The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-12-05
Getting Married i'm Eng:a nd.

A London letter to the Hartford
Times says: Getting married being so
much more pleasant an operation than
being either born or buried, have re-
served my notes on this subject for a
climax. To begin with, 1 think it
would bc safe to say that no woman
was ever welded in England, or would
ever think of being, without ring.
This emblem on the third finger of the
left hand is the universal badge OF the
connubial state, and the absence of it
the universal sign of single blessedness.
A lady who has been twice married will
usually wear both wedding rings. Mar
ried American ladies who come over
here minus this outward mark of their
relation are often looked upon by Eng
1ish matrons with suspicion.
Another remarkable thing about Eng
lish marriages is that they are nearly
all celebrated in some place of worship
and nearly all, too, before IL o'clock
in the day, To get married at any
other hour and in any other place than
church or chapel, or at the registers
Office, special license, costing $3.50,
must be procured. An ordinary Ii
cense, which confers only the privilege
of getting married, without previous
publication of the "banns," costs 1926.
As a matter of course. this expensive
manner of getting spliced is a luxury
left to the enjoyment of the rich and
few, the many going through tho or
binary process of having the banns an
nounced. This is done by the clergy
man, who declare, in making his no.
tees at the morning service, that so
and so and so and so and so are about
to become husband and wife, winding
up by calling upon any one who may
know of any lawful impeachment to the
union to declare the same, or forever
thereafter hold his peace.
The bapns must be published thus
on three successive Sundays. Then
the wedding can take place. In the
case of dissentcrs who purpose being
married in their chapel, the names,
ages, residence, occupation, ETC., of the
parties must be exhibited for three
weeks at the office of the Register for
the district, and to make the chapel
marriage valid the Register must be
present at the ceremony. Considering
that nothing of the kind is required at
church weddings, this Is great injus-
tice to dissenters, and doubtless it will
soon be done away with. The Regis
ter is competent to tie the knot him.
self, and is the only person, outside OF
the ministry, who enjoys this privilege.
In wishing the couple good luck, the
old custom still prevails of throwing a
slipper or old shoe after them when on
the way to the church-this, however,
being varied in some places by strew-
ing rice before them. 1t is nothing I'M
usual for protests to be made when the
banns are published. The objection is
made in public, and the clergyman
hears the statement or cause in the
yestry at the close of the service. Most
frequently it is the parents who object,
but occasionally eases of a different
kind occur.
At church near Manchester few
Sundays ago, the banns of marriage
were being published for the "third
time of asking" when a gentleman
arose in. conspicuous part of the con-
cregation and said, according to the
usual form, II forbid the banns." Sub
seauently it transpired that the man
who had been asked" was 80 years OF
age. The woman, who was As, had re-
Gently nursed him through an illness,
and had ordered the publication of the
banns without his consent, her object
in thus attempting to force him into
matrimony being to get possession OF
the old gentleman's property. The
wedding. | need scarcely add, did not
come Off