Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-29

sing than a hitch at the hYmeneal- altaEs There are few occasions in life when we are more anxious that everything should pass off smoothly and auspiciously; yet, with that psrversity which fate so often exhibits in her dealings with us, the marriage ceremony IS one than which few. if any, seem more pe- euliarly liable to hitches of the most unsx- pected and mortifying character. We have all observed this. and some know it from painful experience The slightest misun- derstanding or forgetfulness may involve se- rious inconvenience and annoyance. For most hitches of this kind the principal actors in the scene-the bridegroom, bride, 'best man. '' or bridesmaids, or it may bs clergy man-are responsible some way or other; but interruptions occasionally arise from clr- cumstances over which none of the parties could have exercised any control We have happily outlived those good old times" In which it was the proper thing for the reject ed lover to break in upon the wedding party with band of armed men, slsy the bride groom and carry of the unfortunate bride ; but even in the present day the evil genius of matrimonial candidates sometimes contrlyes to bring about equally vexatious, if leEs tragic, interruptions.
 The question how near ( couple can come to being married without actually becoming husband and wife WAS answered in 8 very extraordinary case reported not long ago from Lyons, in France All the Prelimina- ries, including the marriage contract the bride being an heiress-had been arranged with the utmost harmony, and the day had arrived for the civil Inarriage-Ehich, under ths law of the republic, is the binding one in the morning, and for the blessings of the priests at the cathedral later in the afternoon The parties were before the Mayor, and what g Chicago lawyer, addressing a di- vorce jury. called ''the fatal question" had been asked of each and duly answered; whereupon the Mayor had tsndered his per sonal as well as ofisial congratulations and placed before them the attesting document which, when signed, made them lawfully man and wife. At this critical moment the proceedings were interrupted by the en- trance of a telegraphic messenger The couple paused. pen in hand the witnesses stared in great surprise; and the Mayor dropped his spectacles in fit of nervousness as he handed the message to the brides father. The telegram read as follows: Monsieur - Cthe bridegroon) has already been married in Germany, and his wife hTes. Vouchers are on their way to you by post" The Mayer as he is bound to do under the civil code when a warning comes, post ponss the authorization for q week. The week passed, but no vouchers came Everybody agreed the telegram WAS mali cious trick. perpetrated by some reyengeful rival-everybody excepting the bride, who
 
 the surprise of every one, believed it. She sent back the diamond ring, the silver candle stick. the gold mounted priedieu, the brevi- ary of the lady who was almost her mother in law, annulled the settlement The Judge de Paix of Lyons and the Mayor had a con- suItation with the lawyers and the notary; and it was unanimously agreed that the couple, as the English peasautry put it, were still a couple, and not pair All inquiries instituted by the bridegroom with regard to the sender of the telegram proved fruItless; the only information ever obtained being that it was paid for by "veiled woman in black"
 A still more recent hitch at the altar oc- cured at a fashionable English watering place 4 large party had assembled in one of the churches there to witness the nuPtials of the niece of a prominent citizen, when 1t was discovered at the last moment that the registrar who had the license in his pocket, had not arrived At the suggestion of the officiating clergyman, the ceremony was de- Iayed for short time, while one of the party went in search of the errant registrar His office was the first place visited but he had gone out and nothing was known of his whereabouts. Thence the messengers re- paired in hot haste to his residence, which happened to be some distance out of town, and meanwhile, the party at the chapel be- coming impatient other scouts were despatch ed in various directions. At length it was ascertained that the worthy registrar had left town by an early train, and, as 1t was imPos- sible that he could return in time, the we'd ding had to be postponed till the following day. The hitch, it appeared, had occurred through the registrar having received no in- timatior of the day and hour of the intended marriage.
 The absence of an official at the critical mo- ment is not such a serious matter as the non appearance of one of the contracting parties "a contre temps which has often occurred in real life as well as in fiction Though bitches of this kind have frequently arisen through the inconsistency of either of the prin- eipals, they have also been brought about by other causes, as, for example, by stress of weather. One morning in the depth of last winter young lady reached Inverness from the South in one of the morning trains ln- tending to proceed to Wick on the 9:40 a- m there had been a heavy snowfall, and it was found that the line to Wick was blocked. On being told that she could not proceed, the young lady appeared to be greatly disconcerted. and immediately inquired for the station master. ''ls there no possibility of getting to Wick tonight - she asked None, " was the answer Not by. coach ?" No, not even by coach " Nor by boat :" 'sNo, nor by boat" Not by" No, it is impossiblei you cannot get there this week" ''Well, said the lady, this is awkward" "Pm sorry" said the official. twill you be greatly inconveaieHced :" '.In- conyenienced, Yes; was to have been married in Wick tonight"
 Fickleness, on the part of both grooEls and brides. has been a fruitful source of bitches at the altar. There is 8 story told of & rustic swain who, when asked whether he would take his partner to be his welded wife, replied, with shameful indecision: "Ies, I'm wilIin' but I'd much sight rather have her sister" Anequally remarkable instance which must be authentic, Is narrated by 8 Bathgath minister. In this case hitch had occurred at the outset through the absence of witnesses, and the bride herself had sur mounted the difficulty by going for two friends, one of them being her cousin, a blooming lass, somewhat younger than herself When, at length, the parties had been properly arranged. and the minister was about to proceed with the eere- mony the bridegroom suddenly said ''Wad ye bide wee, sir :" ''Oh,- whs. Is 1t poE !'' asked the exasperated clergyman "Weel, ," replied the vaeillating groom, 'T was just gaun to say that if It wad be the same to you I wad rather hae that ane"-pointing to the bridesmaid "A most extraordinary staSe- ment to make Gt this stage; I'm afraid it's too lats to talk of such thing now" 'Is it ?" returned the bridegroom in a tone of calm reslgDatiDH 10 the l0ENltAble hNti- then, sir. ye maun just gang on"
 certain famous African explorer WAS once the victim of one of these extremely dis dressing hitches which amount to the com plete and final separation of those sho would otherwise have been united for better or for worse He had fallen deeply in love with young Greek maiden whom he had met in Crete He afterwards declared that never before or since had he beheld so sweet or beautiful creature. Having sought i out the American consul he revealed to him | the state of his heart. The consul, who had himself married a Greek lady, bade him not despair, took him forth with to the house of his inamorata, and presented him | to her mother, who WAS 8 widow. The ne 1 gotiations were conducted successfully; at | the end of the week he was an accepted lover; | and in fortnight the day for the wedding | had arrived. All this while he had seen the young lady once day, always in the pres 1 ence of her mother; and on the day before | the intended marriage he had been permitted ! for the first time to take her hand and to | imprint upon it a chaste salute. The hour appointed for the wedding found the | bridegroom dressed for the ceremony and awaiting the happy moment. There | enter to him at this juncture three Greeks, whom he has never seen before, and an interpreter who introduces them as ! brothers of the bride elect They produce g | parchment, which the interpreter explains. | It is deed of settlement which binds the
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