| Show STYLE FOR ARAB WEDDING bridegroom mutt must ride nervous horse without reins or stirrups in middle of procession coming through the streets of algiers of 0 an evening you may meet a noisy procession that causes you to yonder wonder whether it Is tt a food riot or a revolutionists parade this Is na an arab wedding procession one of the most ingenious devices ever developed tor for the embarrassment and mental torture of the bridegroom says a globe trotter it Is headed by the father of the bridegroom an elderly gentleman who paces soberly ahead out of the contusion confusion attended by a few philosophical 1 I friends all clad in white behind him come a mob of young men carrying torches and lanterns tied to the ends of poles beating drums and mowing blowing tin horns yelling at the top ot of healthy voices the center of the procession is made up of particular friends of the bridegroom who burn red and green flares in addition to waving torches of the milder sort behind them Is a band of hired musicians trailed by all the small boys dogs find and idlers of algiers all this parade naturally attracts a certain amount of attention in the middle of it mounted on a nervous horse very much embarrassed and self conscious rides the bridegroom 1 ile he seeing jo to ride very unsteadily andl and awkwardly but closer observation shows he Is doing well to ride at all for friends have taken the stirrups from his feet and the reins from his hands so that he has to hold on by force of gravity and his sense ot of equilibrium libri um the red fire and the drums generally stimulate his mount to su per equIne activity and it Is a marvel that none of the enthusiastic friends get stepped on the it is safe to surmise Is not ahen his triumphal procession Is over As for the bride she escapes escape all this A few of her girl friends accompany her afi on a quiet procession of her own in the afternoon wham she leaves her fathers house for her new home |
