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Show WEDDINGS IN WALES. Some Curious Marriage Customs That Still Exist Among the Peasantry. Some quaint customs still survive among the peasantry cf south Wales at least in the remote villages. One of the oddest is the "bidding." " When a young man and woman are engaged, a circular is printed known as a "bidding "bid-ding letter" and distributed at market and outside the chapels on Sunday, so that all may know of the event. The form is always the same and runs as follows: As we intend to enter the matrimonial state, we are encouraged by our frUnds to make bidding on the occasion at iJtfSyoung man's father's fa-ther's house (here follow the address and date of the entertainment), when and where the favor fa-vor of your good and agreeable company ii most humbly solicited, and whatever donation you may be pleased to bestow on us will be thankfully received, warmly acknowledged and cheerfully repaid whenever called for on a similar occasion by your obedient servants, John Evans. Jane Davis. All being ready on the day, a party goes to fetch the bride to the bidding. She hide9 and has to be sought for in all directions, but being at last found is escorted in triumph. Her procession is met by that of the bridegroom, and they all repair to the church, where the wedding wed-ding ceremony takes place, after which all return to the groom's house to make merry and to count the gifts. These are generally in money and vary from a shilling np to half a sovereign, i Each item is carefully entered in a book by the "bidding clerk," together with the donor's name, so that it may 1 be repaid when he or she marries. As all the money will probably not be called in for many years some not at all, if the givers remain single the young couple receive a tolerable start in life. Oddly enough, the bridegroom is expected to provide the kitchen clock and table, the glass Cupboard and the" kitchen dresser, also the bedstead. Each of the young people is supposed to bring half a dozen chairs, the bride's especial contribution being the bedding, the crockery ware, the parlor table and a chest of drawers. Things are done methodically me-thodically in that part of ti e world. London Tit-Bits. . ' -' : -;v.-: - |