The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-04
HAVE PITY ON THE GROOM.
miserable Plight of the Man Who is
Waiting for the Honeymoon Train,
From the Kansas City Times.

From the Kansas City Times
Last night at the Union depot there
was 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
splcker span" new travelling dress. with
her brown cape and hat and gloves
aud shoes to match, and her candy
box under her arm that was not
hat so suggestive of sweet
ness as her proud, complacent smile: and
Iast-yes, last, and also least-in his
nerve-destroylng plug hat, there was the
poor, pale, scared groom, smiling, first on
one foot and then on the other and won
dering show long, o Lord, how longl" 1t
was happy, rollicking party and. the
young people being in the majority, it was
a noisy party ana the train-Catchers and
tlme-klllerS about the depot were at
Jracted by the noise and gathered around.
Inc entertainment amused them, but in
the faces of many there the smile was
sdoiued IN suppressed sigh of pity for
the poor, scared groom.
or the crowd was man crowd and 10
knew, only too bitterly, the terrible or
deal through which his shy heart
was Passing. AS the crowd surged
around the bridal party, as the cruel
shouts oil the Needless friends grew louder
and louder, as the showers of rice lell
thick and faster, as men tiptoed to get q
peep at the passing show. many and
many a strong man turned aside and
brushed away trembling tear at the
sight OF that pale young man in his high
plug hat so brdvely trying to Join the
lolllty OF the dizzy company while his
rant little heart was pulsiEg with name
less fear. He knew that he was the center
OF the spectacle; every groom knows this :
he knew that he was mar6ed by his aw-
ful hat, and that strange eyes were dwell
ing norbidly upon him: this has been the
horrible knowledge of every groom since
Adam d'from the garden to escape the
eyes of the dumb animals that frightened
him ; and yet all grOoms with this mad
dening consciousness drumming in their
hearts are expected to laugh with loL d
ha-ha, to giggle with self-possessed tee
hee, and to smile ana look pleasant.
But for all his agony of mind, for all the
refined torture inflicted upon his over
wrought nerves by the curious crowd, the
groom bore himself brayely last night. He
stood Iaanfully by the door of the Pull
man. clutching the brass fixtures with
hand of iron, and answering The direct
questions that were raincd upon him with
rare presence of mind some men swear
IN such EN- rgen -covertly, of course
and others try to put on a smirk of in
d1nerence-and what a hollow, hollow
farce they make of tito hide their
quaking hearts; and others still seek TO
mask their waning courage by the sem
0lance 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 horrors of the occasion,
TO admit the eXcruciatiug EN- barrass-
ment of the situation, and then, az
ter trying honestly to rise above il,
to throw oneself upon the mercy Of
the tormentOrs. The groom has had
so few cOunsalOrs in all the ages that
he is not 10 be blamed for his awkward
ness, while the bride has from time
immemorial been schooled to meet
the ordeal through which she passes so
triumphatly Allgirls are educated for
brides, but the frightful nightmare of the
bridcgroom's position only bursts upon
him the moment before he takes the
BRIDE hand on the home stretch. The
result is natural; she is cool and beGuti-
ful; he is giving the whole show: he
SINKS from leading man to heavy villain
from heavy villain 10 light tragedian,
from ltdL 20 comedian ana, rs ne walks
on her train and tries to put his restless
hands in the pocketless trousers OF his
new dress suit he becomes a very low
commedian and stumbles off the scene,
heaven only knows how. This is all the
fault of the system and not of the man.
Therefore let US pity the poor, scared
groom; hush the ribald laughter at his
frantic struggles he is human; IL hurts
him TO writhe and wirgle upon the spit
just as il hurts any man; let US be soft
with him and remember that he is doing
his best and that into each life some
rain must fall, some days be dark and
dreary."