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52 BIOGRAPHY.
appearance of the bridal-train, that they are well deserv-
ing of a more detailed description.
On the evening before the wedding-day, the bride and
her two bridemaids came to the manor-house with the
“forming,” as it was called. The bride was too grand to
carry any thing herself, but the bridemaids carried each a
gigantic round pewter dish with wheaten bread, biscuits,
tarts, pastry, and a variety of cakes, etc., etc.
This “ forming ” was intended as a present to the Lord
and Lady of the manor, but it was always given to the
housekeeper, who distributed it amongst the servants.
Then the housekeeper and my mother’s waiting-maid took
charge of the poor bride, who, before going to bed for the
night, had to submit her head to the following treatment,
in order that she might look splendid on the wedding-day,
namely: her hair was parted across the head from ear to
ear; the hair on the back of the head was then braided
into eighteen narrow plaits; the hair on the front of the
head was cut off in such a manner, that what remained of
it was barely long enough to be laid in curl-papers, which
were afterwards pinched with curling tongs. The French
proverb, “ Il faut souffrir pour étre belle,” was verified here ;
for the wretched bride was always sleepy, and sat nodding,
and got the headache from this troublesome and unusual
process, long before she was allowed to retire to her bed.
If a word of pity was spoken to her, she always answered,
“ Qh, I shall get used to it by and by.”
Late at night the bride went to bed, and the following
morning she had to be up early, in order to be dressed in
her bridal costume by one o’clock, when the clergyman,
after the close of the morning service, was to come to
Arsta to perform the marriage ceremony. After having
strengthened her nerves with some wine and other refresh-
inents, the toilet commenced. The eighteen plaits were
combed out, so that they fell in curls, like a cascade, down:
her back; the curl-papers were removed, and the whole of
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