Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19
Vivacious Doings by Friends
of the Bride and Groom

range these hazing stunts purely for the
good of the freshly joined ones, and not
at ALTAR be it from them!-for the sat
isfaction of their own ideas OF diversion
and humor.
There are instances, of course, in which
newly married pairs, young persons quite
devoid OF the sense of humora quite fail
to see the quippiness of their friends
tain air of peevedness when they are.
for their own good and guidance, made
a sort of monkey or pinny-poppy- show
of for the delectation of large h6rdes OF
perfect strangers. It is unfortunate that
this should be.
Perhaps the brides and bridegrooms who
view such matters from a chagrined or
perturbed angle take the view that, on
a marriage day, If on any day at all in
all the warp and wool of days that go
to make up the fabric Of human lives.
a young couple are entitled to en- 10y the
blessing of peace. of tranquility. of free
dom from petty annoyance; that, indeed,
that day Of days should be wrapped and
nimbused by a certain dignity and fervor
and exaltation of mind.
Not long ago the writer left the Union
station in Washington on a train bound
at midnight, or near that hour. for New
York. A merry-oh, SO merry-marriage
ing young bride and bridegroom to the
gate Of the train for New York. The rice
tossing persisted right up to the instant
when the couple passed through the gate
for the train, upon which we happened to
be riding.
Just as the bride was passing through
the gate upon the arm of her young hus-
band, small grain Of the enthusiastical-
ly hurled rice lodged in her left eye. It
hurt her severely. 1t hurt her so much
that involuntarily, actuated by the PAIN
she applied her hand to the eye. Instead
of doing any good or assuaging the pain,
the hand merely succeeded in rubbing the
tiny grain Of rice far back into the eye.
That just-married girl was in agony on
the train all night. Her. husband and the
conductor and the porter and several pas
sengers tried all they knew to mitigate
the PAIN they used all Of the old plans
in an attempt to get the grain OF rice out
of the inf1amed eye. 1t was no use. The
bride was in sharp misery. There was
an expression on the face of the athletic
young husband that meant a lot. He
would dearly have enjoyed winding his
fingers around the necks Of some of those
rice beavers.
When the couple left the train at the
Pennsylvania station in New York the
following morning the girls eye was
about twice its normal size. Her husband
put her in a taxicab and hurried her to
the office of an oculist. She was IS nice
and sweet looking as she was pretty, and
she endured that night OF agony on the
train with gameness and fortitude.
Quite a number of years ago, In San
Francisco. there was a naval wedding at
the Palace Hotel A fine young officer
of the sea service, just about to start for
the China station, was the groom, and
the bride was a beautiful woman, one of
those veritable expresses that California
produces in such amazing profusion
The old shoe tosSers were on the lob
of course. 1t is a curious sort of thing,
to express it in that innocuous fashion
that male and female persons. some of
them with quite strong arms. should
stand right up in front of young brides
and hurl aged, outworn and sometimes
heavy shoes right at their faces.
Well. one OF the pieces of old shoe
leather tossed at this California girl
caught her on the bridge of the nose
Of the hotel with her husband. 1t had
been thrown with great strength and
accuracy of aim. 1t was one Of those
high-heeled, low-cut shoes that women
wear. 1t was the heel that hit the
bride OH the bridge Of her nose. and it
smashed her nose just as if she had
been hit by a flying piece of machinery.
beauty was ruined. Her wedding was
ruined. Her life was ruined.
But the rice tossing and the shoe
hurting probably always will be consid-
cred at least until that higher state Of
civilization that sociologists write about.
necessary afterpart of the sacrament
of matrimony.