The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29
A LUzON WEDDING PARTY
Ceremonies of a Marriage in the
Philippine Islands.
Nnptial Ties in the Early Morning Mt
San ISidro in Luzop Vm,nx
apothecnry United to N senorita
of The IsIasd-An Elaborate Break
fast Follows the Happy Event.

pusned a nedp OF papers 10 one side ana
sat thinking over the rumor that Russia
and the United States were about TO en-
gage in war. and wondering if he would be
lucky enough to receive an appointment
Oh Major Mex, as the volunteer star
commissions are called. 1t was o sizzling
hot day. Without the wide-opened win
dows fair substitute for a E.seking bird
sang dozen strains and then seemingly
collapsed, his song being dried up by the
heree heat. An orderly came hriskIy into
the sun-flooded office and said, There's a
native wishes to see the adjutant general.
SIR! And thus it happened that we we're
ali surprised and much gratifed, two days
since, to receive an invitation to attend
the wedding of the one apothecary of this
place and Senorita Gonzales The hour OF
the ceremony was announced as o'clock
IN the morning. in accordance with the
customs Of the Church.
Three of us turned out at 4:30 the next
morning, but this is the land Of ''manana,'
and 1t was an hour later before the candle
CLEANS began 10 stream through the
ereyices in the rickety church and groups
oil spectators began to patter toward us
along the dusty street. The men were for
the most part in freshly Numbered suits of
white, and the women's garments ranged
in color from the sombre black of formal
churchgoing dresses to the gayest of pinks
and puppies. But the church rule of yelled
heads for women when in a sacred edifice
was overlooked by none of the gathering
crowd of slender brown seuoritas or more
pOrtly and darker senoras.
With the foremost guests came the ma
tive orchestra, of violns cello, and horn.
with tbs leader in flowing shirt and trou-
sers OF a daring check
He was 4 true Filipino for he was bare
footed. save for a pair of dusty, heelIess
slippers, and scorned a hat
The church opened, most Of the waiting
groups followed the orchestra within that
they, like the spectators of ary other ma
tionality, might secure advantageous
places, each pausing, as good Catholic
Church people should, to sign their fore
heads with holy water dipped from the TWO
great seashells that served as fonts. The
groom however. waited with us for his
bride. When she had arrived in the only
quilez that the town affords, accompanied
by three of her female relatives, he tossed
aside his third cigarette of the morning
and met her at the church door. She was
in gorgeous attire. \ skirt OF heavy bro
caded silk of brightest pink. the color not
less pronounced than was the eabbage-ieaf
pattern; a bodice of embroidered. pima
cloth, the rosebuds thereon rivaling in
their bursting flashes Of color the start
ling pinkiness of the skirt; these with as
daintily an arranged veil as any bride evet
wore and held in place by a tiny wreath Of
orange blossoms. gave her all of the blush
ing effect of pink on white. so desired since
brides have been. and denied her so sadly
by her natural coloring. Now there was
no delay. The orchestra plunged calamity
into really dreamy waltz. The groom Of
fered his hand to the trim little figure in
pink, and friends and aliens followed the
little party to the centre of the church,
where the padre stood with accompanying
acolytes TO receive them.
The fanlike train Of silk swept slowly
over the dusty floor of brick and came to
a halt at the edge of rug of crude red,
whose color swore violently at the Chinese
pink above it There was no variation in
the usual ceremonies Of the Catholic
Church. but there was one ludicrous piece
of forgetfulness on the part of the bride
groom He had forgotten to put aside his
hat before he met his bride and it was
necessary for him to interrupt the eere-
mony long enough 10 call to one OF the
numerous ragged and barefoot boys that
stood open mouthed near the wedding
uarty to relieve the now embarrassed gen.
ceremony of the giving of estate to the
bride we saw the need that there was for
the mans two hands. For the best man
had provided most generously for that part.
\ handful of our $50 gold pieces, represent
ing the best in money procurable, mad 70
be passed from bridegroom TO priest and
then to the senorita and back again 10 the
future man of family, as the token OF the
giving of endowment ana sharing OF world
" possessions. When this symbolism hau
ended. the ever-efficient man OF affairs OF
the occasion, or sexton. quickly returned
the shining coins to their obIiging owner,
and he dropped them into his pocket with
much ostentation. There had been many
murnurs Of wouderment at the sight of so
much wealth from the crowd OF kneeling
witnesses. and | have no doubt that the
double object of the gold had been accom-
plished. The ceremony was conducted
partly in the Spanish language and partly
in that of the Church or Latin Both We're
strange tongues to the girl, for later
heard her say to one of our party that she
did not understand Spanish
For the conclusion. the party no"
moved to the foot of the brilliantly lilu-
minated altar. Chairs had been provided
for the family, and We we're lneluGed IN
that chosen circle. The orchestra no"
beat its way into a sweet song-like STRAIN.
II was not the beautiful THE voice that
breathed Ger Eden" but it was a sitlsiy-
ing, thrilling native air.that aired Inuen
of home thoughts in its liquid notes OF
violins and softer cello 10 the ears OF
that little group of strangers there
present.
But now the swarthy padre is leaving
the altar and the newly welded apothe-
cary leaves his emotionless bride to hasten
to extend to US an invitation to the we'd
ding breakfast. When we arrived at the
home of the bride we found the feast pre-
pared. and. after all the ladies had break
tasted in one chattering crowd, the men
were seated and had served to them de-
Iicious native chocolate and little cakes,
with accompanying cigarettes.
As We had now spent the time until our
messes were awaiting our return for our
breakfasts. we made our adieu in our best
Spanish and were thus spared the sight OF
the seizure of one of the guests as an in
surgent captain. II was all done very
quietly and without roughness: and later,
when the happy apothecary and the new
sonora drove away for Manila in the
nuiIez there was one guest missing from
the throng that waved good-byes from the
high balcony just opposite the guard house.
1t was unfortunate. but we needed that one
guest. and We had been sufficiently con-
siderate to allow him to attend his former
sweetheart's wedding That all came out
in the little talk that the provost marshal
had with the crestfallen captain later IN
the day. 1t was all very touching. Was il
not? But that is the way things go some
times. The girl and happiness for one;
the guard house and hopelessness for an
other. The little spray of orange blossoms
pinned to the captains coat was sadly
wilted. but not more so than the captain
himself as he stood holding to the iron
-. IL h. ,,.ir,h nur of his cell and Mntchel