Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-04
A HYMENEAL REVENGE.


A Curious Episode mt n Marriage
Ceremony and the Cause of 1t.
From the Chicago Evening Post.
No class Of individuals is better situated
to see the unique and humorous side of hui
man nature and experience than Is the
clergy, and no feature of minister's expert
ence brings into stronger relief the quirks,
foibles az folles of mortal man and wo-
man than does his official service at the hy-
meneal altar
When the subject of queer marriage cere-
monies was proposed to DR.. P. S. Hen
son. pastor of the First Baptist Church, the
fun-loving divine laughed heartily and ex-
claimed
Certainly; I've had scores of them, BIT
none Of them more interested and amused
ME than one in which l was participant
several years ago.
Il was sent for in the greatest DossihIe
haste one evening to perform a marriage
ceremony. l was totally unacquainted with
any Oh the persons concerned, and had never
heard OF either of the contracting parties
AS they stood before ME l noticed that the
1nVarlsbie nuptial smile was missing They
We're as solemn as pair of sphinxes This
seemed tribe strange, but l attributed It
10 tne possibility that they entertained I'M
usually serious views of the step which they
We're about to take. What was nv sur
prise, when, after putting to him the pledge
10 take the woman at his side to be his law
cherish
etc, ne remained absolutely silent. After
recovering from my surprise a little | said
to him: AN
..p Please make your response. sir
>. But no response escaped his tight-shut
lips. l thought he might be so stun;d as
not to understand the meaning of the word
re: pond, SO l again acted as prompter and
said: anu
w ell, dunno he replied
Here was pretty mess: I'm afraid
vas just about at the boiling point and
answered sharply:
80 If you don't know. I'm certain that
don'tr '''ii 'hal
Half dozen of the brides friends ex-
claimed: GA
Speak up, john
Why don't you answer
Go ahead. Johnr
Then 1t occurred to me that the groom
might be the victim of a conspiracy of some
sort-that he might have been browbeaten
padgered and constrained into the maria ge
however, as the situation was becoming
GnDearably embarrassing, in final despera-
ton l exclaimed:
wen. Sir, you must answer Il will' or
1 Will not. That seems to be the only
way IN which we can get at your inten-
tions in this matter
There was a considerable period of hest
tation. followed by the sulky response.
We'll, then, WILL
The woman made her answer with nerv-
Gus alacrity and the remainder of the cere-
sooner was it over than the groom took a
seat in the nearest chair, while the bride
went into Mysteries and was carried out of
the room by her friends
The man continued to ne sullen and nom
committal, and finally went home in a very
unhappy frame of mind. The affair worried
me for several days, until CHANGED to look
out of my study window. and was dumfound-
ed to see the couple approaching, arm in
arm, and as loving pair of turtle doves
Trey had come for their marriage certiff-
cate, and their faces beamed with pleasure
when 1t was presented to them. At the first
opportunity 1 drew the husband aside and
asked him to explain his peculiar conduct
during the ceremony.
" III tell We, doc he replied, with an air
OF shamefaced candor, me and Sal had a
little spat that afternoon, an jes' thought
I'd take 1t out O. her right at the weddin
ceremony-an' ddn ="