The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-06-27
,ohe married I'm Church.

ed in the village of Sandy Hill, N. Y, which
afforded some amusement to the spectators
at the time, and furnished food for consider
able gossip thereafter. 1t occurred in church
on one of those quiet afternoons when all the
world seems to drop asleep. When the flies
buss lazily on the window -panes, and the dog
lies on the door-stone.
The afternoon service had ended, and the
congregation were arranging themselves for
the benediction, when, to the greet astonish-
ment and the manifest interest of the wor-
shippers, the good parson descended from
the pulpit to the desk below, and said in a
calm, clear voice:
"Those wishing to be united in the Holy
bonds of matrimony, will now please to come
forward"
A deep stiffness instantly fell over the con-
grcgation, broken only by the rustling of silk
as some pretty girl or excited rnatron chang
ed her position to catch the first view of the
couple to be married. No one, however,
arose. or seemed in the least inclined to arise,
Whereupon the worthy clergyman, deem
inc his first notice unheard or misunderstood,
repeated:
"Let those wishing to be united in the
holy bonds of matrimony now come for
ward"
Still no one stirred. The silence became
almost audible, and painful sense of the
awkwardness among those present, when d
young gentleman who had occupied vacant
seat in the broad aisle during the service,
slowly arose, and deliberately walked to the
foot of the altar. He was good-looking and
well-dressed, but no one knew him, and no
female accompanied his travels. When he
arrived within, a respectful distance of the
clergyman, he paused, and with reverend
bow, stepped to one side of the aisle, but nci-
ther said anything nor seemed at all discon-
ccrted at the idea of getting married alone.
The clergyman looked anxiously around
for the bride, who he supposed was yet to ar
rive, and at length remarked to the young gen
tleman in an under tone:
"The lady, sir, is dilatory."
avery, sir.'
=" Had we not better defer the ceremony 2"
al think not. DO You suppose she will
be here soon y
"Mc, sirg' said the astonishcd shepherd,
show should know of your lady's move
mcnts That is a matter belonging to your
self" -
\ very few moments more were suffered
to clapsc in this unpleasant state of expectan-
-cy; when the clergyman renewed his inter
rogatorics
did the lady promise to attend at the
present hour, sir 7"
"What lady y
"Why, the lady, to be sure, that you are
waiting here for"
81 did not hear her say anything about it."
was the satisfactory response
"Thcn, sir, may ask why you are here,
and for what purpose you thus triAc in the
sanctuary of the Most High :" said the somc-
what cnragcd clerical.
- come, sir, simply because you invited
all those wishing to be united in the holy
bonds of matrimony to step forward, and
happened to entertain such wish | am
very sorry to have misunderstood You, sir,
and wish you Ia very good day."
The beucd:ction was uttered with soler-
nifty of tone very little in accordance with the
twitching of the facial nerves; and when, af-
ter the church was closed, the story rot
among the congregation, more than one girl
her wishes had not been as boldly
expressed as the young gentleman who had
really wished to be united in the holy bonds
of matrimony.