Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-09-28
FROM FAR AWAY INDIA
Delightful Letter Describing ;
Fashionable Wedding.
MISS NORMA CRAVEN, WRITER.
Was Honored Guest and Her Expert
ences Remind Her of
Fairyland.
Tainine. July IL. 1909

/ could almost beat it walking. The
country through which We passed was
lsimilar to that between TAPPING and
Penang, only it was not SO rocky and
seemed to be more cultivated. There
were more rubber states and paddy
(ricel fields and less sugar cane Just
before we reached Ipoh we passed
tseveral boulders several hundred feet
high. / suppose they were full of tin
but am not sure. Mrs. Bailey. a
lquaint little English lady, met me at
the station and took me up to her
house. had just complered my toi-
let when one of the servants from
Shaik Nannameali Sahib appeared to
conduct me to their residence. En-
route we met the groom and his suite
travelling about the city. When we
entered the house we were met by
the brides father and he took us up
to the bridal chamber. The bed was
brass and had four great big brass
posts like the old-fashioned ones at
home. The pillows, mats and curtains
were ali gold and silver embroidered
in bright colored yelyets and satins.
The walls were embossed satin. The
lpresents were beautiful and very ex-
pensiye. All were solid gold or silver
and such extrayagant jewelry with
all kinds of stones. The only Euro
pean present was solid gold brush
and comb.
All around the room squatted many
women in elegant oriental dresses.
From there we went to the room
where the ceremony was TO take
place. At one end of the room was
a dais covered with silver embroid-
cred blue satin; the walls were blue
satin; there were flowers everywhere.
They seated me by some English peo-
pie. Then Zoharabie's grandmother
came up and invited me to tea with
some of the other high and migkty
grandmothers. Ut was abominable
tea.)
| / was conducted back to my seat.
In few moments man came up
with the chain | am sending home
and put it around my peck. 1t is
white and so, so fragrant and pretty.
/ did not understand what it was for,
but later found out it was gift from
the groom and marked me as guest
of honor. Grooms count over here,
not brides.
After a long period of waiting we
heard the tum-tum of the bride
groom's musicians and then those in
the yard joined in and it was lively.
The bridal procession then appeared
First came several men carrying gold
trays holding six or eight lights each;
then followed some torches and col
ored lights, in the midst of which rode
the bridegroom. The carriage con-
tanning the groom stopped just be-
low the window where | stood. He
was all in white, embroidered in gold.
He wore three pairs of beautiful gold
amulets. The most remarkable thing
was his head-gear. On each side of
his face hung down large white tas-
moth pom-pom. He sat among the
gold-embroidered cushions as indiffer-
emily as if nothing were happening
and hardly deigned to notice the mag
niticent presents which were brought
to him. Some of his friends assisted
him to alight and escorted him up
the stairs where Others of his friends
stood showering rice.
| He was led into the outer room and
seated on mat with big bolster
behind him. His friends arranged his
dress, his hands and his head. Then
we were requested to 60 into the other
room as only men are allowed to be
present at the signing of the contract.
Presently we heard the clapping OF
hands and knew by that that the
bridegroom had signed his name.
Then he was led into the room and
seated on the blue dais: his clothes
were arranged and there he sat with
his eyes closed, paying no attention to
anything. Then they carried in the
little bride. Her dress was pink, gold
Embroidered, and she was simply
weighted down with jewelry. One
pair of bracelets cost ST 900. She Vas
put down beside the groom and a
couple of their bracelets locked togeth-
er, and there they sat with their eyes
lclosed. Finally Mohammed priest
lstepped out and held his hands, palms
up, to bless them. He talkeda little,
but like the bride and groom did not
seem particularly interested in what
was happening. Then chair was
! placed in front of the bride and GOV
cred with beautiful embroidered
cloth. The groom was helped into
this and some rice brought. Each
took handful and put it into the
others hand. | am not sure that they
did not open their eyes and look al
each other as they did tins, but II
they did it was the first and only time.
A gold chain was then put about her
neck and his Then the bride was
moved over into the place the groom
had occupied and he was helped into
hers: and their bracelets locked to
Igether. Then the ceremony was over
Mr.. Shaik Nannameah Sahib asked
lme If / wanted TO congratulate Zohara
bee and, of course, / did. He in
formed me that she would pay no at
, tention to me, would not look at me
nor speak, nor show in any way that
, lshe heard me. but could go forward
and kneel in front of her on ths
, bolster and say what / wanted TO