A Hebrew Wedding 



young ladies, it appears, were only invited to adorn the 

 banquet with their presence, and sat up there to be looked 

 at while their male relatives ate. In the furthest corner, 

 as much out of sight as possible, and veiled, sat the bride. 

 Poor thing ! she must have been very nearly smothered 

 under that cloth, for we could hardly breathe, and the heat 

 and crush were tremendous even to us, who sat on a bench, 

 unveiled, and unsurrounded by a compact huddle of three 

 dozen fair friends on one four-poster. 



But now there was a stir, and the chief rabbi was con- 

 ducted to the head of the bench opposite us. In his hand 

 he bore a fiddle, on which he began to play across his knee, 

 as if it had been a bass ; but it was a small violin, and he 

 was a large man with a long white beard and a pair of 

 silver spectacles over a very large hooked nose. When he 

 began to play, the guests began to howl an accompaniment 

 with great unction. Shortly a ring was formed, and a 

 blooming Herodias was picked from that hot-bed of lilies 

 and carnations to dance before the company. The dance 

 seemed to be more of gesture than steps ; she swayed about 

 her body, and waved about her arms, but the steps seemed 

 hardly more than occasionally beating time with her feet. 

 The company beat time with their hands, and howled still 

 more than before, so as nearly to drown the screeches of the 

 7'abbi'd fiddle. 



When the dance was done, the bride was brought in 

 unveiled : she had been smuggled out behind the bed, and 

 attired in the first of a series of suits, which she subsequently 

 showed off in succession. She was a beautiful creature, 

 with that brilliant pearly complexion, those lustrous eyes 

 and glossy raven tresses which only Tangerine Jewesses 

 possess in such perfection. The bridegroom, I am grieved 

 to say, was a sorryish-looking individual, who seemed in 



i«3 



