Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-29

nance should deal with the romantic period of
life and finish when that reaches its aFogee.
The Parliament of Love at Toulouse in the
Twelfth century laid down that love and mar
riage were mutually exclusive terms: that ro-
nance died in the sound of wedding bells, or
at longest fingered to the expiration of the
honeymoon. This law has governed novelists
ever since. The ingenuity of the author has
consisted in devising impediments to the union
of the lovers, and in knocking them out of
their way as the story neared its conclusion.
But in this revolutionary age we have dis
carded the rule; and carried away by the inno-
waiting stream the author of this tale has ven-
tured to displace the marriage. Had he been
completely lost to reverence for the ancient
canons. in his desire to be original, he would
have opened his novel with wedding process
sion, strutting to the carriages over strewn
flowers holding bouquets, with the peal of
wedding bells, while the bridegroom's man
circulates, tipping the parson, the curate, the
pewopener, the sexton the clerk. the bell ring
ers, and all the other sharks that congregate
about bridegroom, as the fish congregate
about a ship on board of which is a corpse.
But, as the author is still held in check by old
rule, or prejudice, and yet yields somewhat to
the modern spirit of relaxation, he compro-
misses between the extremes, and introduces
the marriage il the middle of his tale.
In novel, a marriage is always built up of
much romantic and picturesque and floral ad-
Junct. 1t is supposed necessarily to involve
choral hymns, white favors, bridal wells. orange
blossoms tears in the bride, flaming cheeks in
the BRIDEGROOM, speeches at the breakfast an
old slipper, and shower of rice. Without
these condiments q wedding is very insipid
dish.
But here we are forced to innovate.
The marriage of Philip Pennycomequick and
Salome CusWorth wa hurried thare was uo
necessity for delay, and it was performed in a
manner so prosaic as to void it of every feature
of romance and refinement.
In the parish church there was morning prayer
every day at g. and this service Salome fire.
.quently attended.
On one morning-as it happened, a gray one.
with splitting sky-Philip also attended ma
tins, from '.the wicked man" to the final
Amen" When, however, the service was
concluded-a service attended by five Sisters
of Mercy and three devout ladies-the vicar,
instead of leaving the desk, coughed, blew his
nose and glowered down the church
Then the clerk began to tumble some books,
the five Sisters of Mercy perked up, the devout
ladies. who had moved from their seats to-
ward the church door, were seized with sus-
picion that something unusual was about to
take place, and hastily returned to their
places. The Sisters of Mercy had with them
one penltenI, Wnom Win sugar plums tney
were alluring into the paths of virtue. 1t at
once occurred to the religious women that to
witness wedding would have an elevating,
ealthy effect on their penitent, and they re-
lived to stay, for her sake, for her sake only,
they, for their parts, being raised above all
mundane interests. Also, the servants of the
vicarage. which adjoined the churchyard, by
some means got wind of what was about to oc-
cur, and slipped ulsters over their light cotton
gowns and tucked their caps under pork-pie
hats and tumbled into church, breathing
heavily.
Then Philip, trying to look as if nothing was
about to happen, came out of his pew. and in
doing so stumbled over hassock, knocked
down his umbrella which leaned against the
pew, and sent some hymnals and church SER
vices about the floor. Then he walked up the
church. and was Joined by Salone and her sister