SHIVERSOME CEREMONY

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2172, 4 September 1920, Page 4

SHIVERSOME CEREMONY

HOW THEY BAPTISE IN THE green cnriicn. •

Queen Alexandra was unable in attend Tuesday's christening ceremony of the Asquith baity in the Greek Chureh at Moscow road, Bayswafer (says a London correspondent). But there was a rare erush of fashionable and ultrafashionable people, including Mr and Mrs Asquith, the handsome mother of the star performer (Princess Bibeseo), Lord Robert Ceeil, Lord Ivor Churchill, Lady Granby, and Iho Countess Besehendol'f (the baby's grandmamma), with two nurses, of course) the baby girl — Alexandra Briseilla Helena Bibeseo —a charming debuiante in long cloilies who yelled lustily in strong feminine protest when .-lie wa-.-.tripped as naked it.-; Eve by the long-bearded Greek priest in bis splendid eeelesiastieal vestment, and dipped three limes bodily in the foul, besides having handfuls of saered water, over wliieli the priests bad burnt incense, and said Greek prayers, showered upon. Iter wee head. .11 was an ordeal against wbielt any young princess might liftve protested. The service Wits gone through in Greek and English, and the responses given with great fervo'tir by'(he baby’s grandmother, including an assurance that the proiestant infant had renounced “the Devil and all bis works." It was a most ornate and impressive ceremony. and was followed with greed interest by the fashionable assembly of friends and relatives. Alter.the baptism ceremony, the officiating priest banded the naked infant to her godmanima’s amts, and things were more eonfortahle, because obviously the infantile instinct of Princess Priscilla was to renounce ;he clergy and all their works.