Show Ozark Mountain Country Still Observes ObservesThe ObservesThe ObservesThe The Custom Known as 'Belling Belling ' the Bride * ' A sudden deafening din of shot shotguns shotguns shotguns guns and cowbells may herald a afight afight afight fight at a square dance In the Ozark Ozarkmountam Ozarkmountain Ozarkmountain mountam mountain country but It Is far more morelikely morelikely morehkely likely to be a harmless charivari chatwarl of ofa ofa ofa a newly wedded couple For the theOzarkJans theOzarkians theOzarkians OzarkJans Ozarkians still keep up the custom customas as brought from the Tennessee and andKentucky andKentucky andKentucky Kentucky mountains mountams where wbere the cer ceremony ceremony ceremony emony is known as belling the thebride thebride thebride bride notes a writer m in the Kansas KansasCity KansasCity KansasCity City StarIn StarIn Star In the rural regions the young youngpeople youngpeople youngpeople people get together togethcr and go to the thehouse thehouse thehouse house where the young couple went wentafter wentafter wentalter after marriage marnage An effort is made madeto madeto madeto to keep the plans a secret yet the thebndegroom thebridegroom thebridegroom bndegroom bridegroom Is supposed to be pre prepared prepared prepared pared with candy and cigars and andposslhly andpossibly andpossibly posslhly possibly a little corn liquor l1quor Dish Dishpans Dishpans Dishpans pans are beaten bcaten guns fired cow cowbells cowbells cowbells bells rung and any noise making makmg de devIce device dcvice vIce used Frequently a square squaredance squaredance squaredance dance is held after the noise has hasabated hasabated hasabated abated The newlyweds are sub subjected subjetted subjected jected jetted to much teasing and asked askedto askedto askedto to lead the first set of the danceIn danceIn dance danceIn In the villages the procedure Is Isearned iscarried iscarried earned carried to greater extremes There Therear Therearts Thereare ar arts . different dlfi'erent dlfierent ' customs In every town townIn townIn townIn In Eureka Springs Sprmgs Ark the brIde brIdegrClom bridegroom bridegroom grClom groom is supposed to pull his bride in a little red wagon through the themam themain themain mam main streets Then the followmg following followmgcrowd followingcrowd followingcrowd crowd ot of noise makers ducks the thebridegroom thebridegroom thebridegroom bridegroom In the old log watermg watering watermgtrough wateringtrough wateringtrough wateringtroughIn trough troughIn In Galena Mo the groom Is bap baptl7ed baptired baptized tl7ed tired In the James river if i1 he will willnut willnut willnut nut provide a treat for those be besiegmg besieging besieging siegmg sieging him In another Mlsso.11"i Mlsso.11i Mlsso11i Misso.iri Missoiri Mlsso.11"itc.wn Misso.iritown Missojrltown . " . tc.wn tcwn town pushUs pushIIs . the groom is supposed to push pushIs -Is Is I-Is I ! - - bride in a wheelbarrow wbeelbarrow around aroundthe aroundthe aroundthe the publ e c square several tmes times tmeswhle timeswhile timeswhfie ! whle while ! his rus friends follow on foot or in incars Incars incars cars with the horns constantly honk honking honking honkingSome ing ingSome Some of tl u e other wedding weddmg cus customs customs customs toms of the b hills ls have bave died out It ItIs Itis Itis Is no longer arbitrary that the in infare Infare infare fare dinner dmner be given at the home of ofthe ofthe ofthe the bride s parents Weddings Weddmgs are arenot arenot arenot not so elaborate as in the old days dayswhen dayswhen dayswhen : when scores of people would be in fn inVlted fnvited invited Vlted vited to the wedding weddlDg dinner served servedearly servedearly servedearly early in the afternoon No longer longerdo longerdo longerdo do the neighbor women bake for fordays fordays fordays days in preparation But the chari charl charivan charlvan chartvan van continues |