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DAWN AND THE DONS 130 from the time they were able to talk until it arrived, accompanied always by beautiful gifts of jewels and rare laces from the bridegroom. One of the customs observed was the winding of a silk-tasseled cord or sash about the necks of the bride and groom, thus binding them together as they knelt before the altar. Another charming custom was the making of satin shoes by the groom for the bride. A few weeks before the wedding, he obtained the needed measurements, and made the slippers with his own hands. The groomsman presented them to her the night before the wedding.

The festival spirit—so possible in California, where all nature lends itself to every form of outdoor amuscment—was the particular heritage of Spanish Monterey. Their joyous temperament led the people to seek amuse-