Woman's World

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 94, 16 September 1914, Page 6

Woman's World

LOVES TOKENS. Joining hands over a running stream was tile favorite mods of plighting ] troths in former times. There is a pretty meaning in this. A modern poet has expressed the sentiment as follows: Like the waters at our feet, which ' never cease to flow, Constant love I crave from thee thro' life, for weal or woe. One of the most popular tokens of a bygone day was the Gimmal ring, a name derived from the Latin gemellues, joined, because the ring was composed of two separate bands fitting into eacli other with little teeth, thus allowing them to be divided at a betrothal, ] and put together again when the betrothal parties approached the hymeneal altar. Such a ring was devised to take the place of the broken coin, which among the Franks was the usual token of the conclusion of a bargain. When lovers plighted their troths in this way, the separated halves always were invested with mystic qualities, because of the vows of constancy exchanged over them. It would seem that a lock of their hair naturally suggested itself to the minds of men ami women as a love token. But this was not the original meaning of the interchange of such a cherished treasure. In ancient times, whenever a person of distinction was taken prisoner of war, or held for ransom while on his travels, his relations were usually apprised of his captivity by the receipt of a lock of hair. The nuptial kiss at the altar is all that remains of an old-time ceremony which preceded the marriage service. This was the "espousals" or "solemn betrothal.'" Generally speaking, the gift of a betrothal ring by the bride-groom-elect to the bride-elect was considered sufficiently binding; but in an age when it was the custom to invite the blessing of the Church upon all the more serious transactions of life, public espousals were, taking the population all i round, matters of everyday occurrence. A lovesick swain was often not sufficieutly endowed with this world's goods to give his future wife anything more substantial than an espousal kiss. When this was the case he naturally wished all his acquaintances to bear witness to the fact that the young woman was solemnly engaged to him, and he meant to carry out his intention of marrying her at the earliest opportunity. It was this espousal kiss, before witnesses, which marked the difference between a J sentimental compact and one of purely mundane character.

The mere joining of hands following words of promise sufficed to ratify all ordinary bargains; but when the contractors joined lips as well as hands they breathed into each oilier the 'breath of life, and their spiritual union was compkte. Yet the kins aud joining of hands was only part of the espousal ceremony. Like the modern Jews, the betrothed pair went through a ceremonial which differed only from the actual marriage service in that their mutual promises therein were expressed in the future tense instead of in the present. In conclusion, they pledged each other in a cup of wine, as do the Jews and Russians of the present day.

The bridesmaids and best men formerly bad many important duties to perform. For weeks previous to the wedding the first bridesmaid placed herself at Hie disposal of the bride-to-be, and offered her services for attendance upon all shopping expeditions, and gave advice as to the choice of colors and for dresses, aiding in every way possible with both hand and brain. She it was who made the bridal wreath. The best man acted in a similar capacity for the bridegroom. Publication of banns is a custom in churches, and its chief object is to prevent marriages of persons having a kinship of a forbidden degree. The custom became established about the middle of the thirteenth century. Previous to that time it had been the custom Tor knights who were about to enter the tournament lists to hang up their shields in the nearest church, so that in the event of any taint being discovered, they might be prevented from entering the lists.

It is therefore thought that from this practice the publication of the banns for three successive Sundays arose. The bride's wreath is a Christian substitute for the gilt coronet which wits the especial adornment of the Jewish brid-. The .lews always have regarded the promotion of marriage as a meritorious act, and by crowning a bride they paid lie]- tie- highest possible honor. The Russians and tile Calvinists of Holland and .Switzerland stili adhere to the ancient praetiie of crowning the bride during the nuptial ceremony. Orange blossoms were first worn at weddings I;,- the Saracens, who regarded these llowers as the emblems of fecundity. I.ike many another Oriental custom, it was introduced into Kuropc liv the Crusaders. The bride's veil has been derivd from tile llammeiim. or large yellow veil, which completely elive'oped tin- Creek and Koman brides during the celebration of tile marriage right. Stteb a one is still in iim' among the -lews and Persians. In thor-.e parts ol the world where marriage by capture prevails a sheet or other voluminous drap-ry is thrown over the bride, that she ma, be move readilv borne awav

by tier editors. In tfi'.'sc ilny.i U'.c term wciMini; breakfast if a mi-nomer, fur no olio uoiiM think of froiiif; such a trying ni'ili'iil bmikfasllens. In j>ic-Uefotma-I/011 times, however. tlio bride anil bridegroom. bofoiv leaving tho diurcli. wvn* to hear mass ami reeeive Holy Communion. The attendanee of the witnesses was naturally cnjoimil also.

but in their case the communion was optional. At the conclusion of the mass, the officiating' clergyman solemnly blessed wines, cakes and sweetmeats, Which we're then handed around among the company.

At every Roman wedding the bridegroom, on emerging from the temple with the bride, threw a handful of nuts among the bystanders. This was to show that he considered himself a hoy no longer; that the sports and fancies of youth were now entirely abandoned. The meaning of throwing rice after weddings as an auspicious send-off to the happy couple is not far to seek. Inasmuch as rico is the most prolific of grains, it has always and everywhere been regarded as emblematical of (lotl's command to Adam and Eve, and after the deluge to Xoali, to increase and multiply, and replenish the earfh. Among the Brahmins of India this rice-throwing forms part of the marriage ceremony. Instead of lice the Jews throw wheat, and the Russians oats orbarley, upon the heads of the bridal couple, saying: "Increase ami multiply."

" TIGHTNESS " IN TEA. MERCHANTS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SUPPLIES. Cabled advice received by a wholesale linn of tea merchants in Wellington states that the Colombo auctions, whence Australia draws practically the whole of its tea supplies, were re-opened on Tuesday of last week, after having been closed for five weeks on account of the war. Instead of the usual amount of between 2,000,0001b and 3,000,0001b, only 1,000,0001b were offered for sale. •Small quantities were bought for New Zealand, but the difficulty in getting freights makes it almost an impossibility for the orders to be executed. There will be only freightiugs once a fortnight by the P. and O. and Orient boats, whicli are not likely to carry sufficient supplies for Australia and New Zealand. Written communications just received from the firm's headquarters in Sydney state:—At the present time there is not a packet of Ceylon tea held in Sydney, and two or three lines only of Java tea. Blenders in Australia arc getting very scared about supplies, and it is quite apparent to us that the market will be very bad for some time ahead, owing to the German mail steamers being such large carriers from Colombo." Further advice states that the BritishIndia line's steamer Janus, which took (ire off Albany, had aboard 750,■0001b of tea—all totally destroyed. Aboard the N'.D.L. liner Roon, now sheltering at Java, however, there is £50,000 worth of Colombo tea, and arrangements have been made for its delivery. It will not be possible to get this tea down for two months yet, and it is not expected that a large quantity of it will find its way to New Zealand.

Notwithstanding the temporary "tightness" being experienced with regard to supplies in the local markets, the in-dica'!-oMu (one tea merchant states) are that they will be normal before many weeks have passed, as the Australian merchants are making arrangements to send a special steamer up to Colombo for supplies. A GIRL KIDNAPPED.

A belle of tile Italian quarter of New \ork, a nineteen-year-old beauty named Antonina Diana, was kidnapped in broad daylight on Juno 29 in busy Clinton street by men in a motor car, Antonina was crossing the street near her homo, when a taxi drew up at the kerb, ft man leaped out, seized her, and hustled her towards the car. She screamed, and a crowd at once collected, but a second man in the car reached out and pulled her in, and the taxi drove off before anyone could help. Chase was immediately given by the police, and, though they lost track of the kidnappers, it was found some hours later that the car had gone to an isolated house 011 the outskirts of Long Island City. The police broke open the door of the place, and in an inner room found the girl on her knees before 'Antonio Malito and two other men, imploring them to spare her. The men were arrested, and the girl taken back to her parents. Malito proves to be a rejected lover of the girl, who kidnapped her-after being refused by her. All three men are in prison without bail.

TWO IN AUTUMN. The road slopes on that leads us to the last, And we tread it softly, side by side; 'Ti.-i a blithe count the milestones we have passed, Step fitting step, and each of us for guide. My love, and I thy love, our road is fair, And fairest most because the other's there; Our road is fair, adown tlie harvest hill, But fairest tliaL we two aro we two still. We two. we two! the children's suii!es are dear--Thank God, how dear the bonny children's smiles! Tint 'lis we two among our own ones here, We two along life's way through all the whiles. To think if we had passed each other by; And he not he nnart. and T not 1! And, 011, to think it' we hud never known: Anil 1 not T and not he alone! —Augusta Webster,