The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-06

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whom the sutton seeks. Finally he
brings forth the real bride. and in lu.
gubrious strain commiserates her
mother that she is to lose her daugh-
ter forever. Is she certain, he asks.
that the young, man to whom she. Is
going to give gift so precious is
worthy OF the great honor and good
fortune which is about to befatt him ?
While the girls mother weeps nois-
lily, the father hands TO his prospec-
tive son-in.law girth. which the lat
ter places twice around the brides
waist as sign that he is her master
and that henceforth she owes submis,
sion to him and no longer to her fath.
er. Meanwhile the breutaer sings the
Song OF the Girdle," which cele.
brates the brides submission. To
conclude this part of the ceremony
the bazvalan invokes for the bride
the highest blessings, not only OF the
Supreme Being, but also OF the Virgin
and the angels and of the deceased an
cestors of both families.
The Parade and Ceremonies.
Through the shady lanes, between
hedges of laurel. rose and myrtle the
wedding procession walks to the
neighboring hamlet for the ecclesias-
teal and civil ceremonies. First. ac.
companied by his young men. 10 or IL
In number, comes the bridegroom,
magnificent in his embroidered and
bespangled wedding iinery. The bride
and her maidens follow after, and the
relatives straggle along behind, whiio
the children run ahead to stretch rib
bons across the pathway, so that they
may demand toll from the bridal
party.
After the civil and religious cere-
monies at the marie and the church,
the company go OF to dance on the
neighboring green, II II is summer.
Here other guests Join them. and
within an hour or two partake OF the
wedding feast--a sumptuous repast.
where usually, even at weddings of
the rich, each guest is expected to
pay for what he eats.
For tables trenches are cut in the
ground and boards are placed upon
the mound of earth erected in the cen.
ter. Upon this is spread feast of all
the traditional dishes-boiled beef.
stewed tripe, veal. wine. cider-which
the Breton farmer prefers to more
modern culinary inventions Of more
delicate SAVIOR. Each guest has
brought his own spoon, fork and
knife. and eats in turn off the great
platters which are passed around.
The day following the nuptials the
poor OF the district come to feast up.
on the remnants OF the good cheer
and to wish the happy couple every
blessing from above-as many chill
dren as there are crickets under the
hearth, as many years of life as were
accorded to the patriarchs. and finally
an admission into Paradise after
death. Also, masses are said for the
dead.
There is one interesting custom
which now is obsolete. In oiden times
on the day of the wedding, before the
bridegroom and his party had arrived
to fetch the bride, 1t was customary
for the discarded lover, whose suit
had not been favored-usually for
financial reasons-to present himself
to the bride, who tied about his arm
threefold ribbon-white, typical of
her innocence; pink. of her beauty,
and black, of the despair which was
henceforth to be her lovers portion.
But Breton marriages have grown of
late years even more materlalistic
than before and this romantic custom
has fallen into disuse.