Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-23


dates the suggestion, though he ac-
knowledges that there is in the "pres-
ent' some recognition of the trouble
and expense to which the girls father
has been put in bringing her up. The
writer has heard. too, of parents, who
have met the expense of marrying a
son, by marrying a daughter, as the
! present received by father who has
fed and clothed his daughter for 16
years will more than cover the cost of
Her rousseau
At length the suspicious day has ar
|rived. Would you like to come and
see the bride dressed" was the form
of invitation l received to witness this
interesting ceremony. There she sits,
on stool in the middle of the room,
perfectly stolid, yet looking the picture
OF misery, while a number of women
busy themselves over the performance
of her toilet. One with twisted cotton
plucks all the hair from her face. 9TH
ers bring rouge for the lips and cheeks
and white powder for the face. But
the hair-dressing is the browning sight
1t is carefully brushed with a kind of
gum to heighten its glossy appearance,
are arranged in geometrical designs all
over the head. Her own new and
pretty ornaments are donned and I'M
mediately eciipsed by the hired con-
ventional wedding garment of orange
embroidered in blue with symbolical
characters. Lastly comes the all i'm
pOrtant and most uncomfortable heavy
metal wedding bonnet, decorated with
artificial flowers and destined to be
worn for a longer or shorter period,
according to the custom of the district
in which she lives-in the case in ques-
ton, three days. The toilet is now
completed. and not a moment too soon,
for the sound of music announces the
approach of the bridegroom in his
green cloth bridal chair. He does not
enter the house. but his younger BROTH
err goes in and is received by the
younger brother of the bride Cor Roy of
about 10 years of age who acts in this
capacity.
The deliberately decorated red cloth
chair is borne by four men into the
room where the bride stands ready to
depart, maintaining the same stolid
mien while the goodbys are said and
she is lifted into the chair and carried
away, accompanied by the bridegroom,
the band of musicians who came with
him, the "go-between" and the two
younger brothers.
Louder and louder the din wakes as
she approaches her future home, where
the bridegroom's relatives are letting
off crackers. beating drums and Gang
ing eymbals, to inform the general
he + which ic n
| ing place.
The guest hall is deliberately decorated
with red silk scrolls. the gifts of relatives
and friends, red being the predominating
color on all joyful occasions.
The first duty of the bride and BRIDE
groom on entering the house is to wor-
ship the brdegroom's ancestors, his
father and mother, uncle and aunts. and
| heaven and earth. The services OF a
professional woman must be engaged to
instruct the bride now to perform these
arduous duties Alright.
Hereafter the brides ancestors will
have no further claim upon her. From
this day. forth she will worship only her
| the reasons of a Chinamans preference
| for sons. who will care for him in his old
age and in Hades.
When the young couple have spent
| some hours in prostrating themselves be-
| fore their superiors, the marriage cere-
| mony proper is performed by the Go
between" who takes from before the an
/ cestral shrine two prepared red cups oil
| spirit tied together by a red string,
| which she offers to the bride and bride
groom. Together they drink the cup, and
receive her marriage blessing, and then
| retire to the bridal chamber to rest, and
| take their fist meal together.
| The wedding feast or feasts may take
| Mace at any time within a month after
the wedding. each city having its own
/ custom as to when the feast Is spread
l and who are invited to partake of 1T. No
| white tablecloths cover the square tables,
which are set for eight guests The Ia
/ bles are decorated with plentiful sup
| nIy of fruits, sweetbreads, and nuts
| ivory chop-stickS, spoon, a tiny DOW
| or saucer and wineglass for each guest
The courses numbering from twenty to
thirty, or even more, are prousnI m hot,
| At each table is one who undertakes t.
| attend to the comfort of the guests lie
| no,irs the hot though scarcely intoxioat
irr wine from the pewter wine decantei
| irfo the tiny glasses, and presses tne
| guests to drink. He also takes up his
chonsficks and invites the guests to par
| take of the bowl which has Just beer
| ne them to dainty morsels with his owr
chopsticks. BY delicate and courteou;
Confederation for the peculiarities OF for.
| eteners. when these are present, specia
chopsticks may be provided with which
the foreigner will be fed. The feas1
will last for several hours. and shoult
there be too many guests to be invites
- one day. the feast will be repeated
On successive days, the most honores
guests being inYted first. After tn
go, co-,es the 'teasing the BRIDE" AMI
terrihle time she has of 1t.
The tridegroom's friends are invited t
enter The bridal chamber. where tn