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Show H MARRIED TO A VASE. H i Unique Ceremony Not Infrequent In B 2 Ji the Celestial Empire. H i 'I ft LsH I .' Be i'Oni of the most extraordinary at H I B tsL hlncse customs to Western inltiiln H imP "le nnl '"frequent practice of mar- H I ffl? ' "'" celebrated widows to nntivo H I ' xascs. Ah American traveler wit- H $ vjcssi'il Biich n ceremoii), which was H . lierfonned with great pomp. The H ldow wai! of high station, When tho H l ; new a of her husband's death reached H ii tier sho was Inconsolnblu and wished H Xf) cuter the Htnto of widowhood, hut B nor father demnned Somebody sug- H . nested Unit another hiiHhaiid might he H , Vfoithcomlng, and, oh may readily ho H ' ciirmlKOil, nt thli stngo of tho proeci d- H ! Frigs the woman was hi despair. A wist H readier of the Confucian phllosuph H ; yim coiiHiilted and hn rtcalled to mind H the ancient rcremon of a imirrlngc to H u flower vase It was u lite of meat H unllrjult), legend attributing Its origin H no an empress who ruled befoiu the H ,'hrlstlitn cm. It was decided that B fhe woman mlKht "marry tho red B use," It was necessary, however, H 4o procure tho Imperial sanction. Thin H , tho grent eallli of her father obtain H ' i 'd, nnd on -Ma I the wedding was bol m ' ' jmnlzcil. B fit ,n "li' Procession tho vnse was mt- B 'j. led under a Hllken canopy on a pnliiu H f rju'u homo b ouths of nobis birth, H f ' -wTillo tho bride followed In another 1 I palanquin miauled by twelve maidens B and twehe matrons. A military guard M ''Tid n cUle escort made up the parado. B ' tier brldcginom, the vnse, Ih a sped- J w" ,rnon of great value and nntlqiilt) ; In- PbW i jdfed. It Is said to excel In delicacy of P"M ! wnnmcritatlon nn) thing of Its kind B ' Tn the Flowery Kingdom. |