The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-07-17
EccENTR1c BR1pEeRooMs.
Matrimonial stories Told b. Clergy
men-Some Embarrassing



There was a clergyman who married n
couple, and at the wedding breakfast ono
of the bridesmaids expressed wish to see
that mystic document, wedding license.
which she had never beheld in her lifetime
The request occasioned a fearful discovery.
The clergyman had quite forgotten TO a.
fora license the bridegroom had left il to
his " best man p" to procure it, and this the
best man had forgotten to do UI
course the marriage was no legal marriage
ut all The wedding party broke up I'm
dsmay, and the ceremony was performed
again next day. The poor clergyman,
however, never got over the effects of his
blunder.
have 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 plumbers and bung
liugS have known man, at that very
nervous and trying moment, follow the
clergyman within the communion rail and
prepare to take pla, opposite him | have
known man. when the minister ST etched
out his hand to unite those of the couple
take it vigorously in his own and give it
a hearty shake. Sometimes more serious
difficulties occur. some ladies have had
an almost unconquerable reluctance to
J
own statements are to be accepted, have
ingeniously construed the word a nobey'
The word, however, has still to be for
maly admitted into the language
There was one girl, who was being mar
ried by q very fine old clergyman, who
absolutely refused to inter the obey"
The minister suggested that, il she was
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 clergy
man 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 oc-
casion the bridegroom wished to deliver
little Grafton qualifying his vow, and de-
scriUing 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.
When the bridegroom has returned
thanks, after the parsons speech. in these
days of feminine OratOTy, there is some
times a tendency on the part OF the bride
TO make a little speech of her own &"
call you all to Witness" said a bride
within our hearing, THAT l have no in
teution OF obeyimg.' All madam" said
Frederic DenisOn Maurice, who was
present, you have yet to learn the bless
edness of obedience. "
The following case was related to me by
a bishop OF the Church of England
There was man who had officiated as a
clergyman in a large town for about fifteen
years. At the lapse of that time it was
accidentally discovered that he was an
imPostor. A new bishop came, or the
man went into n new diocese; anyhow,
the request came that he would produce
his letters of orders. letter. of orders
are precious and remarkable documents
il once lost they cannot be replaced The
pseudo clergyman replied, expressing his
great regret that in the course OF re
mOval the letters had been hopelesslv mis-
laid, but hoped that the length of time in
which he had served in the diocese would
be sufficient voucher. The bishop wrote
back tC say that he regretted the loss Of
the letters of orders, and that il would be
quite sufficient if he gave exact dates
which woGld enable him to refer to the
diocesan registry. The imposture then
became known. Il was matter of great
anxiety to settle what had best be done
under such circumstances OF course a
very large number of marriages had been
performed during these fifteen years, not
one Of which was Legal The first sugges
tion was that an act should be passed
making these marriages legal. There
were objections to this course 1t was
considered that an immense deal of pain
would be caused by the publication Of the
invalidity of these marriages. and that
peculiar hardship would be done In the
case of children where one or both parents
had died in the meantime On n certain
evening there was solemn discussion be
tween the bishop of the diocese and the
Home Secretary, the result of which was Il
communication to the false clergyman
that If he left England Immediately, and
forever, proceedings would net be taken,
hut that otherwise he would be pros
ecutRd.