io8 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTELT. 



" My house 13 built of gnodly stone, 

 But in these walls I feci so lone ! 

 A mantle of finest cloth I wear, 

 But 'ueath it an aching heart I bear. 

 Loud howls the wind, wild drives the snow, 

 Parting, oh, parting is bitterest woe ! 

 On the beltry-tower is a trumpet shrill, 

 But down in the churchyard the dead lie still." 



Very precise are the formalities to be observed in inviting the 

 guests. A member of the bride's family is deputed as Kinlader (in- 

 viter), and, invested with a brightly painted staff as insignia of his 

 office, he goes the round of the friends and relations to be asked. It 

 is customary to invite all kinsfolk within the sixth degree of relation- 

 ship, though many of these are not expected to comply with the sum- 

 mons the invitation in such cases being simply a matter of form, 

 politely tendered on the one side, and graciously received on the other, 

 but not meant to be taken literally as being but honorary invitations. 

 Unless particular arrangements have been made to the contrary, it 

 is imperative that the invitation, in order to be valid, should be re- 

 peated with all due formalities, as often as three times the slightest 

 negligence or divergence from this rule being severely judged and 

 commented upon ; and mortal offense has often been taken by a guest, 

 who bitterly complains that he was only twice invited. In some vil- 

 lages it is, moreover, customary to invite anew for each one of the 

 separate meals which take place during the three or four days of the 

 wedding festivities. 



Early on the wedding morning the bridegroom dispatches the 

 Wortman with the Morgengabe (morning gift) to the bride. This 

 consists in a pair of new shoes, to which are sometimes added other 

 small articles, such as handkerchiefs, ribbons, a cap, apples, nuts, etc. 

 The ambassador, in delivering over the gifts to the Wortman of the 

 other party, speaks as follows : " Good-moming, Herr Wortman, and 

 all worthy friends here assembled ; the friends from our side have 

 charged me to wish you all a very good-morning. I have further 

 come here to remind you of the laudable custom of our fathers and 

 grandfathers, who bethought themselves of presenting their brides 

 with a trifling morning gift. In the same way our young master the 

 bridegroom, not wishing to overlook this goodly patriarchal custom, 

 has likewise sent me here with a trifling offering to his bride, trusting 

 that this small gift may be agreeable and pleasing to you all." The 

 bride, on her side, sends to the bridegroom a new linen shirt, sewed 

 and embroidered with her own hands. This shirt he wears only twice 

 once on his wedding-morning for going to church, the second time 

 when he is carried to his grave. 



Before going to church all the men assemble at the house of the 

 bridegroom, and the women at that of the bride. The young people 



