Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1874 — An Armenian Wedding. [ARTICLE]

An Armenian Wedding.

ReHjnjlqg; the masquerade, I went to an Armenian house where I had an iavitation to be present at a wedding. The “ young lady of the house” was to many a young clerk who works hard from morning till night for a pound and a half (abqp y bride was welHmT, 000 Turkish liras (#100,000) as a marriage portion. This was alt given over to the bridegroom, who, strange to say, did not aeem to feel a bit gratelul. I should if adtoc'btfe WouW give me two houses, mim,aU their furniture, including slaves, and 4100,000; but then I am a heathen, and not an orthodox Armenian. When I arrived the bride Was just dressed, and I was invited into the bedroom where she was, to see her in all the glory of her attire. She stood ~lh the center Jof the roeip, and all the slaves and old women stood "off to give me a better view of her magnificence. I walked around her twice before I could see where her face was, or which was the iro#t of hfr. She was Covered with a most curious veil made of lotog slips ot gold tinsel, which reached to her feet. Through this you could not see, except the bottom of her dress. The Armenian women, are generally very - pretty, but 'perfect fools in manners ana expression; so much so that when one man wishes to offend another he says: “Pretty Armenian!” which really means a fool. The women dress like Europeans, in general. The women, after I had twice made the circuit of the rail, lifted it in front and IfpkMteffthe long strings of tinsel, till I could see that, the bride was dressed in white silk, brocaded with silver and pearls, and that around her waist was a wide belt containing a fortune in precious stoqes. Her cheeks were painted a deep on iig a heart shape, and another heart was artistically but on the chfn, %4iHe the rest bf the race was as white as the luminous cosmetic could bring it. The eyebrows met and also stretched to the hair on each side her temples, and were ss black as they could be painted. The inside of her fingers’ ends and finger-nails were stained a deep crimson. Her hair, which was long and thick, though coarse, was braided full of little jingling coins. The outlines of her farm were, as usual, totally hidden by the cfotnSy Amide clothes. I admired her to her heart’s content, and even went so far as to take up a fold of her dress to see if the pearls sewn on so lavishly were real ones, to the evident Kleasure of all present; for what would $ the height of ill-breeding among us is considered a delicate flattery among these women. I forgot to look at her feet, and was about to go and sit down, when she stuck out first one and then the other, that I might sep that they were shod with velvet slippers, embroidered with pearls, and then showed me her earrings, which were large solitaire diamonds. She had on no brooch nor necklace, and one of the women interpreted for me, and told me the bridegroom was to give them after the ceremony. We then ail sat down and coffee was brought in little cups about the size of an egg-shell, and carried in little gold filigree holders. I would like to immortalize the coffee they make here, even as Lamb did his vanity, but 1 feel inade quate to the task. It is the sublimated essence of the spirit of coffee, of which we get huh- the material in America I shall bring a Turk with me, with all the apparatus for coffee-making, when I return to America. Alter this episode all the lady guests went into another room to see the trousseau, which was laid out for their inspection. Many of the dresses were very elegant, but I found 1t very tiresome, as I must examine every article, being the. mussufara, or guest of the guests or foreigners. I had arrived at six o'clock, and'before the things were all examined the mother of the bride entered and called us Out to the larger room, telling us that the table was spread for the marriage feast, and we must come and look at it We traversed a long, cold salle to the supper-room, which looked really very handsome, but it was bitterly cold, there being no appliances for fire. We went then to the parlor to await the arrival of the bridegroom and the priests, four of whom were to perform the ceremonv. The. bride was seated upon a sort of chair, without a back, and her veil arranged carefully so as to completely hide her. The rooms in all the houses here are furnished very simply, this one having but one table and one chair. There divans all round the walls, and in the center of the room a fountain very handsomely carved. The floor was covered with an elegant Persian carpet, and the ceiling fairly festooned with lamps. 1 think we furnish our houses too much, generally, and they none of them look so really elegant as do these houses here. The bridegroom and his friends arrived - about nine, and other friends and acquaintances began to arrive, but the priests did not come. We waited and waited. Ten o’clock! Eleven! and still no priests. The father of the bride went to see what was the reason pf the delay and soon returned to say that they were at another weddihg, but would surely be here soon. Bo we had coffee and more sweetmeats. 1 wanted to go home, but those who had brought me would not hear of it, and I was compelled to remain, though more tired than ever before in my life, I think. Twelve o’clock came, and half-past, and then one, and no priests. A boy came and said the priests would be along directly, and he spread a piece of carpet in the middle of the room and retired. The people did not seem to mind the delay, but I felt sorry tor the poor bride, who sat erect ail this while on her chair, speaking to no one, nor even moving. I had the corner divan, and with all the cushions 1 was pretty comfortable, and I am pot quite sure I didn’t go to sleep, for 1 found I mixed things a little afterward. At half-past one the priests arrived, preceded by a crowd of boys bearing censers and bumble-beeing some sort of a thing I suppose they called singing. The priests were decorated with gold embroidery from head to foot, and the chief priest wore a sort of miter on bis head literally biasing with jewel?. The carpet that had besn laid by the boy was now covered by one far more elegant, and having tasqelg of pearls at each corner. The ciuaf priest took his place on the center of Jbi*.apd Urn other three behind bun The father of tbs bride took her by the haadan&tod her forward to the bridegroom, and the two then stepped before the priest. Two boys brought cushions with a green wreath, on each tor the bride and bridegroom. The bride’s waskept in place by the tinsel veil, but that ot the unfortunate Hashar kept sliding forward or backward all the time, making him -remr uncomfortable. The bride was rather under than Oyer the ordinarv height for woman, add the bridegroom a toll man, and they were obliged to •WM with their foreheads touching each other during the whole ceremony, which took certainly -an hour. It seemed to consist niottfy of swinging of the censers and singing by the boys, tad a sort of monotonous chant by the three priests. Atlast it was finished by Haskar handing a plain gold ring to his bride and receiv. ing one fr<p her. in exchange, and then both kneeling for a few moments while tbq priests chanted and the boys swung toe censers around, very close to Jhe heads qf.tt* unfortunate couple. They then Wat *nd the priests departed after having regaled themselves In the supper-room

The bride was then placed upon the same chair, and the bridegroom came forward with a richly-trimmed cushion, bearing die bridal presents—a watch and chain, adiamond brooch and ear rings,and bracelets, and a large knitted purse filled with gold. I asked my guide how he was able to give such expensive presents, and was told that alt her dower was made over to him the day before the wedding. Alter giving the jewels the bridegroom parted the veil and placed the jewels on his bride, and then she descended from the chair and all proceeded to the supperroom, , There she was lifted by the men and seated astride a small barrel of wins, and the feast commenced. She was obliged to sit there till all the wine was drank out of that barrel, which was nearly two hours. ' She looked tired enough before all was over, for she got nothing to eat at all. The Armenians arc good eaters, I think, by the way they cleared the plentifully-furnished table,, and it was daylight before we had finished. We then had coflee again, and all went home. —Constantinople Cor. (Olive Harper) San Francisco Alta.