1 â- i .i "V. mim OF ;^BEST man " SBIDEMAN'S DUTIES IN OLD- EN TIMES. He Gave the Bride Away and Passed the Cake and Cups. It may be a surprise to some peo- ple to know, says the London Globe, thut the phrase "best man" â€" the bridegroom's nearest attendant â€" is of Scottish oritfin. In the North, also, , the principal bridesmaid used to be j ,.•_ called the "best maid. " Neither ex- pression has much to recommend it. ^ . It is a great pity, indeed, that "best man," an inelegant and in itself meaningle.ss phrase, should have so completely ousted from our common everyday speech the good old Eng- y,' • lish name of "brideman" or "brides- man." Another old name is "groomsman" and in days gone by the bridegroom was attended, not â- by one friend, but by several, who ,• . .. â- Were known as the bridemen or ' .. groomsmen. â- ^/ ;, The term "best jnan" came into use, presumably, to indicate the one of these who took, t^iie lead in per- forming their various duties and was in closest attendance on the bride- groom. In recent years the custom of havini^ groomsmen has been oc- casionally revived, but it has not become general. At a fashionable Wielding, four or five years ago, the bride was content with live brides- maids and two pages, whereas the bridegroom was supported by no few- er than nine groonisnien. But at the present time such an ar- ray has by no moans the same mean- ing, nor are those attendant friends of so much use, as in days of old. The forerunner of the brideman was the bridoleader, who.'^e duty it was to bring the bride to the bridegroom. In most countries where the real or pretended capture of the bride was an essential part of the ceremony, and wherever traces of the very an- cient custom of bride capture exist- ed, the friend or iriends of the bride- g-'"oom had the important otfice of capturing the lady and BRIN(JINC1 HEU TO HER LOUD. In one of Dryden's plays there is the line: â€" "Betwixt her guards she seemed by bridemen led, ' and Brand tells us that at many old English â- Weddings the bridegroom was led to the church between two maids, and the bride by two young men, holding her by the arms as if unwilling. This was evidently a survival of the Idea of capture. The same idea, somewhat more disguised, can be traced in the cus- tom which was not unknown at old- fashioned weddings loss rhan a cen- tury ago, in the Xorlh of England, and ill the West of .Scotland, of the bridegroom's "best man" escorting the bride to the church. It has been disputeil. naturally, whether the groom's nearest friend was chosen as escort with the idea of protecting the lady from seizure by others, or •whether he might be reganiofi as the leader in the act of capture. But whichever idea lay at the back of t'he practici\ it was cli/arly a sur- vival connected with the custom of marriage by capture. I^ater. the bridemen had various functions to perform which have now become ob- solete. There was still a trace of the capture idea in the ohl dut.v at one time assigned to the bridenuin of giving the bride away. lie led her to the church and then actetl the part . now lilled b.v the lady's father or other near male relative. In the old seventeenth century bal- lad of the "Holden Glove. ' which used to be a great favorite at rural fratlierings in all parts of the coun- try in the old. unsophisticated days, before the melancholy monstrosities of the modern music hall liad driven 7 the genuine old English ballads and songs out of use and memory â€" in .this ballad there arc the lines which xllude to the custom named: â€" , 'I thought you had been at the . • .^ , weddfiig," .she cried, "To wait on the squire and give him his bride." And it has been pointed out that the same custom may be hinted at in the marriage service rubric â€" 'The minister receiving the woman at her father's or friend's hand.s." Among the Shropshire peasantry In quite recent years something of the old custom soems to have pre- vailed. Miss Bume, in her delight- ful book on "Shropshire Folklore," â- ays that at weddings in humble life the bride's father Is seldom and her mother never present. As a rule the only companions to church of the bride and groom are the best man \nd the bridesmaid. In such cir- cumstances It is obvious that the lady must be given away by her lov- er's friend, on whoso arm she has walked to church. LUCKY OMEN. A still more curious thing is that it is considereti lucky. Miss Burke tells us. for either the best man or the bridesmaid to be already mar- ried. "I have really seen." she writes, "a marrictl woman acting as â- bridesmaid!' " Loss than twenty years ago a. Newport nl.•wspa^er. dtv scribing a village wedding, said that Mr. and Mrs. .So-and-so. of . "accompanied the happy couple and porfiirnietl the ol?ices of best man and bridesmaid, respectively. " .Another old fimctlon of the bride- tiien. or briile.sipiires. as they rveie Komctimes called, wa.s to carry the riiku and the biidebowl- '!fv.> '..- â- THIS BUTCHER IS A1.L RIGHT HAD DIABETES BUT WAS CUE- ED BY DODD'S KIDNEY PILLS. ,. Great Interest in the Case as People Realize what will Cure Diabetes will Cure any Kidney Disease, Toronto, Ont., Aug. 1.â€" (Special )â€" As the people learn to realize how much the general health depends on keeping the kidne.vs right, and how many diseases are the direct result of bad kidney action every verified cure of a severe kidney disease is received with interest. For that reason the case of A. W. Holman, the well-known butcher of 1934 Mutual street this city, is well worthy of attention. Mr. Holman had Diab<.'tes. Now he is a well man. Dodd's Kidney Pills cured it. Asked concerning his case, Mr. Hol- man said : â€" "Yes, I had Diabetes for .six years. I tried all kinds of remedies but to no u.se. -My attention was called to Dodd's Kidnej Pills by an .adver- tisement and I began to u.ce them. I only used six boxes when X was completely cure<l." -Vs it is concedetl that what will cure Diabetes will cure any Kidney Disease it must be admitted that Dodd's Kidney I'ills will cure any Kidnev Di.sea.se. bowl, or cup. was handed round at a wedding, so that the iriends might drink the h'^allh of the newl.v-iiiurried pair â€" a lunil of loving-cup ceremony. But before the proceedings had reached tiiis pleasant point, it liad been the duty of the hrideuieii to lift the bride over the threshold. This is an ancient and widespread cus- tom, the m.'aning of wiiich has cau.s- ed much sheading of ink. In the west of .Scotland, of old, says Mr. Napier, in his book on the folklore of that region. "the threshold of the house was disenchanted by charms. and b,v anointing it with certain unctuous perfuiiiLS. but as it was considered unlucky for the wife to tread upon the threshold ou lirst entering h.'r house, she was lifted over if and seated upon a piece of wood, a symbol of domestic indus- try. ' ' The custom is not confined to European peoples, for a somewhat analogous practice exists in China, where the bride is carried into the house by a matron, and at the door is lifted over a pan of charcoal. Apart from inarriage. even in this country, there are folk who are care- ful on entering a house to step over .ind not on the tihreshoUl rhere is a world of lore, indeed, surrounding the subject of the threshold into which we cannot here enter. , The modern best man may feel thankful that his duties are not so onerous as those of his predecessors of lonir aco: nor need he trouble to be on his guard against unlucky omens, or on the watch to propitate the uncertain goddess, Fate. More than half the battle in cleaning greasy dishes is in the soap you use. If it's Sunlight Soap I it's the best, «b Then came the death of her little daughter, on which the Princess dismis.sed her lover and refused to i see any one, and the Grand Duke Cyril went to the front. j When he came back wounded it i was to find that the Czur had with- drawn his opposition to the union, and he hurried on with the good news to Coburg. All that now remains to complete this love .story is the acquiescence of King Edward, for the con.sent of the Sovereign in Council is imperative '• in the case of all marriages of Princes and Princesses of his family. -U a^ :fivcr . LOWER USE BETTER PRICES ^^ _ QUAUTY CAN BE HAD m Palls, Wash Basins, HTIIk Pans, Any Flrst^Ctaaa Grooar Omjn Supiily Vou. INSIST ON QETTINO EDDY'8. I DOWN" OF BIRDS' SCALPS. i I I A bnski't recently changed hamls in California which tooU the squaw! who i:iadi" it three years to complete. It was in the form of a fancy work- I basket, entirely covered with the tlow'i of woodpeckers' .scalps, among whi, h weie a number of hanging loop.s of strung beads, and around the rim an upright row of little blac'v (lu.iils' plumes. Altogether there were eightv plumes, which re- quired the sacrifice of as nianv qu.iils. and at least 15(1 woodpeckers had been robbed to furnish the beau- tiful srarl.'t nap for thi' outside. It was originally purchased from thf suuaw who designed it for Jtl.'j, yet it was sold not very long ago for , USE '•ISLAND CITY" HOUSE ADfD FLOOR PAINTS WiSI Drir In 8 Hours. On SbIb at all Karduare Dealen P. D. DODS & CO., Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver. How's This HAUNTS OF FI.SH AND GAJ»IE. We offer One Hundred Dollars Reword for any case of Catarrh that cannot ba curod L>\ HLdl's Ciiturrh Cure. F. .r. CHI'":>JKY & CO , Toledo, O. We, tho undcrsigne<i, have known F. J. Cheney for Che last 15 years, and Attractions for Sportsmen on tho Delie\e hini perrectly honorable in all ' busiiii.'s.'i tran.-'ai-tions. and financially > line of the Grand Trxmk. able to carry out any obligations uiade . , ,,. , ,, ., , - .. _ by ills flrai. The (Jraiid irunk Kailwai.- <-ompaj3.v WALPINO. KINNAN & MARVIN. img issued n iiandsome puolicaLion, Wholesale Drug?istn. Toledo. O. „,.„,,, ^.,,, iiUiar ,-i r h^I iiiitli hal;-louo Hall's Latarrh Cure is taken internal- pioiusely illusti J.LeU w LU uai. lou^ Ij, acting ilirectly upon the blood and tny la \ i hg-s. descrifitiVB ol the moa.v mucous .surface.s of the system. Testt- attractive localities (or sportsmen o:; moitials pent iree. Priue. 75c. per ., ,. i.,,... xi .- , , their hue 01 railway. Many o; L'K' Potatoes, Poultry, Eggs, Butter, Apples Xxt us have your consignmant of any of these articles and we will get you f^ood prices. THE DAWSON COMMISSION CO, Umitsd Cor. Went M«rU»« and OolOorno Sts , TOfiONTGl BUCHANAN'S UNLOADING OUTFIT Works well b«t4i on stHcka and iii barii«« uxiluada all kinds of hay and Kmin either I loose or in sfaearea. Send for catalogu« to U. T. BUCHANAN <& CO., lagersoU, Ont. »A bottie Tak( patioa Sold b.v all Drugeist3. Pake llalls Family fills for constl- rogioQS reached by the 111 unci TrunJ; iBuL'iii to ha'.e been S(.'ei;iall> yrepan;i.. â€" jfor the delectation of uinni-.ind. and A rcitiier pomijous orator rose ori^'iere tor a brief period the cares oi one OLca.--ion to uiake un e.xtended business are cast aside and life is speech at an eiectioneoriiiir meeting, g'^eii ui> to on.ioyaient. Not ocly do He be«an in lhi.s rather sententious t^e â- -Highland.-, of Ontaido ' present fashion. â- â- 'Vlr. Chuirmaii. I have lived uni'i^alled inciiities for both IjwnLing. long I'l'.ouyh " "Hear. hear." Cshmy mid camping, but ih' ' FEATHER DYEING CleaniDii >Dd Curling and Kid Glovea cleaned TbaM can be «ent br pose, lo v.^t ox. the be^t pUo« u BRITISH AMERICAN DYEING CO. liO^TBSAI^ Mitiara's \3Mts\\ lutes iJi!>{iit]cf DUXE CYKIL'S ROMANCE. lUM ^fSAOXAisdo.tisj JO .lOATA-ins Marry in Royal Family. .\ romantic errand will bring tho widowed I'uche.^s of ya.xt^Coburg â€" who will be belter reuienibcred as the Duches.s uf Kdiribiiigh â€" tt' B'n.trUiiid h'oon on a brief visit to her brother- in-law. King Kdwurd, after an ab- sence of three >eurti from KnttUind. It is understood that the puriiort of her Uoyal and Imperial Highness' vis-it is to obtain the sanction of King Edward to the engay;ement of her tlaughter. Princess Victoria, for- j nierly the wile of the tJrand Ouko of' Hesse, to the Grand Duke (.'yril of Russia. Tho Grand Duke Cyril, who h'ad so miraculous an escape from the Rus- sian battleship Petropavlovsk when she was blown up b.v a Japanese mine before Port Arthur, is the hero of royal love story, of which the Princess is? the heroine. She is his first cousin, and he fell in lovo with ber when he was sixteun and she was two months youitger. Tha attachment, however, was view- ed with disfavor by relations on both sides, and a year later the Princess was married to the Grand Duke Er- nest Louis of Hesse. It was an uniortunate match, for the parties to it were diametrically opposed in temperament and tastes, and had apparently no point in com- mon. The marriage took place in 1894; in 1901 it was dissolved an the ground of irreconcilable mutual anti- pathy. 'ITie only issue of the union was" the little Princess Klizabeth, who so pathetically fell a victim to cholera last year. -â- Vfter the divorce the Grand Puke Cyril renewed his suit. Then the Czar (ptervcned. Grave reasons, both religious and social, he said, forbade the marriage which the CJrnnd U"''^e Cyril sought. The CV.nrina is a sister of the Grand l>uke Ernes't of Mes.se, Prin- cess Victoria's former hu.sband: and the (Jrae.d Duke Cyril may one da.y succeed to the Russian throne. More- over, the Russian church prohibits a marriage, either of the parties to which has been divorced. The Grand Duke Cyril di-cinred that he would niarrv the Princess even though he lost all his rights ,-tnd property, but to this saerirtie the y^'lled a n-mber of the audience, nnd^'^'^^'^s of the f.eorgian liay. Tlioa- such a storm of lausrhlor broke out^'"^ islaiuls and St. Lawrciica Uiv- that th.i asniraiit for political hon- '^'"' '^i^eau Kiver and Liilies. L-ake St. urs was forced to resume his seat. ^°^^- '^nd the many attractive lo- _____ calities in Maine and New Hamp- Bli;i>-. [irosent equal o[)porli:nit ios fo: health, plrasiire ,ind sport. -All ihL'so localities are reached by the LTrand Trunk Uailway System. antl on trains •.;ni'i;ualled on the continent. Abstracts of '.'ntario, Michigan, Que- bec, N'ew itaiiipshire and Maine fish and game laws are insonod in the publication for the guidance o( eiiortsiuen. Tho Grand Trunk Hail- Way ha.s also issued di'Ufri^itivu il- lustrated matter for each district scp- ar:!tely. wliich are .sent (roe on ar" plication to the agents o;' the Com- fiany and to Afr' .1. D. 'ircOonald, Pistrict Passencer .Agent. G. T. P. . Union ."-station. Toronto. It happen. 'd on .--iunday night. Thoy iiO.OOO wre siitini;-. not so far apart, on Eolithâ€" "Tell me frankly. George, if yivi were a rich man, do you think .vou would nak me to marry you?" C.'orgoâ€" "t don't think it would be iii'cessorv lOdith: in that case you wouk! pruliabiv do the asking." the sola. "Love i.s into.\icating. :s it not'" he a.-sked. "It certainly IS," wa.s her coy reply: "but. there is no law that 1 know of which pro- hibit.-; a person irom indulging in it on Sundav." f=or Over 5lTty Years Mb.«. WiNsi.oWaSooTWiNG Strijp bM b«en n^'t 'if DiiUi.ina o' nioltur^ tor '.hei.- ohiljren wliiio '«fliili:i^ l"s.io!ti(».> •-ht' '.'hild, 'â- oi'.r n-> rh." ;;>ini5. illu>T*piiiii. Juroi wind ?i>tii-. rt;i.n)lnu-t> Lh<; -'.Loniiujil %ini !tuivei&, ftnii i« '.tit beftC rpm«-'l> far UiHrtJlui*. Twfmy-ar,' ovnu a btilu* Sold IfjviriigciBW thr.'uetiout the world. Be sura jaj •6k !ur " .Mn^. Wi.N^Lu*v sSoo-rliiNO Svaup." tX-A Kcso Wmh LiiiiineriMn tfie \v\ii, "Then you 'hi.i\e no .sympathy fm- • he d.'.si.rviiig poor)" saiti the char- itv worker. "Me? " retorted the self- uiade man. "Wh.v, sir, 1 have no- thing but svmimthy." I ,,..,, * i i Aji. said the tourist who was i $50.00 TO CALIFORNIA \ND RE-^^''"'''""^ "'*" '""t'^'P'-'sing South .\ib- I TURN lerican Kepiiblic. "so you a-ro thu .... ! insurgents, I presiiine?" "No, sir," Via the Chicago, Union Pacidc and | replied the comiuander, "wc were in- j North-\\eslern lino iVom Chicago, , gurgents last week. We are the ad- ,Aiig. 1:, to Sept. 10. Choice of , niinistration now.' routes going and returning. Corres- ' I pondingly low rates from all points ill Canada. Two trains a day from Chicago through without change. I Daily and personally conducted tour- : ist car excursions. Write for itiner- ary and full Ac giLstti-;â€" "Darling Wilheluiina, .just one word. Will you be mine?" W Ihelminti- " Vou must ask papa ' Augustus â€" "What's r!ie use of that? I've asked no .-iid of papas, and they all said 'uo.' " i/llftaiij's Lioiment is ussd t)| Phvsiciaos ' Yoa complain of the expense of a. t.vpewriter. Why don't yoii have your wife do it?" "I can't dictata to luy wife." Lever's Y-Z (Wise Read) risfnfect- â- :it Soup Powder is a boon to aay borne. It disinfect* and cleans at the same time. I was Cured of a severe particulars nagurding 1 MINARD'S LIN1M.ENT. cold by special train leaving Chicago August 18 and 25. B. H. Bennett, 2 King St. east, Toronto, Ont. Young Wife (just home from the cooking school) â€" "I i«^\ so encour- agedl T wtis complimented on my progress to-da.v. But poor Mi.ss Smith! I am really sorry for her. She trie^l hard, twit she doesn't seem to get on at all." Young Husband â€" "You must remember, m.v dear, that Miss Smith has no one to practise on." Publisher â€" "This work of yours i.sD't as good as it u.sed to be." Au- thor â€" "It doesn't need to be. I've Oxford, N. S. R. F. BBWSON by' mNARD'S ^.^V^:^ '""'''' «»* -^ -^"^ "^ " FRED COULSON. Yarmouth, N. S. 'Y.A.AC. I was Cured of Blaok Ervslpelas by MINARD'S UNIMENT Ingersvills. J. W, RUGOL£S. Minani's Linimeot for sale ererivlicri OLD-AGE PENSIONS. Flies Carry Contagion f Wilson's Fly Pads I Kill tho flies and disease j^erniiS toe. â- The British Consul at Calais, I Fiance, tolls in his annual reiJort, of on eOort to deal with old-age pen- [ sions. Twanty-tbree years a^o M. I Chatolus fonucd a society, the rules ' for tnemborship being a monthly pay- ment of a franc, all the funds to bo' invested, and at the end of twenty years the interest on cupital to be e<|Ually divided among members, and Vi 'in each succeeding year those who had ber-n members for twcntv ye»r>. to recoive their eqiml .share of this ititere.«it. The pres.'nt rate oi peii- ruon is $72 per .veiir. The member- ship now stands at .â- 'IT.O.'.l, with a capital of over $7,500,000. Distinguished Artistâ€" "Perhaps i( you come here .voti will get a better light on the picture. This stttdio la not nearl.v lar^e enough." Fair Visitor idesirous to understand)â€" "Yes. yes. 1 know. One can't gel) fnr (mough away from your pie- turea!" Sutnmer Colds Yoa ihoald our* that oolil at onc«. It is nei >.^al7 inaUiig .vou (sol misvra^l*, bu t It !.'< doing Tou OrKmi. 1^« SHiloK's Conswmptiosi Cure To^ic^""* Snnfloweis make good. fuel. The stalks when dry are as haid'aa wood and tnnke a .cood fire, and the seed-' heads, with the seed in, burn bet- | t« thjr. teat. It in «[U(vr»nto«d to cnro yoa. â- iiiide' 'â- • Tonr QioDOv nefiinueil iCri*. doesn't- At kll d^l^;<II*, iSi'., iOc. and $1.IX) a bottlo. ISSUE NO. 31-U4.