Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-17
CURIOUS WEDDING rxcuDrxrs.



Prom the GLASGOW Herald
I have observed that msrriage. especially
among the working classes, in greatly affected
by the state Of trade. When trade il good mar
riages increase ard are less frequent in times Of
commercial depression This fact indicates
that the romance Of life among q class who are
generally regarded reckless In the matter OF
marriage is after all restrained by dictates Of
common prudence. During the Lancashire
cotton famine, early in the sixties, had a
church in Dundee The failure Of cotton oc-
casioned an abnormal boom in the lutte trade
and Dundee was the principal emporium for the
import and manufacture of the flexible fiber.
1t was then that that town laid the foundation
of its wealth and greatness. In those prosper
Gus times marriages were frequent and in the
course Of few years I united in the sacred
bonds Of matrimony greater number Of young
couples than in any similar period during nv
ministerial career. favorite fancy OF the
millworkers was to be married at the manse,
and was often amused at their lavish expendi-
ture and love Of display.
One evening bad arranged 70 marry a couple
at the manse. and at the time an elderly friend
recently retired from q successful business
was staying with me and wished TO see the cere-
mony. Three cabs drove up 20 the entrance
gate and my room was Immediately filed with
half dozen couples who constituted the bridal
party. The men were in full dress black suits.
white hid gloves. buttonhole flowers, with ample
display Of linen and jewelry. The ladies were
dressed in white muslin trimmed with lace. and
decked with flowers and coronets Of glittering
beads. IL was indeed a gay and snowy scene.
NY friend leaned back in an armchair In a COR
ner OF the room with his big fingers dovetailed
Into each other lying across his capacious
waistcoat, and, transfixed with simple astonish-
ment gazed through his spectacles that seemed
to surround his eyes with phosphorescent cir
cles. When the ceremony was over and the
party had retired my guest pushed his spec
tacies on to his forehead and slapping his hands
on his knees exclaimed: well. that beats. ALL
What are the working classes coming 20? had
| to be content with a humber wedding in nv
day, and l reckon L could now buy up the whole
mil where these people work. Mark my words.
| these daft youngsters beginning at the
| wrong end Of the tether and that they will
find out some day. You can't make silk purse
out OF sow's ear" 1 could only smile at this
bit OF philosophy and say: That is the order
OF the day in Bonnie Dunnie'
On another occasion was asked to marry a
couple In curious out of-the-way place in an
other part Of the country. about three
| miles distant from the town where I then
resided. / found the house full of wedding
guests, and there were evident preparations
| for night of festivity. The bride was
modest, shy-looking damsel. with dark droop-
utterly taken aback by what followed As
soon as the marriage ceremony was COM
| pleted the bride asked me in a soft timid
voice: PLEASE, sir, will you baptize the bsby?''
and at the same moment one of the women
| lifted child from the cradle In NV inno-
cence L asked Whose baby is il? and the
bride, with face scarlet with bushes meekly
answered. Its mine. sir" What could / do?
| Why should the innocent child be denied the
Christian sacrament? The infant was placed in
the arms OF the bridegroom father. and with an
extra touch of pathos that 1 sincerely felt
solemnly commended the babe TO the care of
Him who said Suffer little children to come
unto Me-"
L have had some experience of marriages
south Of the Tweed. Here there are no home
marriages. The ceremony takes place in
church and Is often witnessed by large con-
gregation. 1t is the etiquette for the bride
groom TO be first on the spot to welcome the ar
rival Of the bride. l once officiated at a mar
riage IN the north of England in which bride
was placed in a most trying position. She was
led down the aisle of the church by her father
| venerable. handsome looking gentleman, fol-
lowed by bevy of bridesmaids. and thew took
their places in front of the communion rail
But the bridegroom was nowhere TO be seen
| and no one could account for his absence. The
| church Was full of eager interested spectators
and Observed the rustic aud fiutter of grow
! ing excitement the whisper went round
| where Is the bridegroom" / suggested that
the ladies should retire into the vestry but the
| bride declined with gentle frmness, ms much
as to say: Il have come here to be married and
am not going t. run away. Besides. L am
sure my beloved will be here immediately -
But minutes that seemed drawn out into
unusual length passed away and he did
not come. 1t was time of intense and
painful suspense. The father and mother
| INDICTED and flushed, the bridesmaids were in
the nervous borderland between laughing and
CRYING and the congregation talked in buzzing
| whispers. l engaged the bride in conversation
and lndulged in little diverting pleasantly
i'Be brave" said /; keep up your heart; don't
| faint on NV account: but if YOU wish 10 indulge
IN that innocent luxury do il gracefully. Lean
your head gently on your fathers shoulder and
take care not TO disarrange that lovely WREATH
She bore up splendidly and the most self
possessed of the whole party. The crisis was
passed as the congregation rose to watch the
entrance of the bridegroom: and he and the
best man. beaming with satisfaction, walked
,, down the aisle utterly unconscious that they
had been the cause of any awkward waiting
and they were both astonished 20 find the bride
had already arrived. The ceremony proceeded
IN the usual wav and all ended happily. The
! blunder arose by the driver muddling his or
ders instead of going first for the bridegroom
according to his instructions he went to a diff
ferent part of the town'for the bride.
The putting on Of the wedding ring is an i'm
portant part of the ceremony in the English
/
which the service is read and the minister
handing the ring TO the bridegroom, instructs
| him to place il half way the third finger of
the left hand of the bride. and. holding i, there
10 repeat andibly the following formula: with
this ring, token and pledge of the vow aud
covenant now made betwixt me and thee, thee
wed, in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost" 1t is a curiousf fact that
though this formula is usually broken up into
| eight fragments for the sake of easy repetition
| il is rarely repeated with perfect accuracy. The
great stumbling block is the phrase, snow made
| betwixt me and thee" Though the words are
put Immediately into the mouth of the bride
groom, it is invariably rendered '.Betwixt thee
and me-" This is the rule in my experience.
1t is an exception when il is repeated accu-
rately-"Me and thee" The bridegroom is
then asked to place the ring fully ON the finger;
and this is not always easily accomplished.
have seen it done with such facility and neat
ness indicated that there must have been
some previous practice of the art. But sometimes
| the ring is very obstinate and difficult Of ma
nipulation and have seen the Hurried pair get
into an excited quicker in their desperate efforts
| to push the refractory symbol over the second
| joint. remember a case of this kind once oc-
Cured in Lancashire, where / was marrying a
couple Of mill workers The ring seemed
wedged with little wrinkles at the second Joint,
and the combined efforts of the bridegroom
and bride to slip it down the finger were I'M
availing. The man grew red In the face with