Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-27
QUEER WEDDING RING.
An Humble Couple Married by the
 Key of a Church.
A Rural Dean Who Carried Out the Church "f England Ritual Under Difficulties The Departure of Bride and
 Groom and the Parsons Fee.

hour, Myra. A couple are to be mar
 rled then. It may amuse you to see on,
 Of our provincial ceremonies"
 My grandfather was a rural dean .nea,
 Petit Zodiac, or as they called it in tho
 vernacular, petticoat-and-ja jacket, write.
 Mrs. M. l.. Rayne, in the Detroit Free
 Press, and it would be hard to imagine
 simpler life, or one more remote from
 the fashion which passeth away. The
 little stone church was old and pictur.
 esque, and the people who worshiped
 there were as quaint and original as fl
 they had stepped out of another century. When l reached the church the we'd
 ding party had already arrived. It con-
 sisted of the party themselves, as much
 alone as were Adam and Eve at their
 bridal in Eden. They had arrived on
 horseback, and the unhitched animals each saddled over a flowing white
 sheet, which made them look like
 equine ghosts in the twilight-were
 browsing about among the grave stones, disturbing nothing but the long tangled grass and the sweetbriar roses that grow wild thcre. I hurried past them into the VeStry, where the dean was strug, gling into his white gown.
 You can be my curate for this occa- sion," he said, as I peeped in at the door. 'You will be needed for a wit ness and bridesmaid, to assist with the ring"
 l walked up the aisle of the little chapel and sat down in one of the high backed pews and tried to sec what man. ner of folk they were who had such queer bridal customs.
 Not young. And both were hard, of the humblest rustic type. The woman, brown as Gypsy, wore lowered mus lin dress that was coarse and badly made. string of beads and a white cotton vail were her ornaments. Both wore white cotton gloves, and as their hands were immense the effect was al- most grotesque. Their faces expressed baShfulness and certain rude disdain of what other people might think. They clutched hands as if they were deter mined that no power on earth should separate them at this crisis. $
 After they had been instructed where to stand, they took their places, the bride eying me with some disfavor as a possible intruder.
 ''Who giveth this woman to be mar ried to this mani"
 At this moment stepped forward to | make that part of the ceremony com plete.
 "l don't know she," said the bride, l edglng away, but the dean paid no at | tention to her and repeated the sacred | for them to follow with him.
 "1 will now take the ring" said my grandfather in a low voice.
 "Reeng?" echoed the groom, II know nobbut reeng. Hast any like reeng, Mathilde?"
 The rafters rung with his "Whoa! Oobbin," tone.
 II nevor thocht O the like. Happen Nell ne'er mind sech leetle thing a hat" said the bride, with a look of genuine terror in her eyes, as if she night lose her gallant at the very Iltar.
 Take off your ring, Myra, we can use hat for the ceremony" said the dean, vho carried out the Church of England itual to the letter.
 Alas held up my gloveless hands as of rings as those of the bride Lerself.
 What was to be done? The dean would lot have considered those good people roperly married if the ceremony of the ing were omitted. He glanced down t his own white hands, holding the acred book, then he turned hurriedly l Q me: ' "Go and bring me the key of the , hurch," he said.
 What in the world is he going to do I 'ith it?" I queried to myself, as beyed. Taking the large, brass key in his S and' he gave it to the man, designating ae loop at the end of the handle. He ! 1en Instructed him to slip the ring yer the brides finger. Inearly laughed loud as l saw the expression of sur \ rise on the poor things face, as the ey dangled on her finger, while the ridegroom lumberingly repeated after 10 dean: With this ring, thee we'd" E tc.
 As soon as they were married re- ored the key to the door and the groom anded rude parcel to my grandfather. V
 its the pay t weddin'," he said, 'isl1ly. U The dean thanked him courteouslv IT ithout having an idea as to what the lrcel might contain. P There was horse block at the door, which the bride mounted with her Il ess tucked up about her. Only one n 'rse with its Tapping bridal accoutre- ents was in sight. B "RichardW screamed the new wife, r, where's my beast?" F. Richard had taken off his white B owes and was cantering round among e gravestones looking for the ''beast." n was soon found, and after we had aken hands with the two and wished C. em joy, the queer pair rode off in fine yle.
 When my grandfather opened the = reel he found the soft, silky skins of M 1ozen musk-rats-a princeIy fee from N