Year: 1877

! H ~@-NAA%e-AA "





While the air was full of alternate ru-
mors of war and peace, card was handed
to us requesting our attendance at an Ar
menian wedding. Midnight was the hour
appointed for the solemnization. The GER
emony began Immediately. There were
no bridemaids; the bride was only attend
ed by commere or godmother, who
seemed an humble relative or friend, while
the bridegroom's best man was his own
brother, young gentleman married to
the daughter of Nubar Pasha, of Egypt.
The happy pair were persons of high
standing and Of great wealth, the BRIDE
groom having been for some time settled
in London in connection with n great
trading house. The bride was mangnii-
Gently attired young, and what woman is
not handsome on her wedding day
She had on the conventional white dress,
and veil falling down to her feet, and a
heavy brocaded white train impeding her
movements. The popularity was a bunch
Of silver strips fastened on the nape of the
neck and hanging down her back; on her
breast were orange flowers; wreathe Of
the same, with diamond tiara or diadem
rested on her head underneath the veil.
The bridegroom was of about the same age
with the BRIDE and bore a kind of family
or national likeness to her should
have mentioned that, as the party walked
up the nave of the church, they stopped
halfway, where three chairs had been
placed for the purpose; the bride suddenly
parted company, and, hurrying forward
all alone, sat in the middle chair, when
the bridegroom and the best man followed
and took their places beside her. This,
we suppose, is intended to represent the
typical shyness or coyness Of the bride, and
is in keeping with this custom observed
among the Armenians of the lower orders,
whose brides affect to run away from the
bliss that awaits them, and have to be
hunted and coaxed or forced to acquiesce
in the inevitable. This little by-play last
ed only few seconds, for Immediately the
eomnrere hustled up, and helped the bride
off the chair, lifting the heavy train after
her. The party then got within the rail.
ings aud stood before the steps of the
altar, surrounded by the choristers singing
q hymn.


There followed distressingly long
church service, during parts Of which the
bride and bridegroom, sometimes standing,
sometimes kneeling, tied together with
golden chain--the Greeks used instead
wreath of Aowers-facing one another, and
so closely that their faces almost touched,
both casting down their eyes to the ground,
the poor bridegroom especially looking ex-
ceedingly sheepish, while the bride had a
calm, though somewhat wearied look.
The gold chain was again and again laid
on the two devoted heads and removed to
the very evident distress of the sufferers,
who perhaps wondered whether the knot
Of which that chain was typical was
equally to be fast and loose all the days of
their life. All the time the two were thus
yoked together the best man held silver
crucifx between them, very close to their
faces; the prelates and some of the other
clergy all having the same little crosses in
their hands, not, however, touching them,
but holding them by piece Of spangled
gauze or tarlatau, hanging down like a
ladys pocket-handkerchief, with which
she holds scent bottle in ballroom.
The hands of the bride and bridegroom
were often joined and clasped together;
but we noticed no bestowing of the ring,
that being apparently no part of the
nuptial ceremony in the Armenian Church
The service was in the literary ancient
Armenian, which, / am told, educated
persons thoroughly understand, and some
Of the hymns sung by the choristers
are snatches Of epithalamic poetry handed
down from ages anterior TO Christianity.
The principle rites being fulfilled, the bri-
dal party and the bystanders, as well as
the clergy, sat down, when the patriarch
delivered an exhortation to the welded
couple, in the everyday Armenian of
common life; discourse, am assured,
full Of good sense and morality, for the
patriarch is well known for his eloqueuce
and wit; while one of his archbishops,
korem-Nar Bey, is a poet highly valued
in his own land aud wherever his language
Is understood.


After the sermon, and when the final
blessing had been pronounced on the
knecling pair, tray with three glasses of
red wine was brought in and rendered to
the bride, bridegroom and best man.
More bridal hymns followed, aud the SER
vice was then concluded, many of the
bystanders,, and ourselves among the rest,
vaulting over the balustrade and offering
congratulations to the newly married pair
and their families. The bride evinced no
little selfpossession and spirit, and spoke
English well enough to ct her for inter
course with the people among whom she
is soon to have her welded home.