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M»ee Pretty, Romping, Mrs. “ Willie” Kersten Suddenly Puts [/ Aside Dolls and Short Skirts and Is Making Every Day I Life in Her Little Bird's Nest Elat an Ideal Honeymoon. i WHEN little fourteen-year-old Rena Tappenden, of Chicago, ran array and got married last month, people said : "How foolish!” But Rena, now Mrs. William Kersten, la now “keeping house" In a flat at No. 8635 Fnullna street In a way that would put to shame many a newly married woman twice her age Little Mrs Kersten set to work to make a real home for her husband the next day after her marriage The young couple had the foresight to pick out and furnish a neat little flat beforo they eloped- In this re apect. too, they showed discretion beyond that of many elderly persons who have seen fit to give them advice. William Kersten, the young husband, is twenty-one, and a manly looking fellow. He works for a contracting Arm. JM Hui 1 \ w'vMA M UCc&Ap i 1 1 a\ v 11 \(/) \n \i\a o / Jm\ \ I If f! \\\T -1 ' « .iM /4\i { \WwS!PH i/li / 'uL A r~ —' **Mps. Kersten bustled in from the kitchen aand welcomed her visitor." • He and bis little sweetheart bad planned very carefully how they could marry and live comfortably and happily on the sls a week which he was earning. Now they are proving that they really can do it The little bride was only a child when Willie Kersten first met her a few months ago She dresssed in short skirts and romped and played with other little girls with childish light-heartedness Bur new she Is suddenly transformed into a real little woman She has put aside her dolls and childish playmates, and has be come a model little housewife. She gets up at half past six o’clock In the morning, cooks a nice breakfast for her hus band, doe* her housework in the forenoon, bas a luncheon promptly at 12 o'clock, and a hot dinner ready for him when be coqu-c borne In the evening. “It Is ever so much better than playing housekeeping with a doll's house." saya Mrs Kersten. and then adds: ‘ Besides, my hue band says I am the best housekeeper In the world ” As soon as she was married »'rs. Kersten promptly laid aside her short skirt .ml tonoed a young woman’s long own. How to manage a long skirt was one of \ # NE YEAR AFTER MARRIAGE.—The God of the Japanese has blossed this union. A small aubjact of tha Mikado hat mean born, and a scribe has been eummoned to write down the record of the birth, Tho ceremony ie very simple, and absolutely private. the worst trials of her newly mar ried life. But a few days of practice when going out with her mother en abled her to manage her skirt like a real grown-up young lady. After that when she went out walking she held her little chin very high and walked haughtily by her former playmates with only a conde scending smile of recognition- "We married folks can’t play,” she said disdainfully when a group of her former playmates besieged her to play bop scotch on the sidewalk. “I have more important things to attend to.” WTien a friend of the family called one day Just before dinner time, expecting to find the little housewife In a mixed-up state of affairs and In need of advice and en couragement, she met with quite a aurprtee. Mrs. Kersten bustled In from the kitchen In a tidy apron and welcomed her visitor without a bit of concern. "Oh, being married Isn’t said the little wife archly. "After you get used to the idea It keeps you busy all the time. I like married life much better than going to school and playing all the time. 1 don’t see why folks think It Is so strange that 1 got married. I always Intended to marry when 1 was fourteen." The marriage of the pretty Rena Tappen The Queer Mil. TATSLMA KIATO. of Toklo, n young studont »t the university, hav ing completed hla atudles. dreamed of establishing a home. Faithful to the patriarchal law, which bas all the force of law to a good Jap anese, our young friend approached his father most respectfully «#ne *ne Aiorulag A Photograph of Mr,. Keeton Taken a few Montha Before Her Marriage. // BPWk rt' HfL | Kr w j'yrtacA nfWFv-:J »♦ JEMBh Hi m win p- . H .&£ yllV) : ' den reveals a strange list of esrly mar riages by elopement In tb» family from which she springs. FTer mother was but fifteen years old when, as Nellie Demo rat, of a small town near Detroit, Mich., she eloped Ith George Tappenden, a wealthy farmer of a nearby town. The grandmother of the yotinjr bride wns another heroine of n sensational elopement As Miss Georjrle Keyes she wns the belle of the sninll Mlchlgnn town In whleh she lived, nnd when sixteen years old eloped with a clerk In her father's business stab llshment. The pair prospered and were the drst to send their »ood wishes to young Mr. and Mrs. William Kersten. The little wife who started out so bravely In matrimonial life is a dainty hit of a lady. She haa a mass of glorious blou! hair, the sweetest of pale due eyes anti rosy, enrved and saney lips. No wonder young Kersten fell In lore with he. nnd Just couldn’t wall till she grew up But then, Bonn considered that she was n young lirdy already—and that there was no need for waiting. Way That Quaint Little and In aome well-turned phraaca ohaerved that, now being twenty yeara of age, he thought It about time to marry and ael up a home. His father raised no iusuperahle ob jections. Really, was b« not anxious to see that rac# of which ho was so proud perpetuated! Japanese families visit each other very little, and be did not know which of bis friends had any marriageable daughters PREPA P.JNLi rOH THE CERE MONY.—Aaaisted by her mother and maid of honor, tha bride drastea for tha caramony with infinite precaution and cara. It is absolutely necessary to eon form with tha lawa of etiquette In each and every particular. “ ‘Wo married folks can’t play/ ahe said disdainfully, when a yrnip of her former playmates besieged her to play hopscotch on tho sidewalk.” or which would be acceptable, never having aeon them. Ho It happens that resource must be had to the professional marriage broker, who tit once opens the campaign 4n aearch of n desirable maiden. He baa to act with furt and patience, for hla reputation a* a “niarrler" would be irremediably ruined If he brought Into a noble family tuty young girl whose aneeatora had laat them selves to any wrongdoing or h id been Iden tified with trada. At laat the broker announces that he has found a maiden worthy of entering the honorable house of Klato. Armed with full power from both families, he makes the formal demand, obtains the answer and fixes ths date for the mar riage. generally the young couple do not ... —w £aVn t XsMm\ IIP - • I I\kb fjßSamr J 6 4 I YjT ' 'Jj THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRIDE. —The bride comes to her hua* band's home in e kind of palan quin. She bee reached the house, the porters have placed the pal anquin on tha ground, and look on while tha "marrier'e" wife helps bar to come forth. agt il m ' / i 5S 1 I jjl I Miss Chrysanthemum Gets Married. have a single meeting -It Is enough for them flint their parents are agreed But there la no rule without uu esc*p tlon certainly rind least of all In love. And the broker, sided by bln wife, some times arranges for n meeting between the young people In the house of some friend, but In ths presence of the young girl s father. However, those to he married are not permitted to converse during this Inter view; the nn»*t that 1 permitted * a fur live interchange of gliiri««w ff the father of Mias Chrysanthemum Is not satisfied with tho mental nitiilumeota of Mr K 1 ato, be expresses the opinion In pollsbad phrases that "hi* daughter Is too Ignorant and stupid to be< no the wife of ho dls tlnguishod and elegant a young 1111111.“ THE FIRST IN TER VIE Wc--Th* young people meet for the first time. They mav look at each other. At the hack, to tha eighth, it her father; next la tha “marriar,” and to the left the bridegroom. Snapshot of Little Mrs. Willie Kersten, When Out for an Afternoon Walk. There seems to hnro boon n fixed Ides in her determined young mind that alio would do an her mother and grandmother did, and inarry very young. With n seriousness quite beyond her yearn, she hna eat about to nuike herself mlNtrcaa t»f every detail of housewifely art. The child wife's rooking experience up to now' In somewhat limited, hut If the con tinued training Mho receive* from uer mother, niintH, cousins and friends nvall her nriythlng she will have iirrompllahed every* tlilii k flint a houeewlfe should. Him keeps her little flat 1n spick tnd span order. What la odious work to many an older bride acenis *o be nereiy lay for her fur It*m nil done for dear “Willie." There Nee mu to be n continuous honey moon In this little blrd s-nest tint, for the young wife auya : “My husband Is never cross at table, nnd always I say always kisses no good by when he goes and again when he cornea home. He’s much better than a lot of h"*- txiud* I've seen, who never seem to kiss their wives at all.” “As soon as 1 get altogether used to being a married lady." she nay*, ”my bus hand and myself are going to make a trip. W,. never bad a honeymoon like married folk 4 ought to have. We were too *"»’) trying to gat married before mamma caug-u And tlimi th. broker *t»rl» Or nnollier girl. , . From very Infancy the Japanese boy and girl air* trained hi self control, to preserve their cn I tit no matter what happen*; never t» betray their Inner feelings, and do evety thing with an amiable smile, always tha same, cvtmiiig their good will to every one, but giving no hint of their Intention*. I',veu tho engaged young man and woman lend tbeinaeho4 to the little comedy with perfect ease. For a long time he and she hare known what they were to do under these dr.’ll instances and have prepared lliemuihe. therefor. The Jfnpiesslofj produced at their first Interview la muturill/ satlsfaciory. Then preparation* go on spare. The priests are request ad to fix a propitious date for the wedding, according to th" position of moon odd stars, And tho bride's family gets us, nnd then ws had to come right bad homo." The marriage of the child wife waa an event that startled ('hlcngo a month ago. On file plea that she wished to go to an amusement park tlio girl left her livms on a Saturday afternoon. Instead of vtidtlng the amusement park, little Mlnn Tappenden, together with her flanco, chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Kre«l Arms, friends of the young pair, icu.rded a boat for the Western Gretna Church, St. Joe, Michigan, and there were married. Worried at the continued absence of their child, the parents of the girl started a hunt for her. In whlifh the Chicago polio® entered with much zest. The pursuers were (lone on the truck of the newly wedded when the following message reached tlie girl's mother: I tear Mainnm WIU and I got married at St. Joe. Will not be homo until Monday noon. Ito not worry. We hope you will forgive iin when wu come home. Your loving daughter, lIENA. 'I he pursuit wns called off, nnd wuen the young couple returned from the Michigan roNorl they were forgiven. Ho muiiy hoy and girl marriages result qub Uly lii sorrow and feparntlon that many people predicted Mint the young Kcrsteas would noon come to grief. Bat Instead each of I hem took up the burden of innrrled life with such good will and loving heart that even their commonplace ill.- luia been the sweetest kind of M honeymoon. reedy her white wedding gown, of pure sl’k. with sleeve# over thirty inches long, no old or ornamented belt, forming a kind of cushion tit the back, several yards long, and other things. All la regulated strictly according to etiquette. The treat day comes at Inst, or rather the great evening for « Japanese marriage umst bo celebrated Just a little before sun dowr/. Leaving her relatives In a palan quin, tin* young maiden hsa thrown her dolls and other playthings Into a hrasler might at tnc door of her home. A sym bolic ad! Hhe will henceforth have no other concern than her husbandt Then, followed by her relatives end friends and the friends of the bridegroom, she start* for the home of her parents In tow, preceded by servant* laden with prea ci»f* ft,i h“i future husband, and with lighted lanterns. While relatives and friends 4 exchange compliment« Mis* chrysanthemum Is seated and tier mother In law to lie offers her tea inoHf ceremoniously, In the presence of the marring* broker’s wife. Khs Is then con ducted Into the sacred room of the house, where her mother In-law gives the bride a sent and then covers her head with u largo hound of white silk, and 11 kind of veil to cover t tat fare which the groom Is deemed never to hat* seen, even though he has already seen It. Here Into tills room, decorated with eym* bollr ohlwcl ! and flowers, conic the ftOdnL the fathers hnd mothers, the “fnarrlef" ai d tit - 'Vlf' and flic hv . butterflJee. tho young girl* wlm pour out the The In vited goafs remaining In the adjoining room chant the ■ (Hie marriage fivrnri). The • . airier' prostrates himself before the couple unking th** formal demand Tills Is the moment at which the prlo* rlpn formality b , rrformed The two But terflies offer to tile young people It) turn, Still on v cngn.o d. three little cups of dlf feient 1 mtfllnlng sake trice wlucj, ntid from * blch each should take three swallo-vs in sticccssluß 'i'lis third cup liclog emptied, tne oirrler” announces that th# marriage Is finished Now that she Is Mrs Klsto, the young women may lift bar veil end speak to her bus Miid One year after the marriage, if the tifn l of Ihe Japanese has blessed the uuloii and a small •üblect of the Mikado has In 011 born, a scribe is summoned to writs down tb« rgcord of the birth Th# ceremony is very simple, and *bsolut«4f grlvaUk