Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-24
ECCENTRICITIEs OF wEDLOCK.
Quaint Customs and Queer Events at Bril-
dial Ceremonies.

"There was says LOndOh SOctCtU
clergyman who married a couple, and at
the wedding breakfast the bridesmaid
expressed wish to see that mystic docu-
ment, the wedding license, which she had
never beheld in her lifetime, The request
occasioned fearful discovery The cler-
gyman had quite forgotten to ask for the
license the bridegroom had left it to his
best man to procure, 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, how
ever, never got over the effects of his
blunder."
On another occasion clergyman got
himself into considerable trouble. He
was of the type known aS rltuallsilc, and
persuaded worthy couple who had been
married at Il nOn-cOntOrmiSt chapel that
they had not been enthusiastically married
at all, and that it was necessary That they
should be married over again ut the parish
church This was very much resented by
the -contUrmlst interest, and the cler-
gyman was put upon his trial at the OK
ford assizes. The Judge took Il very leni
eut view, and said that us the parties had
already been legally married, and turth her
service was illusory and mere child's play,
Chevy Chase over them"
In one of his novels Charles Reade
makes his hero, clergyman, wonder
whether he might not legally marry him
self to the heroine, especially as they were
both cast upon a desolate island. 1t might
be as well that noveliStS and novel read
ers should be aware that for clergyman
to ofliciate at his own marriage is utterly
illegal.
One day an elderly gentleman met a
young one. II have had Il hard days
work." said the young Levite. II began
at 1oclock this morning by marrying Il
young couple Allow me to inform you"
said his senior, that "A marriage at that
time of day. according to English law, is
no marriage at all Moreover, to the best
of my belief, you have made yourself
liable to seven years penal servitude. Be
tween eight and twelve o'clock is the pre-
scrbed time You had better 90 back as
soon us you can and marry them over
again.
| have known brides, when the grooms
have failed to make the proper responses,
prompt them Immediately and with the
greatest facility. AS Tor the men they
commit all kinds of blunders and bung-
lngs. | have known man ut that very
nervous and trying moment follow the
clergyman within the communion rail and
prepare to take place opposite him. !
nave known man, when the minister
. SlIelClletl OUT HIS manu- " ullllt lIlOSt VI
the couple, take it vi gorously into his own
nard give it hearty shake. Some lines
some ;, riOus difficulties occur. Some
ladies have an almost uncomfortable re-
luctance to use the word obey one or
two, if their own statements are to be &C
cepted, have ingeniously construed the
word "nobey.' The word, however, has
still to be formally admitted into the Ian
guage. There was one girl who was being
married by very kind old clergyman,
who absolutely refused to utter the word
obey" The minister suggested that if
| she was unwilling to utter the word aloud,
she should whisper it to him but the
young lady refused even this kind OF COM
promise. Further than this, however,
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 "obey."
The difficulty, however, is not always
made on the side of the lady. On one &C
casion the bridegroom wished to deliver a
little Grafton qualifying his vow, and de-
scribing in what sense and to what extent
he was using the words of the formula
He was, of course, given to understand
that nothing of this kind could be per
mitted. There was one man who accom-
panied the formula with soto Voce re-
marks, which must have been exceeding
ly disagreeab.e to the officiating minister,
] lie lllltIpOlultu ltllldlhS ulltl luc ldSHlOll
of Burchell's Fudge - with this ring
| thee wed that's superstition" with
my body thee worship that's idolatry.'
with all my worldly goods | thee en-
dow that's "A lie" 1t is IA wonder that
such Il being was not conducted out Of
church by the beadle. This puts me in
mind of an anecdote that Is told of Il man
who in his time was a cabinet minister,
There was a great discussion on the queS-
ton whether Il man can marry on 600 Il
year. "All | can say" said the great man,
lis that when | said, with all my world
ly possessions | thee endow, so far from
having 600, question whether, when all
my debts We're paid, had 300 pence"
Yes, my love-" said his wife, but then
you had your splendid intellect Il
didn't endow you with that, ma'am,
sharply retorted the right honorable hus
band
When the bridegroom has returned
thanks, after the parsons speech, i'll these
days of feminine oratory, there is some
times a tendency on the part Of the bride
, to make Il little speech of her own. 81
call you all to witness" said the bride
within our hearing, that have no in
tention of obeying." "Ah, madam sait
, present, you have yet to learn the bless
edneSS of obedience"
Some time ago friend of the writer
offered a reward of $500 for the discovery
! OF marriage register OF the highest I'm
l pOrtance in Il suit which he had on hand
4 a wonderful story was sent to him of thu
discovery of the desired entry in an ole
register. a great snowstorm had broker
- the Vestry roof and nearly spoiled TIT
y parish register. 1t had become necessar.
= to overhaul them to inspect damages, ant
! the missing entry had been thus miracu
- lousy discovered. Fortunately, my frien'
y was not very credulous man, and h
- went to great expense with lawyers an'
y experts to test the value of the dOcumen
~ before paying the $500. 1t was then dis
! covered that the registry Was IL skillfu
forgery on the part of the parsOn, VIII
- found it necessary to fly the country.
:, The following case was related to me b
: IA bishop of the Church of England. Their
., "a was man wEo had otliciated as IL clergy
4 man i'll a large town for about 1lttee
i years. At the lapse of that time it wa
" accidentally discovered that he was a
impOster. a new bishop came, or the ma
I went into new diocese ; anyhow, the II
e quest came that he would produce hi
II letters of orders. Letters of orders al
u precious and remarkable documents