Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1874-02-28
NEW MARRIAGE SERVICE.
A Ninteenth Century Ritual-A Searching
Questioning Of Candidate.

Miss Elizabeth Stuart Phelps takes eX-
ception to the usual form Of the marriage
ceremony aud proposes the following as
an Improvement
Which beginneth the with words "Let
us pray
Cat the close of brief prayer the
minister shall say);
"In the presence of God and Of these
witnesses, we arc now come to solemnize
the covenant of this man and woman In
marriage. Are you, Charlie True, pre-
pared, of your own free Wills inclining
and whole hearts desire, TO take upon
yourself the VOWS which shall make and
keep you the husband of this woman as
long as death shall spare you one to the
other l''
(He shall say) :" am"
care you, Charlotte Tender, prepared,
of your own free Wills inclining and
whole hearts desire, to take upon your
self the VOWS which shall make and keep
you the wife of this man as long as
death shall spare you one to the other l''
(She shall say) 81 am"
"Is there to your inmost conscious
ness any hidden reason why you should
not charge your lips with the utterance
of these VOWS Does the voice of your
secret soul cry to you-by any reproaeh
of memory, by any uncertainty of hope
10 oibid these bands If there be tuch
a reason, If there be such voice, in the
presence OF God and of these witnesses,
regard 1t, before 1t be too late"
(Both): "There is none such"
(UntO the man he shall say) If you
feel within your honest heart that any
other woman ought TO hold-or, In the
sweet mood Of your aff, ction, that any
other could hold the place which this
woman occupies to-day, for your SOULS
sake and for her souls sake, acknowl-
edge ii before II be too late"
(UDto the woman he shall say); "If
you feel within your honest heart that
any other man ought to holf-or, iu the
sweet mood of your affection, that any
other could hold-the place which this
man occupies to-day, for your souPs
saSe, acknowledge 1t before it be too
| late"
(Receiving no responses, the minister
shall proceed);
"Then reverently do l offer you, and
loyalty may you take upon yourselves,
the covenant Of true marriage"
"Do you, Charles True, take this
woman whose hand you hold TO be your
lawfully welded wife :"
Gle shall say); :" do"
DO you, Charlotte Tender, take this
man whose hand you hold TO be your
lawfully welded husband ~
(5he shall say); 81 do"
" You promise to cleaye unto each
other In sickness and health, in prosperity
and in adversely, through trial and
triumph, in temptation, peril, joy, sorrow,
through life unto death. You promise to
be faithful each 10 the other In deed,
word aud truth. You promise to be con-
siderate each Of the others happiness,
above all other earthly claims. You
promise TO assist each other In your
mutual and individual life's work, rem
d-ring each TO each such tender thought
fulness and such large estimate of the
others Dature that neither shall absorb
in petty exactions or iu selfish blindness
the others subject life. You recognize
il to be the duty of every man aud OF
every woman to live life of individual
service to an individual God, and you
hold II to be the especial aim of marriage
to assist men and women In the pur
suance of such a service, by a union
which brings mutual responsibility
mutual fOrbearanee, and mutual comfort,
to replace solitary labors aud louely fail
ures and unshared successes. You, there
fore, promise to regard each the Other''
preference in all your plans of life, and Il
consider any claim of one 10 legislate fol
the other, as foreign to the spirit OF &
righteous marriage and to the letter o
your vows. You believe that the swee
restraints and large liberty of mutua
love shall serve you In the settlement o
all difference of opinion, and that you
happiness Will be increased by your recog
milton each of the others freedom 0
personal Judgment and action. Yol
promise to reverence in each other al
that is essentially different In you
natures, and TO meet generously upon al
that is common, and to elevate, each TO
the other and each in the other, your idea
of manhood, Of. wOmauhood, and o
marriage. Do you thus believe AM
promise !"
(Both shall says 'I' do"
b "Then do pronounce you to be hus
= band and wife. The great necessity o
love is laid upon you. Love is no longe
, its own, but each others. You have Sc
e yourselves to learn the longest lessons 0
e human experience. You have entere
upon condition of the highest duties
as well as of the deepest Joys. As earn
estly as you have come to it may it com
to you. AS solemnly as you have chose
each other may Gods blessing choose ou
you. Even as tenderly as you are draw
to each other may his heart be draw
unto you. AS sacredly as you cheris
each other may his protection eheris
e you.
S "' Love- we read, is stronger tina
e Death Of whatever there shall be II
; human love which OuIlives human life
{ may the love of this man and woman b
: found worthy to partake
d " For all that the love of man an
n woman may mean, in world wher
e they neither marry MOI are given in MAJ
e riage, God grant that this earthly maj
e riage may hit these two heayen-bor
5 souls
# Amen"