The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-14
CURIOUS WEDDING
 LORE FOR JUNE BRIDES
Ancient Origin of Some of the Familiar Marriage
 Riter.

There sre weddings and brides and suggestions of brides and wedding every where et~ Men are marrying and maidens are be- ng given in marriage, and despite the constant assertion about the law of change being ceaselessly operative in this mundane sphere of ours. we see the same wedding customs kept up this June that nave been in vogue for centuries and centuries. Indeed, many of the marriage customs of the present are rooted in the pagan past, and it seems not little strange that although the entire concep- ton of the position and relation of wo- men in the domestic and social sphere has SO changed and broadened. the twen- tieth century still continues to preserve marriage customs of antiquity.
 Take, for instance,
 The Ring.
 For 1000 years, ever since the Romans plighted their troth with tiny iron band, the magic circlet has been aoop.eo as the symbol of espousal, petokenine eternity in its form and the surpassing excellence of. true love in its material, and how, being worn on the fourth mr. ger, 1t thereby (so the ancients believed) pressed a vein that ran straight to the heart This superstition has survived to the present day.
 It is interesting to come across re- quests from the constant readers" and .'anxious inQuirers' of the periodicals of two hundred years ago, who wanted to know why the fourth finger of the left hand was chosen to receive the wedding ring. One of the English journals of that time writes in reply:
 There is nothing more in this than that the custom was handed down to the present age from the practice of our an- cestors who found the left hand more con- venient for such ornaments than the right in that 1t Is less exposed: for the same reason they chose the fourth finger of the seccnd hand which is not only less used than either of the rest but is more capable of preserving ring from bruises, having this one quality peculiar to itself that 1t cannot be extended but in com pany with some other finger, whereas the rest may be singly stretched to their full length ard straightness."
 Rather ingenious theory, isn't It?
 Some writers claim that the dainty gold ring of today is a relicNof the fetter by which the bride were ancient ly bound In time when i'm of mouth, the bearer was intrusted with the signet ring of the sender as a token of his authenticity. When a man mar ried the wife who was placed at the Lead of the household received a ring as a visible token of delegated authority. The man wore his ring upon the right CT superior hand. Therefore, some there are who cry out against the wedding ing as symbol of servitude and subjection but to most women, the wedding ring has come to be cherished emblem O. Et ati- ment. The whole life history is com- pressed in the wedding ring There is nc romance for those who can read 1t Ike that of an old wedding ring.
 The Veil.
 The Orientalists claim that the h, 'cal veil is a survival of he Eastern car opy held over the pair on their way to church this practice still survives in Oriental countries The veil typifies exclusive pos session by one man. In the days of the primitive Britons the bride wore no vel but her abundant locks f1ll about hel shoulders. Even as late as the reign ci Henry VIII. brides wore th9lc hair 1T this simple fashion. The sIl'xen locks ot Anne Boleyn fioated about Ter on th' day of her ill-starred nuptials W tn tht King of many wives.
 The Orange Blossoms ~ The orange blossoms came in q more civilized age. They are acco inted "nr ir various ways. One of the most popular legends runs thus:
 Once upon a time, as all good legends begin, an African King presented to 2 Sranish King a magnificent orange tree covered with creamy, wax-like blossoms of wonderful fragrance. It was the ad. miration of the whole court. Many beg ged for a branch of the plant, but 1T vain. One of the most persistent pleaders was a foreignu ambassador who was pos sessed with a desire to introduce such z wonderful tree to his native land. Bu although he used every possible mean: to accomplish his purpose, he was unsuc cessful.
 One day branch with its glossy leave and starry blossoms was accidental! broken off and the court gardener thought iessly gave 1t to his pretty daughter wh' was the betrothed to an. humble artisan The girl had no dot and the wedding seemed impossible. But the willy ambassa dor, seeing the coveted prize in the girl hair. offered her a sum sufficient for tn desired dowry. Overjoyed, she accepted and the marriage was celebrated. Wheth CT the poor court gardener lost his hea in consequences of his daughters act, tn legend does not state. Perhaps the Kim forgave them and all went merry as marriage ball. Anyway, many lands nov know that wedding day orange blossom have been considered an appropriat adornment for bride.
 The Wedding Cake.
 This, too. is borrowed from antiquity The original Roman marriage was effect ed by the simple process of the brid anl bridegroom breaking a cake of brea and eating 1t together. This, in time. de veloped into the bride cake. The brid cut 1t because it was the duty of tn woman to prepare food for the man.
 Everybody knows the superstition abou sleeping on wedding cake. To make tn charm doubly certain. in some parts 0 England bits of the cake are passe thrice, some say nine times. through tn ring. But if you have ever slept on wed ding cake and then dreampt of snake: you will have little respect for the wed ding cake superstition.
 Slippers and Rice.
 The barbaric bridegroom secured hi mate by one of two methods-capture c chase. Woong was a form of girl stea ing. According to the former method, tn groom started on the warpath with som chosen companion. This may be the ort gin of "the best man." who knows? Tn best man and ushers had to go in flu uniform and armor. for in those strenr ous times the gentleman and lady yo picked out for your father-in-law an iv Ia xy either succeeded in putin