Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-09
A QUAINT ceae,eoNv.


wedding which Was CsoAuceeA n A.
esraasee wish Quaker Rsees.
At noon, in the prim meeting house Of
the Society OF Friends at rutherford
place and Fifteenth street, Miss Eliza
beth Willets and DR.. Samuel w. LAM
bert married themselves. No minister
omciated, for none was needed, No
prayers were said, and no music greeted
tneir approach to the altar. Ceremony
and display were lacking.
Half an hour before the ceremony was
to take place the little meeting house
was crowded to the walls. Three thou
sand invitations had been sent out, but
only about 400 could gain entrance.
Everything had a subdued character
the pews painted in soft yellowish brown
coiors, the ceremony, the decorations
and the people. No flowers were dis
played, but the rostrum and the choir
seats were banked with mass of palms.
Especially noticeable among the people
Were the young women, clad in soft col
ored cloth gowns, wearing big hats,
which dropped in unexpected turns and
crept ont over their foreheads and had
SOFT wells twisted about the brims, which
shaded the eyes and the brows. These
young women as they entered kent their
eyes right toward the pews where they
Were going to sit. Scattered among the
crowd pressing into the church came
few Friends dressed in their old time at
tire-wearing smooth black coats, with
velvet faced standing collars and broad
topped lapels, and broad crowned, wide
brimlned black hats.
Miss Wlllets reached the church, &C.
companied by her father, shortly before
noon. A few minutes later the ushers
led the procession up the aisle. Follow
ing were the two bridesmaids. The bride
advanced leaning on her fathers arm.
She wore a white satin gown trimmed
with point lace and tulle veil. The
bridesmaids were attired in delicate
green and white striped gowns, made
with full skirts and adorned with black
velvet bows.
The procession was received at the
rostrum by DR.. Lambert and his best
man and DE-. j. w. Markoe. DR.. Lam
bert advanced and took Miss Willets by
the right hand. They stood facing each
other, scarcely looking at their assem-
bled friends, as DR.. Lambert said:
I'm the presence of the Lord and these,
my friends, promise to take thee to be
my welded wife, promising through d.
vine assistance to be faithful and af-
fectiOnate husband till DEATH
Then Miss Willets spoke few hur.
ried words, inaudible to the people. What
she said was:
In the presence of the Lord and nv
friends promise to take thee to be my
welded husband, promising through di-
vine assistance to be a faithful and affec-
tionate wife until DEATH"
No prayer was offered. but after q
moments pause Mr.. Howard ]. Wright.
the white haired clerk of the meeting,
unrolled large certificate. DR.. and
Mrs. Lambert walked q step or two to
the left, where he was standing, and
then seating himself in a chair DR..
Lambert signed his name to the certifi-
cate. Then Mrs. Lambert signed the
document, writing not her maiden name,
but her new name.
Then Mr.. Wright stood mp and read
the certificate, which recounted that on
the 21st day Of October the two parties
in the presence of witnesses had pledged
themselves to be husband and wife. To
this certificate is appended a list of wit
nesses giving testimony that the cere-
mony was performed. The marriage is
recorded in the birth, marriage and death
book of the society.-New York Letter.