otherwise there will be no wedding. Neither must she look at herself in the glass after the completion of her toilette, but must put on her gloves after she has turned away from the mirror. In order to ensure good luck she must take care to wear : " Something old, something new. Something borrowed, and something blue/' The first m order that she may still retain the love and affection that was hers in the old life ; something new for success in her new life ; something borrowed that friends may ever be helpful and faithful when needed ; and something blue as the emblem Df loyalty and constancy. Any jewels except pearls may be worn ; these should be avoided, as they symbolise tears. THE MEANING OF ORANGE-BLOSSOM Having so far attired the bride, her wreath ind veil must have consideration next. Authorities are divided upon the origin of the use of orange-blossom. Some think it was introduced by the Crusaders, who obtained it from the Saracens, among whom it was the favourite bridal flower, and re- garded as an omen of prosperity, owing to the fact that in the East the orange-tree bears ripe fruit and blossoms simultaneously. The flower, being white, was also regarded as the symbol of innocence and chastity. The other legend hails from Spain, and is as follows : A certain Spanish maiden, the daughter of one of the gardeners at the Royal Palace, was unable to marry because she could not furnish a sufficient dowry, and her fiance was too poor for them to start in life without some financial assistance. Now, the French Ambassador once visited the Spanish monarch, and very greatly desired to possess a cutting from his famous Drange-tree, so the maiden promised to obtain one for him if he would also help her to obtain her heart's desire. Nothing loth, the visitor paid her a handsome sum for the coveted cutting, and on her wedding day she wore a chaplet of the blossoms to whose agency she owed her happiness. What the owner of the tree said about the transaction, or if he ever knew of it, history does not relate. But most probably the orange-blossom has become so fashionable, and was adopted by French modistes, on account of its beauty, and very likely in ignorance of its meaning. In Anglo-Saxon times the bridal wreath was often made of corn or wheat-ears (a custom really belonging to the Greeks), in token of prosperity. These sometimes were church property, and used for every wedding, and the bridegroom was erowned with one also. This custom still prevails in Greece, where an interchange of chaplets is made during the ceremony. Not every coantry, by any means, adopts the orange-blossom ; certainly not in the cases of the peasants' weddings, for in Bavaria and Silesia the bride wears a chaplet of pearls, glass, or gold 53 MARRIAOr wire ; m Italy and I'rance and the French cantons of Switzerland, white roses. In Norway, Sweden, and Servia, the bridal crown is composed of silver, while the German bride would be amazed if in her circlet of red and white roses, myrtle leaves were not entwined. ORIGIN QF THE WEDDING VEIL The history of the wedding veil is par- ticularly interesting, and, hke so many other things, seems to have two sources. First, the Anglo-Saxon custom, which decreed that during the marriage ceremony four tall men should hold a square piece of cloth, called a care-cloth, over the heads of the bridegroom and his bride to conceal the maiden blushes of the latter. But since it may have been difficult sometimes to find the four necessary groomsmen, and people came to realise that, after all, it was the bride only who really required the sheltering cloth, the question arose, why should she not have it to herself, and the wedding veil was a delightfully simple way out of all the difficulties. ♦ But as it now enveloped her closely it became essential that it should be of thin material, so that while effectively screening her blushes, it yet might not interfere with her vision. For the second source some think the idea of the care-cloth itself was borrowed from the Jews, since they use a square vestment called Taleth, adorned with pendants, to place over the heads of the happy pair. The care-cloth is also the name given to the fine linen that was laid over the newly married in the Catholic Church. Still, whatever its origin, the present form and signification is extremely beautiful, and fits in well with the custom of throwing back the veil after the ceremony, for then the maid has become a wife, and having her husband's protecting arm, has no longer need to be shy or bashful. In driving to church it is, perhaps, as well for the bride not to notice what she meets, for pigs are said to denote ill-luck, and if the wedding party encounter a funeral it is said they should turn back and start out again ; but in any case it is considered very unfortunate, and indicative of the early death of one of the contracting parties. A dove or a lamb signifies domestic peace, and a spider, or a toad, plenty. On arrival at the church the bride should be sure to step over the threshold with her right foot first, to ensure good luck in her marriage, and whichever of the bridal paif beholds the other first will be " master." Superstition forbids the wedding ring to be tried on before the ceremony ; if it does not fit. a new one should be bought after- wards, since to cut the circlet is to bring separation or widowhood. But this difficulty may be solved by buying a ring the same size as the engagement ring, when no alteration should be necessary. A/ore Weddhtj^-Day Lore will be ^iven in Ever^ Woman's Encyclof.«dia
