The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-06
MARRYING
Anecdotes of People Who Become Victims to
the Tender Passion.

the Tender Passion.
London Society.
There was a clergyman who married a couple,
and at the wedding breakfast one OF the brides
maids expressed a wish to see that mystic docu-
ment, q wedding license, which she had never
beheld in her lifetime. The request occasioned
a fearful discovery. The clergyman had quite
forgotten to ask for the license; the bridegroom
had left it to his ssbest man. to procure it, and
this the "best man. had forgotten to do. OF
course the marriage was no legal marriage at
all. The wedding party broke up in dismay and
the ceremony was performed again the next
day. The poor clergyman, however, never got
oyerthe effects of his blunder.
On another occasion a clergyman got himself
into considerable trouble; he was of the type
known as ritualistic, and persuaded a worthy
couple who had been married at a non-conform-
ist chapel that they had not been enthusiastically
married at all, and that it was necessary that
they should be married over again at the parish
church. This was very much resented by the
non-conformist interest, and the clergyman was
put upon his trial at the Oxford assizes. The
judge took a very lenient view and said that, as
the parties had already been legally married,
any further service was illusory and mere childs
play, and that The might just as well have re-
cited Chevy Chase over them.
In one of his novels Charles Reade makes his
hero, a clergyman, wonder whether he might
not legally marry himself to the heroine, es-
pecially as they were both cast upon a desolate
island. 1t may be as well that novelists and
novel readers should be aware that for a clergy
man to oficiate at his own marriage is utterly
illegal
One day an elderly gentleman met a young
one. Il have had a hard days work said the
young Levite. II began att o'clock this morning
by marrying a young couple" ALLOW me to
inform you" said his senior, that a marriage
at that time of the day is no marriage at all.
Moreover, to the best of my belief, you have made
yourself liable to seven years penal servitude.
You had better go back as soon as you can and
marry them over again
Ihave known brides, when the grooms have
failed to make the proper responses, prompt
them Immediately and with the greatest facility.
AS for the men, they commit all kinds of blum
ders and bunglings. | have known a man. at
that very nervous and trying moment, follow
the clergyman within the communion-rails and
prepare to take a place opposite him. | have
known a man, when a minister stretched out
his hand to unite those of the couple, take 1t
vigorously in his own and give it q hearty
shake. Sometimes more serious difficulties
occur. Some ladies have had an almost un-
conquerable reluctance to use the word
"obey;;' one or two, if their
own statements are to be accepted, have ingen-
iously CONSTRUCTED the, word snobey.H The
word, however, has still to be formally admitted
into the language. There was one girl who was
being married by a very kindly old clergyman,
who absolutely refused to utter the word
sobey. The minister suggested that, if she
were unwilling to utter the word aloud, she
should whisper it to him; but the young lady
refused even this kind of compromise. Further,
however, than this the clergyman refused to
accommodate her; but when he was forced to
dismiss them all without proceeding any further
the recalcitrant young person consented to
sobey.n
The difficulty, however, is not always made
on the side of the lady. On one occasion the
bridegroom wished to deliver q little GRAFTON
qualifying his vow, and describing in what sense
and to what extent he was using the words of
the formula. He was, of course, given to I'M
derstand that nothing of this kind could be per-
mitted. There was one man who accompanied
the formula with soto voce remarks, which
must have been exceedingly disagreeable to the
officiating minister. He interpolsted remarks
after the fashion of Burchelrs Fudge" with
this ring l thee wed; that's superstition with
my body / thee worship; that's idolatry.r with
all my worldly goods / thee endow; that's a lie"
1t is a wonder that such a being was not conduct
ed out of church by the beadle. This puts one in
mind of an anecdote that is told of a man
who in his time was a Cabinet minister. There
was a great discussion whether a man can marry
on G300 a year. s.All l can say said the great
man, SIS that when / said: With all my worldly
goods l thee endow,' so far from having f300, /
question whether, when all my debts were paid,
l had 300 pence eyes, my love- said his wife,
but then you had your splendid intellect
II didn't endow you with that, ma'am,n sharply
retorted the right honorable husband.
When the bridegroom has returned thanks
after the parsons speech, in these days of femi-
nine oratory there is sometimes a tendency on
Sne parS = s4e Drtoe 20 MAKE q nttle speech Of
ner own. = can you ali 70 witness SAID q
nrlae wltnln our nearing, that have no inten-
Ton OF ooeylng". An, madam" said Frederick
henson maurice, VINO was present, you have
yeS 10 learn tne oiesseoness OF obedience"
some Time ago a TREND OF the writers
onered q reward OF t5OO for the discoy-
cry OF a marriage register OF the high
est importance IN 2 suit which he had
on mana a wonderful story was sent
70 MN OF the discovery OF the desired
enGry IN an oiu reglsGer. a great snoW-storm
nao broken through tne vestry roof and nearly
spolleo tne parish REGISTERS; u mad become nee
essary 70 overhaul them to inspect damages. and
yne missing entry nad oeen thus almost mlracu-
lousy discovered. fortunately my friend was
not a very creduious man, and ne went to a
great expense, WITH lawyers and experts, to test
the value OF the document before paying the