FIRST LITERARY EFFORTS 213 



of a hymn from a hundred voices, as they wend their way along some 

 lonely mountain road, has a most picturesque and interesting effect. 

 This large company generally meet at the house, where provisions are 

 ready for all who choose to partake of them. The well-known beau- 

 tiful custom of adorning the graves with flowers and evergreens is 

 much practised. 



When a birth takes place in a family all the neighbours and rela- 

 tions call within a few days to inquire after the health of the mother 

 and child, and take a cup of tea or bread and cheese, and everyone 

 brings some present, either a pound of sugar, quarter pound of tea, 

 or a shilling or more in money, as they think best. This is expected to 

 be returned when the givers are in a similar situation. 



The " bidding," which is a somewhat similar custom at a marriage, 

 is not quite so general, though it is still much used in Carmathenshire. 

 When a young couple are married they send notice to all their friends, 

 that " on a day named they intend to have a ' bidding,' at which they 

 request their company, with any donations they may think proper, which 

 will be punctually returned when they are called upon on a similar 

 occasion." At such biddings £20 or £30 are frequently collected, and 

 sometimes much more, and as from various causes they are not called 

 upon to return more than one-half, they get half the sum clear, and a 

 loan without interest of the other half to commence life with. 



The national dress or costume of the men (if ever they had any) is 

 not now in use; that of the women, however, is still very peculiar. 

 Both use principally home-made articles, spinning their own wool and 

 sending it to the factory to be made into flannel or cloth. They also 

 dye the wool black themselves, using in the operation the contents of 

 certain well-known domestic utensils, which is kept stewing over the 

 fire some days, emitting a most unsavoury odour, which, however, they 

 assert to be very wholesome. The men generally wear a square cut 

 coat of home-made pepper-and-salt coloured cloth, waistcoat and 

 breeches or trousers of the same, and a round low-crowned hat; or 

 occasionally fustian trousers and gay flannel waistcoat with bright 

 metal buttons, coloured neckerchief, home-knit stockings of black 

 sheep's wool, and lace-up boots. Shirts of checked coarse flannel — 

 cotton shirts and sheets being considered equally luxurious. One of 

 the most striking parts of the women's dress is the black beaver hat, 

 which is almost universally worn and is both picturesque and becom- 

 ing. It is made with a very high crown, narrowing towards the top, 

 and a broad, perfectly flat brim, thus differing entirely from any man's 

 hat. They frequently give thirty shillings for one of these hats, and 

 make them last the greater part of their lives. The body dress consists 

 of what they call a bedgown, or betcown, as it is pronounced, which 

 is a dress made quite plain, entirely open in front (like a gentleman's 

 dressing gown), with sleeves a little short of the elbow. A necessary 



