, 1876-01-22
Wedding Anecdotes.

Sometimes the united services of cler-
gymen of differing persuasions make the
marriage ceremony tri1e difficult. A
Methodist minister, who was about to
marry an Episcopal lady, called upon
her minister to secure his services, and
to ask that a(friend, who was presiding
elder in his. church, might assist in
the Office of marrying. The Episcopal
brother, who was a High Anglican, re-
piled:
81 would like to oblige you, sir, in
your wish, but | fear cannot, as | dc
not recognize the validity of your or
dersr
"My orders not valid, sir?" exclaimed
the indignant Wesleyan, 81 tell you, it's
purer ministry that has come down
from John Wesley than ministry that
has come down by your apostolic success
sion through all their dirty popes"
As a general rule, ministers find, on
the principle that "a bird in the hand
is worth two in the bush, that it is al
ways better to take the fee at the time of
the wedding than to wait for any after
judgment of the matter. A certain cler-
gyman to this day bears grudge against
New Jersey because Jerseyman, after
his wedding, asked if he should pay at
the time, or settle when he came for the
certificate. The modest minister said,
"Oh, when you come for the certificate" p"
And that man has never come yet!
There seems to be a strange atmOs-
phere of mistakes about the wedding ser
vice. Even the printers join in this. An
English edition of the prayer Book"
came out some time ago with the follow
ing displacement Of a single letter
"Wilt thou love, honor, and cherish" :"
etc, etc, "and, forsaking all others, keep
thee only unto her as long as ye both
shall like" "A change from "live' to
"like," well suited to the changing habits
of present matri monial life
Another very common mistake among
ignorant people, who want the Episcopal
service, is in the alliterative sentence
"To have and to hold from this day for
ward" l know a clergyman who assures
me he very frequently has it rendered
ITO have and to behold from this day
forward"
The nervousness Of the parties to be
these mistakes. A pretty well-frightened
groom on one occasion, feeling that he
must be brave and speak up well when
the officiating Clergyman asked any ques-
ton, boldly replied to the question ad-
dressed to the father of the bride, "Who
giveth this woman to be married to this
mani" "My sponsors in baptism"
Another frightened youth, remember
ing in the presence Of some beautiful
bridesmaids the answer to one of the
questions in the order of baptism, replied
to the question, "Wilt thou have this
woman to be thy welded wife2" ~ re-
nounce them all, and, by Gods help, will
endeavor not to follow nor be led by them !"
Readers of Thomas Hardy's story, "Far
from the Madding Crowd" will remem-
Der the scene in which Bathsheba, on
taking charge of the farm, inquiries how
it came to pass that Mrs. Ball ever con-
sented to name her son "Cain." Joseph
Poorgran and the others explain that the
"pore" woman was fustered at the time
Of the christeninR and got the Bible
brothers mixed up in Der mind, and
thought at the moment "as how it was
Abel that killed Cain, and not t other
way; however, they tried to soften it
down bit by calling him 'Oainey.'"
On the same principle in England, at
a wholesale parish wedding, where some
dozen couples were to be united en- mdsse
on a Sunday, a shy sort of man got
crowded In the wrong place, next to a
strong, bustling woman, who had like
wise missed her man, and before they
knew it, they were married, as was also
the odd couple number two. Hereupon
the shy man made so bold as to tell the
minister of the mistake, and, while he
was debating in his own mind what was
to be done, the old woman exclaimed,
"Sure, and let it be; isn't it fair all
round, after all, and isn't one man as
good as the otherl the divil bits the diff
ferencer' says Bridget MeShane.