As in the case of the wedding dress, it is foolish to enter into descriptions of clothes more than to indicate that they are of light and fragile materials, more suitable to evening than to daytime.  Flower girls and pages are dressed in quaint old-fashioned dresses and suits of satin with odd old-fashioned bonnets—­or whatever the bride fancies as being especially “picturesque.”

If a bridesmaid is in mourning, she wears colors on that one day, as bridesmaids’ dresses are looked upon as uniforms, not individual costumes.  Nor does she put a black band on her arm.  A young girl in deepest mourning should not be a bridesmaid—­unless at the very private wedding of a bride or groom also in mourning.  In this case she would most likely be the only attendant and wear all white.

As a warning against the growing habit of artifice, it may not be out of place to quote one commentary made by a man of great distinction who, having seen nothing of the society of very young people for many years, “had to go” to the wedding of a niece.  It was one of the biggest weddings of the spring season in New York.  The flowers were wonderful, the bridesmaids were many and beautiful, the bride lovely.  Afterwards the family talked long about the wedding, but the distinguished uncle said nothing.  Finally, he was asked point blank:  “Don’t you think the wedding was too lovely?  Weren’t the bridesmaids beautiful?”

“No,” said the uncle, “I did not think it was lovely at all.  Every one of the bridesmaids was so powdered and painted that there was not a sweet or fresh face among them—­I can see a procession just like them any evening on the musical comedy stage!  One expects make-up in a theater, but in the house of God it is shocking!”

It is unnecessary to add—­if youth, the most beautiful thing in the world, would only appreciate how beautiful it is, and how opposite is the false bloom that comes in boxes and bottles!  Shiny noses, colorless lips, sallow skins hide as best they may, and with some excuse, behind powder or lip-stick; but to rouge a rose—!

=THE COST OF BEING A BRIDESMAID=

With the exception of parasols, or muffs or fans, which are occasionally carried in place of bouquets and presented by the bride, every article worn by the bridesmaids, flower girls or pages, although chosen by the bride, must be paid for by the wearers.

It is perhaps an irrefutable condemnation of the modern wedding display that many a young girl has had to refuse the joy of being in the wedding party because a complete bridesmaid outfit costs a sum that parents of moderate means are quite unable to meet for popular daughters.  And it is seldom that the bride is herself in a position to give six or eight complete costumes, much as she may want all of her most particular friends with her on her day of days.  Very often a bride tries especially to choose clothes that will not be expensive, but New York prices are New York prices, and the chic which is to make the wedding a perfect picture is the thing of all others that has to be paid for.