Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-07-19
THE WEDDING RING.
Some Information about Getting Mar
ried I'm ENGLAND.

A London letter to the Hartford Times says:
Getting married being SO much more pleasant
an operation than being either born or buried,
have reserved my notes on this subject for a
climax. To begin with, think 1t would be safe
to say that no woman was ever welded In Eng
land, or would ever think Of being, without a
ring. This emblem on the third finger of the
left hand is the universal badge OF the connu-
bal 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 Married American ladies. who come over
here minus this outward mark of their relation,
are often looked upon by English matrOns with
suspicion.
Another remarkable thing about English mar
riages Is that they are nearly all celebrated in
some place Of worship, and nearly all. too before
IL o'clock oft day. To get married at any
other hour, and In any other place than in q
church or chapel, or at the registers Office, q
special license costing $50, must be procured
privilege of getting married without previous
publication of the "banns," costs sos As q
matter of course this expensive method Of get
ting spliced is luxury left to the enjoyment OF
the rich and few. the many going through the
ordinary process OF having the banns announced
This is done by the clergyman, who declares. in
making his notices at the morning service, that
SO and SO, and go 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 there
after hold his peace.
The banns must be published thus on three
successive Sundays. Then the wedding can
take place. In the case of dissenters who pur-
pose being married In their chapel, the names,
ages. residence. occupations. ETC., of the par
ties must be exhibited for three weeks at the
office OF the registrar for the district, and to
make the chapel marriage valid the registrar
must be present at the ceremony. Considering
that nothing Of the kind is required at church
weddings. this is great injustice to dissenters,
and doubtless it will soon be done away with.
The registrar Is competent to tie the knot him.
self, and is the only person, outside of the min
istry, who enjoys this privilege.
In wishing the couple good luck, the old Gus
tom still prevails Of throwing slipper or old
shoe after them when on the way to the church
this however, being varied In some places by
strewing rice before them. 1t is nothing unu-
sual 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 vestry at the close Of the service. Most
frequently 1t is the parents who object, but &C.
casionally cases Of a different kind occur
At church near Manchester, few Sundays
ago, the banns Of marriage were being published
for the ''thfrd time Of asking" when gentle
man arose In conspicuous part Of the congre-
CATION and said, according to the usual form, II
forbid the banns." Subsequently, it transpired
that the man who had been asked" was 81
years of age. The woman, who was IS, had
recently 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 posses
sion Of the old gentleman's property. The wed
ding, need scarcely add did not come Off