The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-10-02
MARRIAGE CEREMONY STORIES
Amusing Experiences of a PrOminen
American Minister.

marriage ceremony when the laugh wa,
rather upon me than upon the contract
ing parties, who were colored persons
1t occurred many years ago when gold
was in ordinary use as higher form OF
currency. The ring was not then as com.
monty used in the marriage ceremony
as tits in these days. At the beginning OF
the service the groom slipped into my
hand II thought somewhat prematurely)
what l supposed to be a gold piece, the
marriage fee. l hastily dropped it in
my vest pocket and proceeded with the
service. l was just offering the con.
GLIDING prayer when the thought sud
denly occurred to me that there was
something wrong. Why should he have
given me the fee in advance? 1t was GER
tainly very unusual proceeding. So l
felt in my pocket and found out that
the supposed gold piece the groom had
given me had hollow in tit was ring
and the parties desired to be married
with it. AS / had not absolute con-
cluded the service, after the conclu-
olOH VI VIC ihJlOuuCGAl liz"
form of service and gradually worked
my way round until the ring could be
introduced in proper manner. In fact,
the couple had kind of double barreled
marriage service, and l may say that
they were very much pleased with it
and gave me considerable praise for the
peculiar way the ring was introduced
though, of course. they were ignorant of
the misapprehension ! had been labor
ing under.
A singular thing in connection with
this wedding was that although the
bride and groom were colOred people
as black as you ever find colored people
all those who took part in the festiv-
tiles were white persons. The man
was prominent caterer and was quite
well-todo, but the servants who waited
on the table, the girl who attended to
the door, the maids who assisted the
lady guests in the dressing-roOm, the
attendant upon the gentlemen visitors
and the minister who performed the
ceremony, all were white.
There is always more or less elegance
about all marriages, but the first one at
which | otficiated in my ministerial
career happened to be of the plainest
and most matter-of-fact description. L
had been told to call at a certain house
where the couple had Just engaged
rooms l went up two flights of stairs
and found there young woman who
was on her knees scrubbing the floor.
/ informed her who ! was and asked
her VI ! had come to the right apart
ments She said that | had and that
she was the bride. Going into another
room, she led forth the groom, who
was in workingmans attire. They told
me to go ahead with the ceremony,
and the twain were made one, certainly
without the aid of any extra fuss and
feathers" When it came to pay the fee
they seemed to be holding financial con-
sultation together. They each searched
their pockets, and with some difficulty
made up purse of eighty-three cents.
But wouldn't accept any fee, as they
seemed to be in such humble circum-
stances.
There was one couple poorer than
this. The man came to me in advance
and said he wanted to be married at
twelve o'clock. At that hour he
brought the girl, appearing before me
in his shirt-sleeves. / asked him: Are
you to be married in this style?" He
said yes; that he was going right home
and he wanted to take his new wife
with him to look after some little chill
dren that belonged to him. Then he
-, T
loaned him coat. So he was married
in borrowed and, l fear, somewhat
faded tinery. At the conclusion of the
service he said: 81 have no money; you
will have to trust me-" l trusted him,
but | never heard from him again.
However, got my coat back; he took it
off after the ceremony.
In nv rural pastorates | have often
been offered the marriage fee in some
kind of farm or garden produce.
never but once made such an exchange
for my services. then | took cheese.
He said his mother had made it; he
seemed rather proud of it-and anxious
to get rid of it, so l took it.
Once | married a man in Fall River.
alluded to the fee and said to me: Il
don't know whether have made good
bargain or not if | have done well
ought to pay you. He did not pay me
then, but at the end of the year, the an
niversary of his marriage, he sent me a
ten-dollar bill To quote his own Ian
guage, suppose he had done we'll"
One of the quickest marriages on rec
ord occurred when | was stationed at
Lawell 1t was the very early spring,
after dark and | was on my way to the
railroad station. | had just passed my
church when a couple came up to me,
and the man said they wanted to be
married. l told him had no time, that
was going to catch the train. l adj
vised them to get another minister.
They consulted together for moment,
and the woman decided that she would
not have another minister. "Well,
them" said, you must wait couple
of DAYS until | come back, but the
Young man said that would not be con-
venient for him and inquired can you
marry us here?" | told them could,
if they would be satisfied. They showed
me the marriage license necessary in
that section. | saw that it was all right,
reading it by the light of the street