Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-09
[ Will Not.
An English Couple that Left the Church
When but Half Married.
from the London Telegraph

Am English Couple that Left the Church
When but Half Married.
[Fron the London Telegraph
A certain dean of Chester was called upon
to perform the wedding ceremonial for pair
of happy lovers. The position of both par
ties was of the highest rank, and the guests
who were hidden to the church were of the
most fashionable and exalted. The day ar
rived, ana with it the hour. The edifice was
packed, and all was in readiness. The dean,
expectant, awaited the coming of the bride,
and the groom, with his best man, was in the
vestry. The hour passed on, and still the
bride did not arrive. After long delay she
drove up to the church door, and with her
bridesmaids swept up the large middle aisle
towards the altar. In the meantime the
groom advanced to meet her, and receiving
her half way escorted her to the dean. After
the opening words of exhortation the dean
turned to the man and asked him the usual
set questions, whether he would have the wo-
man for his welded wife, etc., etc., to which
he answered, 81 WILL The question being
in turn asked of the woman, to the astonish-
ment and amazement of all she distinctly
said, looking the groom in the face, 81 will
not !" The next instant she said in low
voice, ''Mr. Dean, no one can more regret
the words 1 have just uttered than myself.
and if you will dismiss the congregation and
take me into your vestry room I will apollo
gize and at the same time fully and satisfac-
torlly explain what may seem to all my
strange conduct" The dean, seeing that she
was in earnest, in few words dismissed the
bewildered congregation and directed the
bridegroom to await him. The congr cation
having departed, and the lady and dean being
together she said, 81 cannot tell how badly
I feel I had loved my fance truly and de-
votedly, and had looked forward to life of
perfect happiness and joy. This morning,
as you know, was late at my marriage cere-
mony, but It was not through any fault of
mine. I arrived as soon as 1 could. Instead
of receiving looks of love and words of full
happiness from my future husband, he para
lyzed my beating heart by saying, when he
met me half way up the aisle, 'G-d-you
If you expect to begin life this way by keep
ing me waiting for you you will find out after
you are my wife, My decision was instantly
made. have been told that, sooner than
suffer unhappiness through my own actions,
it were better to renounce even at the altar
union that would bring misery and grief
thereafter Had T turned back, he would
have followed me; there would have been
scene, and he might have persuaded me to
return and marry him. It also might have
looked like temper and I had fully time dur
ing your few words of prayer to make up
my mind. 7 know that I have disappointed
friends, my family, but no one more than
late action. Inform my would have been
husband of my determination and let me CO."
The dean, seeing she was resolved, could not
but approve, and gently led her through the
church back to her anxious parents, not as a
smiling wife, but woman whose pres
ent is shattered and whose future is blight