The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-10
Spoil ed NJ aria g es.
Some Hitches at the Altar.

France. All the preliminaries, includ
ing the marriage contract-the bride
being an heiress-had been arranged
| with the utmost harmony, and the day
| had arrived for the civil marriage
| which, under the law of the Republic, is
| the binding one-on the morning, and
| for the blessing of the priests at the
| cathedral altar in the afternoon. The
parties were before the Mayor, and wha,
Chicago lawyer, addressing divorce
| jury, called 1.-THE fatal question had
| been asked of each, and duly answered
| whereupon the Mayor had rendered his
personal as well as official congratula-
tons, and placed before them the attest
ing document which. when signed. made
them lawfully man and wife. At this
critical moment the proceedings were
| interrupted by the entrance of tele-
| graphic messenger. The couple paused,
| pens in hand, the witnesses stared in
surprise, and the Mayor dropped his
spectacles in nervous fit as he handed
| the message to the brides father. The
| telegram ran as follows:
tMonsieur-(the bridegroom) has
| already been married in Germany, and
| his wife lives Vouchers are on their
way to you by post.
| The Mayor, as he is bound to do under
| the Civil Code when warning comes,
| postponed the authorization for week.
The week passed, but no vouchers
came. Everybody agreed the telegram
| was q malicious trick, perpetrated by
some revengeful rival-everyb body ex-
| cepting the bride, who had been brood.
| ing over the telegram, and, to the sur.
| prise of every one, believed it. She sent
back the diamond ring, the silver candle
stick, the gold-mounted prie-dieu, the
breviary of the lady who was almost hel
mother-in-law, and annulled the settle.
ment. The Jude dc i'dtr of Lyons and
the Mayor had consultation with the
lawyers and the notary, and it was
unanimously agreed that the couple, a.
the English peasantry put it, were still a
couple, and not a pair. All inquiries
instituted by the bridegroom with re-
gard to the sender of the telegram
proved fruitless. the only Information
ever obtained being that it was paid TO,
by ''veiled woman in black"
A still more recent hitch at the altar
occurred at fashionable English water.
ing-place- A large party had assembled
in one of the churches there to witness
the nuptials of the niece of prominent
citizen, when it was discovered, at the
last moment, that the Registrar, who
had the license in his pocket, had not
arrived. At the suggestion of the offici-
ating clergyman, the ceremony was de-
layed for short time, while one of the
party went in search of the Grant Regis
trar. His office was the first place
visited; but he had gone out. and moth
ing was known of his whereabouts.
Thence the messenger repaired 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
dispatched in various directions. AT
length it was ascertained that the worthy
Registrar had left town by an early
train, and as it was impossible that he
could return in time, the wedding had
to be postponed till the following day.
The hitch. it appeared, had occurred
through the Registrar having received
no intimation of the day and hour of the
intended marriage.
One morning. in the depth of last
winter Young lady reached Inverness,
Scotland. from the south, in one of the
morning trains, intending to proceed to
Wick in the $40 A M. train. During
the night, however, there had been
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 dis
concerted, and Immediately inquired fol
the station master.
lis there no possibility of getting to
Wick to-night?' she asked
None was the answer.
mot by coach?''
mo; not even by COACH"
''Nor by boat?'
mo; nor bySboat.'
''Nor by
me; it is impossible; you cannot ge
there this week.
..Well," said the lady, '.this IS awk
ward
I'm sorry,' said the official. ..Wir
you be greatly inconveniencedp'
'sInconvenienced! Yes. | was to have
been married in Wick tonight.
We will conclude With case in which
a somewhat serious obstacle to the cele-
bration of a marriage was removed al
the eleventh hour by the Intervention OF
a beneicent flash of clerical jealousy.
In western Scottish town, one even
ing, there were so many marriages that
an unfortunate couple who had arranged
to be united at the minister's house
were unable to procure cab to convey
them thither till long past the hour APP
pointed, and when at last they stood AT
the door of the manse and rang the bell,
it was approaching midnight. A loud
and somewhat indignant voice presently
responded from bedroom window up
stairs, demanding to know who was
there. The situation was briefly ex-
planned, but the voice, that of the Rev.
Mr. w, minister of the first charge OF
the Abbey Church-proved inexorable.
Il can't help it." was the ultimatum
received. ''You must just go home.
and come back tomorrow.
80. Mr.. W, We ken we Gamma gang
hame without bein' married" struck in
q female voice.
s.But what would you have me dop
Call up the whole house because OF
your bnnghng?'
could ye. no dae't over the window,
sir?''
Nonsense 1t is impossible
20. We MIGHT, sir. Ye ken we attend
the Abbey ON your day, and no on Mr.
B.'sn
This final stroke Of policy proved ir-
resistible. for between MIR. w. and MIR.
b.. minister OF the second charge of the
same church, there subsisted good
deal of professional jealousy. The win
dow was put down. the gas lighted. the
door opened, and the marriage of the
triumphant dip1omatists duly solem-
nized.n