Another and another followed in quick succession, and then there arose a tongue of flame that brought the palm trees into bold relief.
A wild shout was wafted to us on the northerly breeze, and it redoubled when several rockets rose from the Citadel as if answering the more distant ones that first appeared. Then a hundred or more rockets rose almost together and the heavens that before were calm and silent, and luminous only with the bright dottings of myriad stars became resonant with explosions and flashing with the corruscations of the flying pyrotechnics. ‘The stars were paled by the nearer and more brilliant lights of man’s handiwork, and we saw again the sunset colors released from the serene glory of sky and cloud, and darting here and there as if the sun had burst and the clouds were being chased away by a dozen opposing winds.
“What does all this mean?” came from the lips of our inquisitive maiden.
This time her question was seriously answered.
“It is the beginning of the festivities in honor of the marriage of one of the sons of the Khedive,” was the reply. “The ceremony took place this morning, and the affair terminates with a round of festivities that include fireworks, and dinners, and a good time generally.”
“We are just in time,” exclaimed all the male voices in the party. “We are just too late,” was the exclamation from all the female mouths.
Did you ever see a woman who wouldn’t give all her antiquated bootees to attend a wedding ceremonial, and did you ever see a man who wouldn’t give quite as much to stay away from one—(his own included)—if there was any social regulation requiring his attendance? Of course there are exceptions but they only affirm the correctness of the rule. I know of no subject on which there is more divergence of opinion between the sexes than on that of attending other people’s weddings. In the present instance all the women of our party thought we had missed everything in missing the ceremony, while every man thought we were fortunate in getting there for the festivities. As a spectacle in a strange land the wedding might have been interesting, but from a social and matrimonial point of view it was of no consequence to a single beard-wearer.
“The rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in air” continued as we descended the stream, and tied up to the east bank of the Nile, just above the new iron bridge that spans the river and enables you to take a carriage drive whenever you wish to the Geezereh palace, or to the pyramids.
It was so late that the ladies concluded not to leave the boat, but we masculines were not so particular.