The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-10-11


THE marriage Of Miss Minnie Sher-
man, daughter of General w. y. Sher-
man, and Mr.. H. w. Fitch, Of the u.
=. navy, on the first instant, was 1.-THE
bIggott thing ON ico'' that the federal
capital has had this season, Tho GER
omony was performed at eleven O'Clock
n. M, ut 81. Aloyslus church, by Arch
bishop Purcell, of Cincinnati. Long
before the time for the ceremony an
immense crowd gathered around the
door of the church, ind .luGe posse
of police had TO be called into rcqulsl-
ton TO make the elite OF tho national
capital behave Itself Whei. the brl-
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 sacristy
In full uniform, accompanied by Gen
eral Hugh Ewing, andrecelved 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-
markable address;
do not know that % marriage cere-
mony has ever been performed In
these United States under more inter-
esting circumstances than the one we
are assembled now To solemnlHe.
There Is q 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, | believe,
the president of the greatest republic,
the greatest nation, OF the times, who
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 evef been
intrusted. We have other great gen.
erals and officers here, the like Of
whom have never been assembled on
the occasion Of q 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 that
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, but you come
to witness this ceremony and to 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 be suspicious; that their
days may be long and happy la the
land, and that they may live To see
their childrenand their children's chill
dren unto the third and fourth gen
ton. When | think fthe grandfather
Of the bride-Mr Ewing--he who gave
sucha pure example toall his children;
when think of the grandmother OF
the bride, whom saw laid out In
death, when she looked more like a
bride than n corpse, so beautiful was
her appearance; when | remember
how her noble husband walked into
the room and gazed upon that lovely
form, having the appearance more of
life than of death, aud walked back
again totake still another gaze of all
that was left of this wonderful woman,
Mrs. Ewing; when think of all this,
1t 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 religious
ceremony. 1t Is not merely human
or civil contract. No, beloved friends.
Other marriages may be of the earth
earthly; but 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; aud the blessings
that He gave To them were prophesies
that were fulfilled 10 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
mere civil contract-but a marriage
made In accordance with Gods holy
purpose. Mary, the mother of Jesus,
was present at the wedding of Cana IN
lfalilee. and Chrisf,a iliscirlas mud