The Washington herald., 1909-07-07
OSTENTATION At WEDDINGS.
Gifts Often Meaningless and Other
Customs Held to 2e Pagan.

Gifts Often Meaningless and other
Customs Held to 2e Pagan
From the Boston HeTllG
Now that June IS over. with its we'd
dings and its wedding gifts. Il may be a
good thing 10 consider for q moment q
speech made some weeks ago by the
Rev. ". II. Butler. OF Northampton. HIS
address was on The Christian ideal OF
marriage" and n the course OF Il he
said, or he was quoted as saying: some
of cur marriage customs are pagan.
Marriages should be celebrated IN
churches. but there should be no en-
graved invitations with their plunder IN
the way OF wedding gifts" Mr.. Butler
never sees "a band OF weI-d-essed hood
lums ar a railroad station. with old boots.
rice. and tn pans galore. without think
ing or the customs Of heather nations"
It Is true that some OF the prevailing
marriage customs are pagan. Some might
say that marriage itself Is a pagan insti-
tuition. There have never been more low
ing, devoted wives than among the an
cient Greeks and Romans, from whom
some OF the customs. modern and super
stitiously sentimental. are derived We
say some. for we doubt whether old
boots were thrown after Brutus and Por-
TIA on their wedding day or whether tn
pans were beaten when Plutarch welded
the woman 20 whom he sfterward ad-
dressed that most pathetic letter on the
death of a child. Mr.. Butler Justly pro
tests against the vulgarity that attends
too public weddings, nor IS this vulgaTity
merely a matter OF horse play at a rail-
way station. OF coarse. practical jokes.
The weddings OF those described in the
shops as "our best people" are some
times Inherently vulgar in the an
nouncements. vulgar IN the church itself.
vulgar IN the ostentatious display OF the
presents.
Wedding presents are often given glad
ly; they are often useful, OF a source OF
pleasure for a lifetime. On the other
hand they are often given By many
grudgingly from sense OF compulsion.
When the accumulation "a displayed on
tables and walls for the guests 70 cape
al: when the silver table equipase, the
silver ornaments. the costly remem-
brances Of all sorts. from sumptuously
bound first edition 10 q huge japanese
lantern for the summer home as yet IN
built; when the gold and silver and pre-
eious stones and furniture and pictures
and books and silks and fine linen and
embroideries and parental checks, certi-
ned or uncertihed. are all piled together
under the eye OF g detective. one gushing
guest viii say 70 another: "Arabella has
everything she can possibly want IN
housekeeping. 7 don't see what she VIII
Go with all these things"
And therein is the PITY The married
lovers have nothing 70 do with the build
Ing or the furnishing OF their nest. They
do not know the Joy Of obtaining some
thing useful or beautiful after making
little economies, after mutual question
ing. Can we afford TO buy ftp The girl
who has been surrounded with every lux
ury, who has had every whim and long
ing gratifed by thOughtless parents, mar
ries one Of her kind Everything has been
done for them. They have not been
trained 20 do anything for themselves.
Their only problem Is one OF endeavoring
70 find q new amusement The extrava-
gance OF the wedding gifts Is synbOlical
OF their life. which Is first OF all 70 be
spectacular. Even when there Is less
spiurge, there IS solid assurance OF tbs
future, a future IN which there win be
no Joyful surprise. Sweet Is the butte
by our own hands churned." said the old
homely English rhymster Too many
husbands and wives OF the present day
do not know the pleasure OF anticipation
ln saving. Too many are ignorant OF
the happiness that follows the acCuisiuOr
Of some picture, a set OF books. some
article OF furniture, after uncomplainins
seif-deniaI