Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-07-03

marrying a young couple. ALLOW
me to inform you," said his senior,
that a marriage at that time of day,
according to English law, is no mar
rage at all. Moreover to the best of
my belief, you have made yourself
liable to seven years penal servitude.
Between eight and twelve is the pres
cribed time. You had better go back
as soon as you can and marry them
over again"
I have known brides, when the
grooms have failed to make the prop
er responses, prompt them immediate
ly and with the greatest facility. As
for the men, they commit all kinds of
blunders and bungiings. I have
known a man, at that very nervous
and trying moment, follow the cler~
gyman within the communion rail
and prepare to take place opposite
him. Ihave known man, when the
minister stretched out his hand to
unite those of the couple, take it vig~
orously in his own and give it hearty
sh AXE. Sometimes more serious diff
culties occur. Some ladies have had
an almost unconquerable reluctance
to use the word 'obey;" one or two,
if their own statements are to be ac>
copied, have ingeniously construed
the word "nobey." The word, how
ever, has still to be formally admitted
into the language. There was one
girl, who was being married by very
kind old clergyman, who absolutely
refused TO utter the 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
compromise. Further, however, than
this the clergyman refused to accom-
modate her; but when he was forced
to DISMISS them all without proceeding
any further, the recalcltrant young
person consented to obey"
The difficulty, however, is not al
ways made on the side of the lady.
On one occasion the bridegroom wish
ed to deliver little Grafton qualify
ing 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 understand that
nothing of this kind could be per-
mitted. There was one man who &C
companied the formula with soto
voice remarks, which must have been
exceedingly disagreeable to the
officiating minister. He interpolated
remarks after the fashion of Bur-
chell's Fudge r' With this ring l thee
wed that's superstition. "With my
body thee worship; that's idolatry."
with all my worldly goods l thee
endow; that's lie." 1t is a wonder
that such being was not conducted
out of the church by the Deadly
This puts one IN mind of an anecdote
hat is told of man who IN his time
was Cabinet Minister. There was a
great discussion op the question
whether man can marry on &300 a
year. 'All can say" said the great
man, els that when l sad: With
all my worldly goods thee endow,
so far from having $500, | 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" 81
didn't endow you with that, ma am,
sharply retorted the right honorable
husband.
When the bridegroom has returned
thanks, after the parsons speech. in
these days of feminine oratory, there
is sometimes tendency on the part
of the bride to make little speech OF
her own. 81 call you all to witness, -
said bride within our hearing, "that
| have no iAtention of obeying."
"Ah madam" said Frederic Denison
Monroe, who was present, you have
yet to learn the blessedness of obedi $
ence."
Some time ago a friend of the
writer's offered a reward of $500 for
the discovery Of a marriage register
of the highest Importance in a suit
which he had on hand. A wonder
full story was sent to him of the dis
covery of the desired entry in an old
register. A great snowstorm had
broken through the veStry window
and nearly spoiled the parish register
IT had become necessary to overhaul
them to inspect damages, and the
missing entry had been thus MIRA
culously discovered. Fortunately,
my friend was not very credulous
man, and lie went to great expense
with lawyers and experts to test the
value of the documents before paying
the $500. 1t was then discovered
that the registry was skillfull forg-
cry on the part of the parson, who
found it necessary to fly the country.
The following case was related to
me by bishop of the church of Eng
land:
There was a man who had officiated
as a clergyman in a large town
for about fifteen years. At the lapse
of that time it was accldently discov~
cred that he was an imposter. A new
bishop came, or rather the man went
into a new diocese; anyhow, the re.
quest came that he would produce his
letters of orders. Letters of orders
are precious and remarkable docu-
ments; if once lost they cannot be
replaced. The pseudo clergyman re.
piled, expressing his great regret that
in the course of a removal the letters
had been hopelessIy mislaid, bat hop
ed that the length of time in which
he had served in the diocese wodld be
sufficient voucher. The bishop
wrote back to say that he regretted the
loss of the letters of orders, and that
it would be quite sufficient if he gave
exact dates, which wo aid enable him
to refer to the diocesan registry. The
imposture then became known. 1t
was matter of great anxiety to set
tie what had best be done under such
circumstances. OF course a very large
number of marriages had been per,
formed during these fifteen years, not
one of which was legal. The first
suggestion 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 invalidlty 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 certain even>
ing there was a solemn discussion be
tweea the bishop OF the diocese and
the Home Secretary, the result of
which was communication to the
false clergyman that if he left England
Immediately, and forever, proceedings
would not be taken, but that other
wise he would be prosecuted.
The Dupe oil Sharpers.
Samuel Brown, aged SIS years, a