The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-10-17

THE marriage ol MISS Nih!iit '7H'Si-
man, daughter of General w. Y. Sher-
man, and Mr.. n. W. Fitch, of the L.
S. navy, on the first instant, was "th"
biggest thing on ice" that the federal
capital has had this season. The Ger
cmony was performed al eleven o'clocil
Il. M, at st. Aloysius' church, by Arch
bishop Purcell, Of Cincinnati. Long
before the time for the ceremony an
immense crowd gathered around the
door of the church, and II large posse
of police had to be called into rcquisi-
ton to make the elite Of the national
capital behave itself. Whet! the bril-
dial party entered the sanctuary they
divided, and went one-half to the right
and the other To the left. As Miss
Lizzie Sherman and Mr.. Rae assembled
the step leading into the sanctuary,
Mr.. Fitch advanced from the sacrsty
in full uniform, accompanied ny Gen
eral Hugh Ewing, andreceived his bride
from her father at the foot of the altar
Before proceeding with the marital
ceremony, the archbishop delivered
the following, in some respects, re-
marka ble address:
do not know that II marriage cere-
mony has ever been performed in
these United States under more inter-
estiilg circumstances than the one we
are assembled now 10 solemniZe.
There is rare combination of circum-
stances in all these surroundings that
have not, | believe, in these United
States, been witnessed before. You
have among the audience, 1 helievc,
the president of the greatest republic,
the greatest nation, of the times, VINO
comes by his presence to manifest the
Interest he takes in the bridal party.
We have here, in the father Of the
bride, one Of the greatest captains OF
any age; one of the most devoted pa
triots; one of the most able and gallant
of all those generals TO whom the fate
of armies and of nations has eve! been
intrusted. We have other great gem
erals and officers here, the like OF
whom have never been assembled OH
the occasion of II marriage ceremony
before, and we all, when we look on
them, behold in them the glorious de-
Tenders of these United States; men
who at the head of gallant armies have
gained the admiration and respect OF
all the other nations of the world.
Now, the apostle tells you that there
is no other form of marriage than thht
instituted by Christ. Thus marriage
was ordained in Heaven, and when
the marriage union is consummated
under such auspices as we Behold TO-
day, we have reason TO believe that
God will extend His own right hand
from the heights of Heaven and bless
the young couple.
You all here to-day have come not
from any idle curiosity, hut you come
to witness this ceremony and 10 mani
fest the interest you take in those who
are now about to plight their VOWS to
one another. We pray God that their
marriage may he auspicious; that their
days may he long and happy i'm the
land, aud that they may live to see
their children and their children's chill
ircn unto the third and fourth genera
tinn. When think Of the grandfather
Of the britle-Mr. Ewing-he who gave
such pure example TO all his children;
when | think of the grandmother of
the bride, whom | saw laid out in
death, when she looked more like "A
bride than Il corpse, so beautiful was
her appearance; when j remember
how her noble husband walked into
the room and gazed upon that lovely
form, having the appearance more OF
life than of death, and walked back
again to take still another gaze of all
that was left of this wonderful woman,
Mrs. Ewing; when think of all this,
IL seems as if | see.those blessed souls
looking down from Heaven upon the
scene that is now spread out before us,
invoking Gods blessing.
Marriage is essentially q religious
ceremony. 1t Is not merely a human
or civil contract. No, heloved friends.
Other marriages may lie of the earth
earthly; hot a marriage like this is Of
heaven heavenly. God bestowed His
blessings at the first marriage, upon
the first couple, and pronounced their
union good. He blessed the marriages
of the patriarchs; and the blessings
that He gave to them were prophesies
that were fulfilled to the letter. On
the occasion of another recorded mar
riage, God sent AN angel from heaven
TO prepare the young couple for their
wedding: the angel travelled with them;
the angel protected them the night of
their marriage, and brought them back
in safety to their friends. And this,
again, shows how God does bless a true
marriage; not a mere human rite-a