Social Moods.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 382, 3 September 1903, Page 2

Social Moods.

QUEER IVEDDING CUSTOMS. JKTRHE pretty custom of throwing a ihgfo slipper after a bridal pair is- acSy§K>9 counted for in various ways, but it seems to have originated ia Franc?, and the following pretty story is told in connection with it. A poor old woman was among the crowd who watched Kiag Louis XIII, drive from the church after bis marriage, took eff her shoe, and dinging it at tne Royal coach, cried: ' It's all I have, your Majesty,- but the blessing of God go with it!' In Germany, as in many parts of England, there is a superstition against. May marriages. In Scotland the last day of the year is often chosen as the wedding' day, fo that the joung folks may leave their old life with the old year, and begin their married life with the uew one. In some parts of rural England it is customary to pour hot water over the throshold after tbe departure of the newly wedded c. uple in order to keep it warm for another bride. Slips of myrtle, etc.. from the bridal bouqu ± are much sought after by the bride's girl friends, for they know that if they can coax them to take rcot they themselves are destined to marry. It is quite usual for the bridesmaids to draw lots for the bouquet, and the one who draws the prize not only has the pleasure of dividing up the bouqu it among the rest, but she knows that according to popular belief, before the year is out Bhe, too, wiA be wed. HAS WOMAN A SOUL? This is, in Turkey, a much disputed I uted question, and the pity of it is that women seem to think that ae a dcubt exists, it is not worth while to trouble themselves about the future, and accordingly they give tbemselves up te frivolitj. Eitiag sweetmeats, smoking cigarettes, scolding their slaves, and gossip, with an occasional visit to a low cl. ss theatre, are the amusements of the ladies, and the result is that their physique is rapidly deteriorating, whiob ia a serious matter for tbe country, for the deterioration of the women must mean the deterioration of the race. Seeing the women content to live so very much like ' the beasts that perish,' the modern Turk is disposed to regard tbe question as to women's souls a; of email importance, for, he flippantly remarka 'if they have souls at all they they must be such very small ones as haid'y to be worth the bother cf saving 1' WEDDjNG ET QUETTE. A bride should either thank personally or write notes to all people who send wedißg presents. It is considered good taste nowadays to have brown or bay horses for the- bride's carriage instead of grey ones. The custom of having groomsman in equal numbers with the bridesmaids has bean revivsd of late, If there are any pages the bride usually gives them presents, while the bridegroom presents each bridesmaid with a present and bouquet, and also gives a bouqu st to the biide's mother. Bridesmaids pay for their own drtS3es, unless the bride's mother offers to do so This is not usual, however, and there is not the least necessity for her to do so. The bridegroom's mother is led down the church after the ceremony by the bride's father, to whoever gave her away. The bride's mother and the bridegroom's father follow. The bridegroom provides house and table linen as well as furniture. Years ago the linen was the bride's care, but all this is changed, - A bridegroom usually wears a very dark grey or black frock coat, luht trousers, generally grey, a light or white ', tie, pxtent leather boots or shoes, aad a silk hat.