The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-18

principle that a man about to be hanged was permitted to have anything he wanted to eat for his last breakfast. I wouldn't put 1t like that. yet it Is certainly
 about the most important day in girls
 life and 1t is only natural that she should wish to have 1t to suit her fancy. She never expects to get married again. no matter how life may turn out afterward. and she has usually dreamed just what her wedding shall be Nike.
 More than that, she and her family pay the bills. The bridegroom has nothing to do with the arrangements at the church or the house, with the exception of the clergyman's fee. The father of the bride furnishes the refreshments, the flowers for the house or the church, the car riages or motors for conveyance; he pays for the invitation or announcement cards, and upon the bride and her house. hold devolves all the work of getting ready for the great event. The bride groom supplies the ring. the fee. the gloves and ties, if he has ushers, and also h boutonniere for each man. When you come to figure it up it doesn't seem like such an imposition compared with all the bride has to do, especially If her family follows the custom of furnishing the home of the young couple when they are to go to housekeeping.
 At the same time I agree with you in thinking that the man ought to have some word about the management of the wedding, in deciding what shall be the place of the ceremony and the like. The fact remains that he does not. Until after marriage he has no say about anything. Even the silver and the linen he is to use are ma rked with his wifes maiden name.
 It does seem hard to me that poor Will should have no towels to wipe his face on.' bride to be said to me last summer. |" So I am working half of my towels with his initials and half with mine. Then he won't feel as if he were just a boarder and had no part in the house."
 I told the story later to the mother of another near bride. She shook her head decidedly.
 My Mary shall have all her things marked with her maiden name,' she said with f1rmness. " Suppose she should change her mind at the last moment or anything else should occur to break off the match, What would 1t look like to have her belongings with his name?"
 Yes, and if the match were broken off at the last moment how would she feel rec ollecting the caresses exchanged be- tween her and her erstwhile betrothed, In looking at the entwined initials on the engagement ring he gave her or in con- sidering other details of like nature? I confess the last argument of the mother did not carry much weight with me.
 Two or three young women of my ac- quaintance who have had silver given them for wedding presents have pleaded with the donors who announced their in- tentions of bestowing such gifts that the articles should not be marked but sent plain. that they might be engraved after marriage with the girls new names
 |" don't want to go through life using silver marked Thompson when perhaps shall have had the name Bedell for longer than ever had the first one." one said to a friend who expressed surprise at her course. '' I think it looks absurd to have your silver and linen with your maiden nanne, as if you weren't really marriage to the man in whose house you are living.
 After all, 1t devolves upon the bride to say what shall or shall not be done in the conduct of the wedding To my mind if the girl and her lover have talked the thing out together they ought to ar rive at some arrangement by which cer- tain expenses that will be hard to bear for