ed blankly upon hearing the
word--which was to me as familiar as word could be. In application it
had a wide latitude. Commonly the groom or his family gave the infare,
but often enough some generous and well-to-do friend, or kinsman,
pre-empted the privilege. Wherever held, it was an occasion of keen and
jealous rivalry--those in charge being doubly bent on making the faring
in more splendid than the wedding feast. Naturally that put the wedding
folk on their mettle. Another factor inciting to extra effort was--the
bundles. All guests were expected to take home with them generous
bundles of wedding cake in all its varieties. I recall once hearing a
famous cake baker sigh relief as she frosted the hundredth snow ball,
and said: "Now we are sure to have enough left for the bundles--they are
such a help."

But baking cakes, and cooking in general, though important, were not the
main things. Setting the table, so it should outshine all other wedding
tables gave most concern. To this end all the resources of the family,
and its friends for a radius of ten miles, were available--glass,
silver, china, linen, even cook pots and ovens at need. Also and
further it was a slight of the keenest, if you were known as a fine cake
maker, not to be asked to help. A past mistress of paper cutting was
likewise in request. Cut papers and evergreens were the great reliances
in decoration. They made a brave showing by candlelight. Oil lamps were
few, kerosene undiscovered, and either lard oil, or whale oil, all too
often smelled to heaven, to say nothing of smoking upon the least
provocation. So a lamp, if there were one, sat in state within the
parlor. The long table got its light from candelabra--which as often as
not were homemade. The base was three graduated blocks of wood, nailed
to form a sort of pyramid, with a hole bored in the middle to receive a
stout round upright, two inches across. It stood a foot high, and held
up cross-arms three feet across, with a tin candlesocket upon each end.
Another socket was set where the arms crossed--thus each candelabra was
of five-candle power. Set a-row down the middle of the table, with
single candles in tall brass sticks interspersed, they gave a fine soft
illumination. Often they were supplemented with candelabra of bronze or
brass, tricked out with tinkly pendant prisms. Such household gauds were
commonly concentrated at the spot where the bride and her maids would
stand. They were more eleg