The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-25
WEDDING TRADITIONS.
New york Evening PosfD


In the month of June last wear 4476
marriage licenses were ISSUED in this city
alone. And July showed little diminution.
There is no reason to suppose that the
figures for this year viii be smaller.
Evidently. tie country is in no danger
from misOgdmy. The crop Of June we'd
dings is as regular as strawberries. It
has become the COncumitant produce Of
the month. Ike CToCuses in spring or
pumpkins in autumn.
Yet with ali this steadiness in the cere-
mOny, the traditions that gather about il
seem to wavcr This inks many good
folk who were wed in the era Of rice.
Indeed, not long ago, rumOr floated east
ward from western city to the effect
that a Good Luck Corporation had been
formed there. Information was vague,
but the organization seemed to be COM
posed of women who were anxious that
the traditional byplay Of weddings should
not die. Whenever there is a wedding in
the wind, the Good Luck Corporation
takes pains TO have its minions on hand
equipped with rice and old shoes Doubt
less. the work is done thoroughly. though
whether merely I'm the interests of super
stition is not revealed. The scheme would
seem to be rooted in ideals Of good-fel-
lowship. Nevertheless, the old custom
had better die. Few know Of a wedding
which gained by an atmosphere thick
with the fusillade Of slippers and rice.
We recall but one instance where there
was an actual beneficiary RE was an
old salt who ran a launch down Maine
among islands COiOniaed fin summer and
rife with weddings. He once remarked.
utilitarian-wise: Il like these weddin'
customs-throwin' g rice an SIGH. Many's
the good rice puddin' I've caught in this
very bot"
We question whether even this phil
Osopher would equally approve of the
parapneTualia which surrounds the we'd
ding Of today. It IS popularity supposed
that ostentation is sweet to the soul Of
he fa-frf A 20 aNN ais narHn
TO carry il Off Quite the reverse is
true of the bridegroom. Witness Kip
ling's account Of the hero and his best
man in the prenuptial chapter Of THE
Story Of the Gsdsbys'
Captain Gadsby (dismounting at the
door Of the churchill say. aren't we
much too soOn2 There are no end Of
people inside I say. aren't we much too
late? Stick by me, Jack. What the devil
do I do?
Captain Maffin-strike an attitude at
the head Of the aisle and wait for her
(Gsdsby groaus as Nsfflin wheels him
into place before three hundred eyes.)
Captain Mafflin Gmplorinniy) Gladly
if you love me, for PHYS sake for the
honor of the regiment, stand up. Chuck
yourself into your uniform. Look like
man.
Many men are Gadsbys at the wedding
services. Indeed. one of the uaradOxes
of sex lies I'm the frequent and almost
supernal self-possessiOn Of the bride dur
III = lllI lltaAl itlEt EEttIllEMrs compared 70
the sorry figure which the groom cuts.
Yet IL is the veriest commonplace for the
best man TO appear the hero Of the oc-
casion, and TO look ike fitting mate for
the bride:
And the bride-maidens whispered,
" Tvere better by far
To have matched our fair cousin to young
LOchinVaT,'
To be sure. young Lochinvar was not the
best man on that occasion. incidentally.
he never could have accomplished his
notable theft had not the wedding season
been such as to permit open doors in
Perhaps II fs the greatest possible com
pliment to June that the largest number
of weddings should fall within its COM
pass. Why is it2 As Browning queries.
What's in the blossom
June wears on her bosom?
The three greatest days I'm the life Of
a mortal are those Of his birth, marriage
end death. over the first and last he
has no control. but ne makes amends by
setting the other at the golden summit
Of the year. 1T seems. remarks Steven
son. 'as If marriage were the royal road
through life, and realized, on the instant. /
what we have al dreamed on summer
whom the bells ring. or at night
when we cannot sleep for the desire Of
living. Eventually. marriage is found /
much like all life in its problems and /
privileges, but the day which cOnsum- /
mates e always remains q little apart /
from j0g-trOt. mundane existence. Cow I
entry PatmOre said.
o. bold seal Of q bashful bond.
Which makes the marriage day TO be. !
To those before IL and beyond.
An iceberg In an Indian sea
There is no cyniCism here. merely I
kindly philosophy which percsives that Z
enc day stands pinnacled above its more /
feIiUWE tt IS meet, there
fore that bridesmaids should be working
overtime and clsTgymen's wives reaping a /
rich perQuisite Of fees at the season when I
boys go in swimming. wild roses line the 4
roadside, and nature seems most alive.