The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-12-08
The Marriage Standardization
OF the HAnH.

From the Cleveland Ohio Hcrald.]
The marriage service contains u sort
of proclamation to the effect that if
any n present has any valid objcc-
ton to the union contemplated, that it
be proclaimed then and there. This
proclamation has come to be consid-
cred more q matter Of form than Of
any actual validity Of use, and prob
ably the reader has never known OF
any response being made to it.
In some Of the New England States
the bans are published by cutlery rror
the pulpit Oh three public occasions,
or the names Of the intended matrimo
NAL contracting parties are posted up
in the church ycstibulc for the same
length Of time. We have seen, in q
Massachusetts church, by the side Of
the door, 4 small recess in the door
post, having Il pane Of glass in it, be
hind which these notices were posted.
But this latter fashion was not a good
one. rs too many people on Sunday
visited this matrimonial bulletin after
the first bell-ringing, as they would Il
newspaper office bulletin, merely to
learn the news, Int did not enter the
Church. The better way was found to
be to post the names on pillar inside
the building, then the curious were
forced to attend meeting or run the
gauntlet Of the deacon's eyes in with
drawing. All sorts Of devices were
resortcd to by which the law might be
satisfied and yet the wedding be kept
secret. Sometimes the publication
would be made in the most delicate
Zine hand," and posted, wrong end up,
at the top of the pillar. Many of the
more curious worshipers, on entering,
would mount a chair in order to deci-
pher the announcement, before they
could compose themselves to prayer.
But the old Connecticut fashion was
the most trying. The preacher invari-
ably showed his spectacles from nose
to forehead at least three times before
he uttered Il word from the piece of
paper he held in his hand, either in
dulging in a 'guess' as to what the
marriage fee would amount to. or to
give the congregation time to guess
which village belle was spoken for,
and particularly whether she came
from the singers scat, or was the
school marin. And when it was an
nounced that 'matrimony is contem-
plated between Moses Weakness and
Patience Resignation all eyes were
turned toward Patience's seat to see
how she stood it, and then toward
Moses. This announcement, originally,
was made before the sermon, but being
found to furnish such a fund for gossip
as to set the audience whispering, and
leading to discussions during sermon
time as to which of the two was max
ing the sacrifice, it came to be the
fashion to make the marriage announce
lnent the last thing at the afternoon
service, thus avoiding the discussions
in church, and proving al inducement
for attendance upon afternoon services.
But we have wandered from what VIC
intended to say, which was that the
other day; at st. Louis, when a Roman
Catholic clergyman asked the usual
question in the marriage service, which
was being performed in. church between
Mr.. l~Iaagsman, consul for the Meth
erlands, and a Hiss Miller, 4 Miss Per-
cell arose in the audience, and pro
claimed that the intended groom had
promised her marriage; that she held
him to his agreement and forbid the
union. The priest refused to flush the
ceremony, and the couple were forced
to 60 to a justice Of the peace, who
made it a mere matter of dollars and
cents, aud who performed the legal
ceremony.