Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-12-09

the old fellow in the corner. Well
thought /, If these are the parties
there is something wrong here. land ]
shall decline to officiate. But before
my ideas on the matter had time t,
assume a definite shape, the master
of ceremonies burst into louc
laugh.
Mono" said he mot he, Fact
| must be little blind this after
noon, or else it is precious dark here
No-that's the man." and he laid his
hand on the shoulder Of youth be.
side him, the most attractive in looks
and manners of all the group.
At this stage of the proceedings ]
instituted some necessary inquiries as
to whether the requirements of the
law in the premises had been com
piled with, and receiving satisfactory
replies, expressed my readiness to pro
ceed. There was then a signitic ant
pause in progress--one looking at an
other, in a state of the most ludi
crous hesitation. Thereupon mid
dle-aged woman, who had hitherto
remained inactive in the background
jumped hastily up, and running to
the bride, seized her by the arm and
posted her in the middle of the room.
She then performed corresponding
manpuvre with the groom, planting
him beside his betrothed. She was
for few moments in doubt, blythe
by, on which side of the lady the
groom should be placed, and shifted
them to and fro sundry times, with a
jerk, to which they submitted like
martyrs or puppets.
Then she beckoned the remainder
of the company to her, with the ex-
ception of the old man in the corner,
and showed them into line the males
and females respectively on either
side of the high contracting parties,
according to the rules laid down by
the best authority. Lastly, having
taken a final look of inspection, she
posed herself on the extreme right,
smoothing down her apron, which
had been little rlmpled by her eff
forts, and fixing her arms down by
her sides, with head elevated, like a
drill soldier under martinez.
Upon this. arose and proceeded
with the ceremony. exerted myself
to infuse into it due degree of sol
emnity and impressiveness, but the
reader will allow that the prelemin-
aries l have narrated were not es-
pecially conducive to composedness
and serenity of mind. However, all
proceeded well; the benediction was
pronounced, and the parties severally
resumed the seats they had previous
ly occupied.
But ludicrous as all had been to me,
it was a serious matter to the bride,
who. at the crisis of emotion, was at
loss what to do with herself. She
seemed to be in the most painful per-
plexity whether to laugh or cry. The
former contingency finally won the
day; so, turning her face to the win
dow, she greeted us with burst of
hysteric laughter, which continued
with unabated vigor, ascending and
decending the gamut-not very
musically, however--for some min
| utes.
This musical finale was received
with perfect silence on the part of
the company, with the exception of
the master of ceremonies, who ac
companied the shrill treble of the
girls voice with a succession of SON
orous grunts. This dolce concerto
being ended, the latter named per-
sonage went into closet, and, by
his fumbling among glasses, seemed
to be preparing some refreshments.
In the meantime the old man in
the corner, who had thus far main
tained the most imperturbable 81
lence, thought it proper to make ut
terance. His words came forth in
thick, irregular enunciation of in
toxication.
Il say, that ere amt Mr.. Jones,
is it,"
NO. replied one of the women
MIR. Jones is out of town, and this
gentleman has come instead"
Il s'pose it will be all the same to
'Mely?" continued the old man.
This was the extent OF his inter
ference, except that, at intervals
afterward, he muttered. unnoticed,
II s'pose it's all the same to Nelly"
The master of ceremonies now ap-
peared from the closet, with a small
waiter, on which were six glasses.
Here was fresh source of merri-
ment. There had not been wine
enough to fill them all, so two were
nearly full, two were half full, and
the remaining two had been honored
with but few drops in each. These
were studiously arranged in the or,
der of their contents the full ones
occupying one end of the waiter
which was carefully extended toward
me.
Being decided teetotaler, and sat
isfied, moreover, that to drink wine is
poor way of commencing married
life in any class of society, / declined
to take the proffered glass. This left
two full ones for the BRIDE and groom
while the two half-f filled were passed
to the women, and the men had tC
content themselves with putting the
empty ones to their lips for forms
sake. The old man in the corner got
no glass at all.
l shall not readily forget this, my
first solemnization of the marriage
rite. And l commend this simple
tale of unvarnished reality to those
who live in an atmosphere OF senti
mentality, and whose visions of life
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