News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-06
THE BRIDE AND GROOM.
THE INTERESTING CEREMONY WHICH
TAKES PLACE WHEN THEY REACH
SOME HOTELS.

THE INTERESTING CEREMONY WHICH
TAKES PLACE WHEN THEY REACH
SOME HOTELS.
With Little STORY of how these Couples
| are Run upon by the Hotel Gang
People who have not lived in hotels
do not realize the importance of the ar
rival of the bride and groom. 1t is the
one festivity in which every guest and
employee in the house feels a warm per-
sonal interest in, and when rumor gets
about the house that bride and groom
may be expected, they will always find a
select contingent of the hotel rounder
waiting to bid them welcome. If it hap
pens to be a particularly noticeable
groom, that is, one that shows he is a
| groom in every line of his tell-tale coun-
tenance and every embarrassed movement
that he makes, he is likely to be guyed
more or less delicately during his stay.
| The oldest hotel men are unable to say
wherein lies the fun of waiting for the
arrival of the bride and groom, but they
wait Just the same. Just as the clock
struck the other morning, the garru-
lous old boarder fell off into another doze
from which he was awakened by the
rumbling of O carriage. 1t came around
the corner at rapid gait, headed direct
ly for the hotel entrance, and came up
with great chatter and dash. The
hackman grinned, opened the door with
profound salaam, and said, by way of
finishing up the performance elegantly:
"Here you are, Governor, safe and
sound, as snug as two bugs in rug"
At the same instant the clerk wheeled
around, stepped back into the corridor,
and stood behind the desk, and displayed
without particle of apparent prepare
ton, a large, robust and welcome smile.
The aged porter made a rush for the
door, and the hall boys, who had been
watching their opportunity, pushed him
very close, and the result was that all the
| negroes arrived at the carriage door at
the same time. The entire throng of
FOUNDERS rose, yawned, pretended to
look indifferent, and sauntered into the
corridor, where they could get q good
look at the arrivals under the glare of
the electric light. They stood about in
little groups, and pretended to converse,
but they were all grinning covertly,
and their eyes were fixed on a struggle
that was going on about the door of the
cab for the possession of the travelling
satchels and shawls Of the bride and
groom. After fair division had been
made and the way somewhat cleared,
the groom stepped out and looked nerv-
ously around. He gave the hackman a
liberal fee, and received that worthy
mans blessing in return, put his head in
the door and said a few words to his
wife; then he looked back at the mob
in the Office somewhat apprehensively,
but presently handed his wife out. gave
her his arm, and they marched stoically
in. He walked directly up to the regis
ter, smiled somewhat family in response
to the clerks cheerful greeting, and said
"Did you get my telegram"
"Ohi yes, Mr.. Smith, :" said the clerk,
sweetly, as though he had known the
man for years, 1--WE have fixed the bridal
chamber up in the highest style of the
art, with fresh flowers in the vases, and
everything in apple-pie order. How
have you been, sir2"
"Quite WELL" said Mr.. Smith, family
"Shall 1 register now 2"
IF you please, Mr.. Smith" said the
clerk, carelessly, fright here on this
second linen
Then the clerk looked over carefully, |
the porter sidled up alongside of the
desk, and at least ten pairs of eyes
watched the victim while he wrote for
the first time in his life
John Smith and wife,"
The clerk saw that he had left the sep
out of wife, realized that he had a joke |
for some time, and pointed the way with |
great affability to the elevator. In the |
meanwhile, poor little Mrs. Smith
modest, frightened, young and gentle
chung to her husbands arm and never
looked up from the floor.
Snow, Mr.. Smith, said the clerk in
the same brisk, loud, and cordial voice,
if you will come with me, will show
you the bridal chamber with great
pleasure.
Then he led the way to the elevator,
followed by Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, the
aged porter, and four hall boys, each of
whom was carrying a portion of the
luggage, and they moved solemnly into
the elevator. The FOUNDERS and wicked
men of the hotel moved stolidly in after |
them until the elevator was so full that |
not another man could get aboard The
darkies grinned, with their heads hung
down, but the FOUNDERS were solemn and
respectful. They carried their hats in
their hands, and stared so hard at poor
little Mrs. Smith that she dropped more
than ever. Meanwhile the genial and
hospitable clerk was talking at the top of
his voice about things in which no one
had the least particle of interest, while
the elevator rose with aggravating slow
ness to the third floor. The procession,
all except the FOUNDERS, accompanied Mr..
and Mrs. Smith to the doors of their
apartments, where the clerk shook hands
with him, wished him many returns of
the happy day, and made his way back
to the elevator. The crowd returned |
pleasantly and with the air of men who |
had done the proper thing in genteel
manner to the office, and one of the bar
tenders lit single jet in the barroom so |
that they might all take a nightcap to |
the health of the bride and groom. |
Even the porter and hall boys came in
for their share of the tipple, and then the |
clerk, having bided his time carefully, |
explained the great joke of Mr.. Smiths |
having left the 81" out of the word wife |
in signing the register.
This ceremony is regularly gone
through with in many hotels whenever
a BRIDE and groom arrive. There is no.
thing unkindly about it, the men mean
well, it is an admirable joke, and the
victims seldom find out they are the |
objects of special manifestation unless |
the groom becomes chatty with the hotel |
loungers later ON during his stay, and
they tell him about it. The social ele-
ment is rare one in common hotel life. |