The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-05-12
CuRIoSIrIES OF N,rRlNOyY.
InnnNuiionS la PubIIc Wedding services In
Ensiaud-A tiuikcr Atnrringr.

NNhhtt
A London letter says: It looks us if We
were about to have u rebellion among
fashionable young people against the
marriage service Of the Church Of Eug-
land. It is not only because sentiment
has Outgruwn the promise OF the bride
to "obey," OIL which the clergy still i'll
sist, though instances increase in which
the ladies' refuse to utter it; but there
Nrc some portions Of the service which
arc almost coarse, and make the young
people blush. The Clergyman hAs, Of
course, no right to modify the service.
There are now so many marriages per-
formed by the registrars alone that they
find it important to provide neat rooms
in which to receive wedding companies.
The registrar simply asks the man and
woman by name il there is any legal i'm
pediment, and then asks each il he and
she will take the other rs husband, rs
wife; it requires that they should say
''no" to the impetliment question and
Eyes" to the lust, aud by the utterancc
Of these two words they are married.
Two witnesses sign tho certificate, the
registrar pockets his small fixed fee, and
the affair is!over. This kind OF marriage
is largely rcsortc1 to where one Of the
parties Inns been divorced, in which case
few of tho clergy will oftlciate, and still
more i'll cases where the pdrtics hold
different religious opinions.
Among the many notifications Of mar
riage celebrations supplied by the NOn-
conformist bodies, that of the Quakers
llas recently attracted attention. For
two hundred years the Quakers have
enjoyed among themselves tho privilege
Of being married without the interfer-
cncc Of either registrar, clergy, or any
OF their own ministers; but lately they
have agreed to receive i'll their meeting
houses parties not Of their faith, and re,
Gently IN cmiacnt Parliamentary circle
was present to witness the marriage of
two young people in the Quaker meeting
house enear Lincoln's Inn, neither Of whom
were or arc Quakers. Tho bridegroom
was Mr.. Maclaren, son Of the member
for Edinburgh University. Mrs. Maclarcn
is sister Of John Bright, and was 0
Quaker, but married "Out OF meeting" "
Her son, Just married, "hns never mani
tested my Quaker proclivities, and the
young lRiy, Miss Pochin, belonged, I
believe, to tho Church Of England, but
did not like its marriage service. There
were present tho whole tribe OF Brights;
n large one, and most Of their friends,
among others. the two younger daughters
Of Richard Cobden. The appearance ot
the assembly showed that the old Quaker
peculiarities of dress are things Of the
past. there being on the raised dais or
platform reserved for elders, none who
wore thali Quaker garb. and several
female Friends with gay bonnets.
The bride and bridegroom were in full
wedding raiment, anl tho bridesmaids,
with their vcils aud bright:costumes, re.
presented M invasion Of the Somber
place which might make the. dust Of
George Fox shultlcr in the .neighboring
graveyard The Quakers so rarely get
any worldly people into their establish
ment TINT they thought it necessary to
improve this occasion, and there was a
luguhrious prayer from one and weari.
some sermon from another Of their min.
listers. Young Maclaren arose, and said
that he took Miss Pochin to be his wife,
aud promised by the help Of God to be
TO her faithful and loving husband,
AfterR brief silence the young Indy wa
moved to rise up, extended her hand