Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-31
A WEDDING IN CAIRO.


A New Work sun Correspondent Tells
AbOuI One,
The unfortunate brldegrooms ar,
not allowed 10 see their prospective
wives before the ceremony In the land
OF the lotus, but the women were al
lowed, 30 Thursday being marrying
day In Cairo, last night our dragOmal
put us, two American women, into 4
carriage and we were whlrled on
through the narrow, winding streets
TO Mohammedan wedding.
Our invitation might have been q
death warrant for all We could make
out, for II was printed In Arabic. II
was not exactly personal matter, FOL
we had never set eyes on either Of the
brldes--lt was a double wedding--un
MI last evening, But their husbands
to-be had never seen them either.
We were rather skeptlcal about
these marriages taking place without
the man ever seeing the face of tn,
girl he IL 70 marry, But all doubts or
this subject were dlspelled. II the
bridegrooms had ever had a chance "
look at the brides previous to matri
mony there wouldn't have been amy
wedding, or else there would hav,
been other brides But the brides
compared fayorably enough with the
hundred and forty-nine other womer
who assisted at the ceremony, II wal
rude, rude shock TO our notions Of
the languorous Oriental beauties shut
up In the harems OF Egypt, They
may be lnnguorous-though we spell
that kind o flanguor, "laziness,"
We were led to narrow, tortuoui
and not over.clenn stairway and turn
ed over 10 some half-grown girls, who
led nv TO the bedlam above. The Stair
were Of stone, with the commonesi
kind Of nm iron railing, and the WALL
were dirty. At the top we fell int
the hands OF two groups Of women
composed apparently Of the friends Of
the respective brides, Never have we
been more In demand, Each grouT
was determined TO secure us for Ia
own camp, the brides not being 10
gether, but each In her own apart
ments. The house, In fact, was the
residence Of three brothers, each Of
whom had perhaps Ave or six rooms
While the women were inbberlng az
the top Of their voices andwe with oul
big, bobblng bouquets were being
drawn backward and forward as The
tide OF triumph changed from ont
side 10 the other. some Syrian young
women who spoke French appeared
and AT once few 70 our rescue. Whicl
bride did we wnnt TO see? We init
mated that we would see both, but W.
were not particular about the order
so long ms we and our raiment re
manned whole, Inquiry developed thu
fact that one bride was eating and
the other was dressing, so we wer,
conducted into one Of the salons II
wait When we saw the brides w,
were quite ready TO believe that they
had been eating and dressing for {
solid week,
The pnrlor into which we now madl
an impressive entry--led by the hant
and followed nv dozen clnmorint
women-looked Ike nm immense cir
Gus chariot in which the Fat Womei
Of the World were having party
Perfectly enormous gilt chairs ant
sofas upholstered In bright red bro
cade were set solidly around the walls
They certainly looked like n circu
chariot in sections,
Suddenly this all changed. We hat
been led to places next to shining
lights in society and were fairly with
ering our bouquets by the melting
warmth Of our smiles, when the char
lot became the scene Of indescribnbll
confusion. A red fey oppearcd in th,
doorway! Even the bovine minds
our new ncQunintlnccs grnspcd tn,
fact that there must bc n man unde
the %" and h. huhl"ib was indie
scribnhlc. One airy, fairy sister o
about $50 pounds who sat next 10 me
and, finding that II was manirestll
impossible, caught mp my dress skir
and hid her blushing countcnance IL
It's folds. The fez covered The head o
n young nephew OF the bridegroom. II
seemed that he was tlil for his age
but not old enough to be tabooed.
Soon the brides approach was an
nounced. Peli nell In front of he
came higgedy-piggledy group o
slatternly women who were probabl,
servants and poor relatives. The!
wore cotton dresses Of the "Mothe
variety and every few min
utes one OF them would suddenly Civ,
vent to weird, ear-piercing Itrill exc
cutcd by means Of some mysteriou
conjunction Of the tongue and tn
teeth. Thelbride wasiin the center o
tho medley. Tn front of her was I
coal black Nubian woman in u whit
gown which splendidly set Off her eb
ony skin. The Nubian had FIJI
which she waved in front OF the bridl
and another servant made an attemp
TO keep the back Of the wedding gowi
from under the feet OF the procession
The bride was dumped as II she wa
n sack Of potatoes onto one Of tn
chariot seats and we and our bouquet
were led up before her The poo
thing seemed like sleepy owl, Some
body got her TO her feet, we shook 4
lifeless hand into which we forcibl!
stuffed our bouquets and then beat
retreat TO corner from which w
,n,IJ ,r,tob fbo npnnpnJinUp III