The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-26
HAVE PITY on TIE GROOM.
Miserable Plight OF tho Mon Who I
Mailing for The nnexrnnnn Ir..a-l.

Miserable Plight of tho Man Who Is
Waiting for the Honeymoon Train.
The other night at the Union depot
there was a merry wedding party,
come to bid farewell to happy couple
departing on an outgoing train: there
was the placid parent with his coat
tightly buttoned to. show the undula-
ton of his swelling bosom:there was the
giddy throng of Youngsters, the girls in
their smart gowns and new spring
hats, the boys in their long overcoats
and their pockets full of rice: there
was the bride in her bran spicSer
SPAN new travelling dress. with her
brown cape and hat and gloves and
shoes to match, and her candy box un-
der her arm that was not half so sug-
gestive of sweetness as her proud. COM
piacent smile; and last-yes. last, and
also least-in his Notwithstanding
plug hat, there was the poor, pale,
scared groom, smiling first on one
foot and then on the other and Won
dering chow long 0 Lord. how long?"
1t was happy, rollicking party and,
the young people being in the ma or-
ity, it was noisy party. and the train
catchers and time-llillers about the
depot were attracted bv the noise and
gathered around. The entertainment
amused them, but in the faces of many
there the smile was subiue in Il sup
pressed sigh of pity for the poor,
scared groom
For the crowd was man crowd.
and it knew. only too bitterly, the ter
ribla ordeal through which his shy
heart was passing. As the crowd
>ur-ed around the bri lal party. rs the
cruel shouts OF The needless friends
grew loud,r and l1' 5. rs the sh lowers
of ric, e / thick l. fl-ter as men tip
toed to get a peep a tue passing show,
many aud MANY str ~ : man turned
aside and bruShe away trelnbli G
tear at the sight of that pale young
man iii his higa plug hat so bravelv
trying to join the jIllitv OF the dizzy
company while his ia n little heart
was pulsin.- with Il narnelesS fear. He
knew that he was the center q; the
spectacle. every groom knows this; he
knew that he was marked ny his awful
hat, and that stranye eyes We're dwell
ing morbidlv upon him: this has been
the horr bic 'lnpwie :. o. every groom
since Adam fed from the gIr,iea to es-
cipe the eyes OF tn DUMB animals
that frightene him; nj yet all grooms
with this madden m consciousness
drumming in their hearts are expected
to laugh with loud hama, to giggle
with a self-possessei tee-hee, and to
smile and look-p'ea>aut.
But for all his agony of mind, for all
the refined torture inflicted upon his
overweight nerves by the curious
crowd. the groom bore himself bravelv
last night. He stood manfullv by the
dorr of the Pullman. c,ut,iei the brass
fixtures with hand of iron. aud an
sw ered the direct questions that were
rained upon him with rare presence of
mind. Some men swear in such emer.
gencies-covertly,o of cOurse-and others
try to put on a snirll OF Indifference
and what a hollow, hollow farce they
make of ito hide their qualSing
hearts; and others still seek to mask
their waning courage by the sem alliance
OF stern and stole pompousness. But
it is always best to do as the poor, scared
groom did last night-to own up to the
horror of the occasion, to admit the
excruciating embarrassment of the sit
uation. and then, after trying honestly
to rise above it, to throw oneself upon
the mercy of the tormentors.
The groom has had so few coun-
-. -, oil 1,n hot ha iC 70
be blamed for his awkwardness,
while the bride has from time imme-
mortal been schooled 30 meet the ordeal
through which she passes so triumph
antly All girls are educated for
brides, but the frightful nightmare of
the bridegroOm's position only burst
upon him the moment before he takes
the brides hand on the homs stretch.
The result is natural: she is cool AM
beautiful: he is giving the whole show:
he sinks from leading man to heavy
villain. from heavy villain to light |
from that to comedian and. |
as he walks on her train and tries to |
put his restless hands in his poke tless |
trousers of his new dress suit. he be-
comes very low comedian aul STUN
bles off the scene. Heaven only knows |
how This is all the fault OF the sys-
tenn and not of the mIn.
Therefore let Us pity the poor, scared |
groom; hush the ribil laughter at his |
frantic struggles; he is human; it hurts |
him to writhe and wirgle upOn the !
spit just as it hurts any man; les US he
soft with him and remeIn Der that he is
doing his best and that into each life
some rain must fall, some days DE dark
and draarv -i[ansGs CITY Times