timepiece with