The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-19
QUAINT ENGLISH
WEDDING CUSTOMS
Many of Old Ceremonies are
Still Observed.
IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES
Giving Couple MERRY Music"
Is Most HideOuS.

In rural England the time that CORE
spends to the American Thanksgiving Is
the time for the celebration of the mar
riage ceremonies among the farm foiks
They have their codes Of customs that
are adhered to in the most rigid man
uer and which have been handed down
from generation TO generation until their
origin is lost in obscurity.
The ceremonies never take place before
fhe harvest is gathered, and then the en-
tire community has its part in the affair
Some Of the customs are deeply tinged
with superstition, but have an undercur-
rent Of sentiment that makes them inter
esting.
In the eastern counties of England, par
ticularly in Norfolk and Suffolk, the Old
World ways survive in all their richness
of detail. In the land Of the fers the
elder of two girls in a family is always
anxious to marry before her younger Sis
ter, for if the junior should be led to the
altar first then it is incumbent upon the
older girl to open the festivities by dane
ing alone upon the turf in the farm yard
in doing this she is given a chance to win
a husband for herself as it is law of
tradition that If a youth takes pity upon
her lonely state as evidenced by her per-
Torrance he may join her in the dance
This act on his part constitutes declara-
ton of his desire to marry her and her
chance fer refusal is exceedingly small
The fact that she was compelled to
dance alone is taken as an indication that
she could not get husband in the or
binary way and should be glad TO accept
the first who offers himself
In the western counties Of Gloucester
shire, Somerset, and others the same Gus
tom prevails to a lesser degree, and, in
addition, the girl is expected to wear a
pair of green stockings.
In Suffolk the wedding cake is not an
institution, but it is rare thing for
wedding breakfast to be celebrated with
out the presence Of the old fashioned su I
pudding. a huge spherical affair bathed
with q thick beef gravy.
in Devonshire the farm wedding is not
really a wedding if at some period of the
feast there does not appear bowl of
''juuket," dish composed of milk cur-
died by the use of rennet and favored
with sugar. spices and cream.
in the island of Jersey the true natives
as distin suished from the later French
and English settlers. have one exceeding
~ pretty custom connected with their
marriage ceremonies.
After the wedding service is ended, and
before the newly welded couple takes
possession Of the house tha@ is to be their
home. the procession stops at the front
porch. over which in all proper Jersey
homes there is a big slab of granite
While the bride and groom wait near
by the friends Of the groom climb ,!p
TO the slab and carve the record of the
wedding in the stone. The initials Of the
husband and wife always appear in these
rude Inscriptions along with the day and
year- Of the ceremony. over the initials
are Clipped two hearts. entwined in a
sort OF lovers knot once this public
record of the marriage is inscribed the
young couple is at liberty to take pos
session of the home.
IN Wiltshire the rustics have a custom
that resembles in form the much feared
charivara of the United States There the
bridal party is followed home by an the
boisterous element of the community and
given what is called a merry music. "
which is nothing less thar a noisy sere--
rade with every conceivable continuance
for making a noise.
The Scots have a custom that has ex-
listed for ages and IS called erecting the
bridegroom The day after the wedding
his friends appear at his home with a
large creel or basket filed tc the top with
Stones and this the unhappy groom must
fasten to his back and so burdened run
about the streets with his friends at MS
heels 10 see that he does not drop It.
There is only ore way for him TO get rid
of this burden and that Is for the bride to
run after him and kiss him. II is often
the case that she hesitates long before
gaining courage enough TO face the crowd
and so rescue her tormented husband
In Cumberland and the lake districts
there IS a pretty custom that accompanies
the marriage service proper. II is called
giving the dow purse and as nearly as
can be learned it had its origin in the
time of the Romans
This ceremony requires that the groom
shall in advance provide himself with a
silken purse containing money In a sun
porportionahe 10 his means. It used TO bc
the rule that this should be in gold. hit
the rigidity of the rule has been abated IN
that regard. This purse the groom carries
with him to the altar and keeps with him
until that part of the service is reached
where he says with all my worldly
goods I thee endow." and thereupOn h.
empues the coins into a bag or sill, hand
kerchief which one Of the bridesmaid:
holds out in behalf Of The bride
In some Of the larger factory districts II
Is the custom for all the workmen to take
oognizance Of "a fellow workers marriage
hy reviewing him in absolute silence 81
The day after his wedding. and 20 all ap-
rearances disresarding his existence untn