The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-06-18
A Quaker Wedding.

so, "God bless you my daughter"
A Quaker Wedding.
Married in this city yesterday, at the Qua
ker Meeting House, on Fifth street; Mr..
HENRY SHREENof this city, to Miss HANNAH
ID. TAYLOR of Newport.
A large company assembled at the unos-9
tentatious church of the Society of Friends
yesterday at l / o'clock, to witness so unus-
iual an occurrence as a Quaker wedding
As the spirit moved us to be present, we
propose to give description of the ceremo-
NY 1t was regular monthly meeting of
the Friends, small though highly respect
ed Society worshiping regularly atthe house
above mentioned. When we arrived the
church was nearly filled with young ladies
who had been attracted there by curiosity,
their gay dresses contrasting strongly with
the sober drab of the three or four rows of
Quaker ladies occupying seats on the oppo-
site side of the house, and fronting the main
audience. The shad-bellies and broad bruins.
Slipped quietly into the seats in the mems di-
vision of the house, and commenced their
silent communion with their own spirits and
the spirits of the unseen world After half
hours profound silence, there was some ap-
Ipearance of uneasiness among the spectators
We were amused at a whispered conversa-
ton between country girl and her more
knowing city companion.
''What do these women wear such awful
looking bonnets for? They look like half
hornets nest; half coal-scuttle" m~s LA
'Hush; that's the Quaker fashion"
"Where is their minister?'
"Ihey have no minister. -
"Who breaches then?" @ 7
"All of them, or any of them, just as 6Aeys
happen to fell" Td ~
"Why don't the IN Getting begin?"
"Hush up;the meeting has beenbegun this
half hour"
"Why, nobody has said word, and tho
men have got their hats on
"Never mind, somebody will speak soons
provided the spirit moves them, and they
always wear their hats in church"
4 20, know; they are waiting for the bride
and groom"
'fNo, indeed, they've been here half an
hour; don't you see them sitting directly OPP.
positc-that handsome young man in gold
specs, and the lady beside him, dressed in
plain white SATIN e
81 want to know if that's them; they'd
look Quakerish a bit. ] should like to know
who's agoing to marry them?' a
Nobody; they will marry themselves
''Marry themselves! well, why in the
world don't they begin? What are they
waiting for?" as~
! waiting for the spirit to move"
! Another half hour passed in solemn ST.
lence, at the end of which time the bride and
bridegroom arose, facing the audience, the
bridegroom pronounced the following words:
81, Henry Shipley, in the presence Of God,
and OF this assembly, take this woman to be
my welded wife, promising with Divine as
sistances to be faithful and loving husband,
as long as we both shall live" sAas
The bride then, in voice somewhat fall
tering, repeated similar declaration, and
both sat down. ks
Two young men ofthe Society then placed
before them a small bible, containing huge
parchment scroll, which they opened, and
in the presence of the assembly the bride
I and groom affixed their signatures An
ielder of the church then read the document
"ioou W ulc auulcnte. IL SET lOrtn JlldI the
parties had, afthc regular monthly meeting
preceding, signifcd their intention Of mar
riage, that The Society had approvedgof the
same, and that BY their joint declarations
and signatures they had arrived a s'full ac-
complishment Of their Intentions" He then
stated that all the Friends were invited to
sign as Witnesses, after the close .of the meet
ing. -
\ Alters few moments more Of silence the
newly married cople suddenly rose and left
the church, and Were followed By the whole
congregation. The audience was wcll pleas
ed with the ceremony, which We think was
the most sensible we ever witnessed - en-.
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