Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-16

good deal of the show while trying to clear
up his meaning. While the chief priest was
going through his mosfons his deputies
chanted mournful and monotenous strains
in minor key-repetitions of the same
lines over and over again.
After the groom had endured IL alone for
while the bride was brought in by her
brother-in-law who, since the death of
her father. has been the head of the house
hold He was clad in a white gauze UNDER
shirt, with short sleeves and the regular
Hindu robe wrapped around him. The bride
had big bunch of pearls hanging from
her upper lip. god and silver upon her
toes, and was SO concealed under wrap
pings of shawls that she would have
smothered in that hot room had not one
of her piaymates gone up and removed the
coverings ,. from her f fao4x Tbs PLAYMATE was
pupil at the missionary *chooi. who had
been married at the aSN NJ 9. so she knew
all about 1t and had adopted foreign man
ners and customs sufficlently TO permit her
to go about among the guests chatting with
both gentlemen and ladies' with perfect self
possession. She told US all about the bride.
who was her dearest friend handled the
presents as they arrived and actually took
charge OF the AFFAIR for while.
The Ceremonies.
The bride sat down on the floor beside tho
husband that had been chosen for her and
timidly clasped his hand while the priests
continued chanting. stopping now and then
to breathe or to anoint the foreheads of
the couple or to throw something on the
fire. There were bowls of several kinds
of food, each having its significance. and
several kinds of plants and flowers, and
incense. which was thrown into the flames.
At one time the chief priest arose from the
floor stretched his legs and read long
passage from a printed book, which my
-t<,r t,fI
in sanscrit laying down rules and regula-
tions for the government of Hindu wives
But the bride and groom paid very little
attention to the priests or to the ceremony
After the first embarrassment was over
they chatted Familiarity with their friends,
both foreign and native, who came and
squatted down beside them.
The brides mo sher Game quietly into the
circle after a while and sat down beside
her son-in-la Va slight woman. whose face
was entirely concealed. And when the per-
fcrmance had been going on for about an
hour four more priests appeared and took
seats in the background. When I asked my
guardian what their object was he replied
sarcastically that it was money, that they
were present as witnesses. and each of
them would expect a Zig fee well as
good supper.
Poor people get married with one
priest" he added, but rich people have to
have many 1t costs lot of money to get
married.
Every now and then parcels were handed
to the bride. who opened them with the
same eagerness that American girls show
about their wedding presents, but before
she had been given half a chance to ex-
anime them they were snatched away from
her and passed around. There were enough
jewels to set the groom up in business, for
the relatives of both are rich several beau
tifully embroidered shawls copy Of
Tennysons poems, a full set of Ruskins
works, nexible-covered Bible from the
brides school teacher. and other gifts too
numerous to mention.
The ceremony became very tedious ana
the crowded room was hot and stuffy. 1t
was an ordeal for us to stay as long as we
did. and we stood it for couple of hours,
but it was ten times worse for the bride
and groom. for they had to sit on the floor
over the fire. and couldn't even stretch
their legs. They told us that 1t would take
four hours more to finish the ritual. So
we asked them to excuse US, offered our
sympathy and congratulations to the happy
couple. who laughed and joked with us in
English. while the priests continued to
sing on