Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-20
THEIR ODD MARRIAGE.


the President of the Psychological So
ciety to the tall, brown-haired girl
just back from a trip to the Philip
pines. "And how did you enjoy your
vacation?"
"Splendidly." was the enthusiastic
reply, as the girl settled herself COM
fortably in an easy chair among the
members assembled for the regular
weekly meeting. Really tie most In
teresting event I witnessed during my
stay in the islands was a high-caste
native marriage ceremony.
Now, you must understand she
went on, punctuating her tale with
nibbles at the cake she held in her
hand, "that the Filipino marriage
ceremony is no light thing-over with
in a moment One of the character
istics of those little brown people IS
that while they are veritable stoics in
the event of death, expressing little
or no sorrow, they indulge in all sorts
of emotional ecstasies in their celeora-
ton of a wedding, and the prepara'
tions for the event are always elabor'
ate, irrespective Of caste OF circum'
stances.
AT this particular ceremony the
high contracting parties were ooth
very. young, the bride being but four
teen, and, really, the groom didn't
look much older. The wedding day
had been set by the priest, who lar
oyershadows the bride and bride
groom in Importance through every
stage of the ceremony, and is usually
rewarded by a large fee in proportion
to the wealth of those concerned.
Attending this ceremony caused
me some annoyance" continued the
brown-haired girl with a grimace at
the recollection, 'for l was compelled
to tumble out Of bed at O'Clock IN
the morning in order to join the wed
ding procession to the nearby church.
which started at o'clock. l landed
at the church all right with the rest
of the party. After mass had been
said the bride and bridegroom adj
vanced to the priest, who placed over
their shoulders a thick mantle, which
the English-speaking Filipino belle,
through whom l had received the in
vitation, explained was to typify the
bodily union. A marriage formula
was then recited, interspersed with
questions, which were responded to
by both bride and bridegroom, much
like our own ceremony in this respect.
"As the pair turned from the priest
after this ceremony, and came down
the aisle to the rear of the church.
she continued, "a bowl containing
coins was proffered them. The nus
band stopped, took handful from the
howl. and gave them to his wife, who
passed them back to the bowl ms
I discovered, was a token that he
Welded to her all his worldly goods.
"How charmingw chorused all the
ladies' in one breath. What pity the
custom is not universal"
1.-THE scene of operations was then
transferred to the home OF the bride
groom's father" resumed the story
teller, whose duty it is to furnish
the wedding banquet. We all sat
down to a repast of sweetmeats, with
light liquors and chocolate, which was
followed with betel nuts and cigars
an dcigarettes, which every one helped
themselves to regardless OF sex.
"But all this was simply prelimi-
nary to the main feature, for it is in
the dance following the wedding that
the Filipino ceremony attains the
unique. The dance was begun by the
bride and bridegroom marching to the
centre of the floor, where, facing each
other. both started to sing at each
other. Then, as the music quickened,
they danced around and around, keep
ing I'D all the while spirited chat
ter
cat this point young woman, the
sister of the bride, stepped out on the
floor. Her long hair was hanging
loose, her eyes snapped with an al
most insane light, and her every ac-
ton conveyed the impression of sup
pressed excitement. At her appear
ance the music changed to a low,
plaintive, dirgelike tune, which, il
possible, became more forhrn as it
went on, the girl going through
series of languid movements, which
we're supposed to express various de-
grees of sorrow at the loss Of hen Sis
ter.
Gradually the dull, forlorn strain
gave way to a livelier measure, the
girl in the meantime becoming more
and more animated, moving faster and
more wildly as the music increased,
swinging about like a whirling der
wish, until at last she sank to the
floor in a frenzy of delirious passion
which all the natives present seemed
to share New York Times.