Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-09
WEDDING PRESENTS
THAT ARE BURDENS
Troublesome and Costly to
Donors and Useless to
Recipients.
From London Tit Bits.

From London Tit Bits
The conventionalities associated with
the giving of wedding presents are under
going curious changes. There are some
people with quite modern ideas who favor
the abolition Of the custom altogether on
the ground that 1t is an imposition and
an unjustif1ed tax on the private re-
sources Of ones friends. Others again.
| who still believe In the observance OF
the me-honored practice. do not ad-
here to the traditional offerings OF
marble clocks and silver toast racks,
but try as far as they can to strike on
some novelty which may not be easily
| initiated.
| In Germany, some years ago. when
Frau Becker. a menagerie proprietor,
was married to Herr Schneider. she took
| to him as dover an elephant, lion and
several other wild animals, to form the
nucleus Of a rival show. 1t is not i'm
probable that geological wedding pres
ents will now become the fashion!
No Equal in History.
The German Emperor can claim. how
ever. to have given wedding present
which has no equal in history, and 1t Is
not at all likely to become common.
even among royalty. When his daugh-
ter, Princess Victoria Louise, was mar
ried recently to Prince Ernest Augustus.
| the only son of the Duke of Cumberland.
the kaiser announced that he intended
to proclaim the happy couple as SOW
ereign rulers of the Duchy of Bruins
wick, and thus, by the gift OF throne,
complete the reconciliation at between the
Guelph. The federal council of the en-
pire had to arrange many legal and
political formalities before this unique
Brunswick, the capital of the duchy, is
now busily preparing for the state entry
of the coming ruler and his consort.
There are other instances OF novel but
less imposing nuptial gifts having been
made. A young couple at Hampton Wick
received a bag containing 300 threepenny
pieces; but more original still was the
idea of a well-to-do London tradesman,
who presented to his son, on the eve
of his marriage, a small and modestly
bound volume. Its apparent value was
a shilling at the outside. but on opening
it the lucky recipient found that each
of its pages was bank note for I1Oo
The use of the volume was explained in
the preface, which directed that one note
was to be removed and spent at Will Oh
each anniversary of the wedding day.
Another generous parent was the pro-
prietor of the Russian newspaper. Novoe
d.
her wedding day with the profits for life
of one of the advertising pages of his
paper, which represented an income OF
about $4,000 a year. Then again. Mr..
Henry Hodgson of st. Louis u ). A.,
gave to the first Of his three daughters
to find husband her weight in gold; to
the second her weight in silver. and to
the third and last to be led to the altar,
her weight in copper.
New Custom.
Among the brides of recent years who
can account themselves the recipients of
most lavish wedding gifts was Miss Be
atrice Ogden Mills, the granddaughter of
the famous American millionaire imam
cier, Mr. Darius Ogden Mills. who mar
ried the Earl of Granard. Her presents
comprised in themselves quite fortune
their value being estimated at ElOO,OoD
Chief among the gifts was a sum of
10000 in cash and London mouse
from the brides grandfather.
Quite as unconventional as the giving
of novel wedding gifts is the new custom
of mo presents which has come into
vogue lately. but has not yet caught
on to any extent. The first brde-elect
publicly to emancipate herself from the
tyranncal yoke of the wedding present
was Miss Lillian Lutley of Oldham
Priory, Hants, who was married nearly
four years ago to Mr.. Harrington Nor
gan, Judge of the civil courts of justice in
the Sudan The bride and bridegroom re-
quested through the press that no pres
ents should be sent to them but they
added that letters expressive of good
wishes would be very acceptable.
Another instance of the no gift we'd
ding was that of the Lord Mayor OF Nor
wich, Mr. Arthur NJ. Samuel, who eA-
pressed his determination not to receive
any wedding presents whatsoever, with
the exception of two--a public fund
which was raised in Manchester for the
painting of his portrait by Royal
Academician. and presentation from
the Norwich corporation and citizens
Mr. Samuel did not refuse to accept the
gifts Of his friends in any querulous
spirit He holds strong views on the
subject 1.-The present-giving at we'd
dings," he said. is altogether outgrow-
ing reasonable dimensions. and I have
done what have done as a serious pro-
test against social evil. 1t is q tax
upon the private resources of ones
friends. and the imposition should cease
Also, people not infrequently hesitate
to ask their friends to wedding be-
cause the invitation will at once be
regarded by the recipient as involving
the giving of a present. l honestly
hold that If wedding presents are given
at all, they should be given by bride
and bridegroom to their friends to cele-
brate the happy occasion, rather than
the other way about