The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-07
THE OLDEST LOVE LETTER.
when Bridal Cakes, bridesmaids,
Best Men and slipper Throwing
Cnme Into Fashion.


New York. Jan. 5.-The oldest known
love letter in the world is in the British
Museum 1t is a proposal of marriage for
the hand of an Egyptian princess and it
was written $500 years ago. 1t is in the
form of an iscribed brick and is there
fore not only the Oldest but the most sub
stantial love letter in existence
The first silver wedding dates back to
the time of Hughes Capet Two servants
belonging to him had grown gray in his
service, man and a woman, and what
could he do as a reward? Calling the wo-
man he said: Your service is great. great
er than this mans whose service is great
enough, for the woman always fands work
harder than man, and, therefore, | will
give you a reward. At your age 1 know
of none better than a dowry and a hus-
band. The dowry is here-this farm from
this time forth belongs to you If this
man who has worked with you five and
twenty years is willing to marry you, then
the husband is ready"
Your majesty" said the old peasant,
chow is it possible that we should marry.
having already silver hairs?"
"Then 1t shall be silver wedding" and
the King gave the couple silver enough to
keep them in plenty. This soon became
known all over France and raised such en-
thusiasm that it became fashion after
twenty-five years of married life to cele-
brate silver wedding.
The practive of the wife assuming the
husbands name at marriage is a Roman
custom and originated soon after the Ro.
H., Toll.
pey, became Julia of Pompey." In lat
ter time married women signed their
names in the same manner, but omitted
the of However, during the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries, the usage
seems doubtful, since we find Catharine
Parreo signing herself after she had been
twice married. In Iceland the opposite
has always been The custom. There, after
marriage, the husband assumes the wife's
name.
The word wedding is derived from the
wed" or security which the Anglo-Saxon
bridegI DOM gave at espousals for The due
performance of his contract This we'd
was held by trustees, and in addition to Il,
the groom Wore an espousal ring AS for
the wedding ring, 1t was first designed by
Prone heus, according TO tradition, and
fashioned out of adamant and iron by
Tubal Cain, and was given by Adam to his
son 10 this end, that he herewith should
espouse a wife.
Our wedding cake is the remains of a
custom whereby a Roman bride held in
her left nd three wheat ears, and many
centuries later, an English bride wore a
applet of wheat. The bridesmaids threw
grains of corn or small bits of cake upon
the heads of the newly married and the
guests picked up the pieces and ate them.
The wedding cake did not come INTO gem
eral use until the last century and was
then composed of solid books, laid togeth-
or, ictd all over, so that when The outer
crust was broken over tho brides head.
the cakes inside fell on the floor and we're
distribute among the guests Bridal IA
vors are of Danish origin. The true lovers
knot having been first designed by Danish
hearts and deriving its designation from
the Danish truelofa-"I plight my troth !"
The throwing of the slipper comes from
the custom of shoe being given by the