The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-29
HxmeneaI Rerenee.


No class of individuals is better stu
ated to see the unique and humorous side
OF human nature and experience than is
the clergy, says the Chicago Post, and
no feature of a minister's experience
brings into stronger relief the Quirks, fol-
bles and fOllies of mortal man and WO-
man than does his official service at the
When the subject of queer marriage
ceremonies was proposed TO DR.. P 5. Hen
son, pastor Of the FIRST Baptist church,
the fun-loving divine laughed heartily and
exclaimed:
Certainly: I've had scores of themi But
none of them more interested and amused
me than one in which I was a participant
several years ago.
Il was sent for in the greatest possible
haste one evening to perform maria &c
ceremony. | was totally unacQuainted
with any Of the persons concerned, and
had never heard of either of the CON
tracing parties.
''As they stood before me I noticed
that the invariable nuptial smile was
missing. They were as solemn as a pair
OF sphinxes. This seemed a trifle strange,
but l attributed it to the possibility that
they entertained unusual serious views Of
the step which they were about % take.
What was my surprise, when after put
ting to him the pledge to take the woman
at his side to be his lawful welded wife,
TO love and cherish her, etc, he remained
absolutely silent. After recovering from
my surprise a little. 1 said to him:
Please make your response, sir
But no response escaped his tight-shut
lips. l thought he might be so stupid as
not to understand the meaning of the
word response, so l again acted as
prOmpteT, and said:
:" Win you answer Eyes" to my CUES
Well dunno he replied.
Here was a pretty mess! I'm afraid
was Just about at the boiling point and
1 answered sharply:
&" If YOU don't know, I'm certain that
Half a dozen of the brides friends ex-
claimed:
Speak up, John
Why don't you answer?
Go ahead, John.
Then it occurred to me that the groom
might be the victim of a conspiracy of
some sOrt-that he might have been brow
beaten, badgered and constrained into
was becoming unbearably embarrassing,
in final desperation. L exclaimed:
Well, sir you must answer Il will
or i VIII not. That seems to be the only
way in which we can get at your inten-
lions in this natter
There was a considerable period of
hesitation, followed by the sulky response:
well, then, l will
THE woman made her answer with
nervous alacrity and the remainder Of
the ceremony was completed in short or
der. No sooner was it over than the
groom took seat in the nearest chair.
while the bride went into Mysteries and
was carried out of the room by her
friends.
1.-The man continued to be sullen and
non-committal, and 1 finally went nome
in very unhappy frame of mind. The
AFFAIR worried me for several days. until
l CHANGED to look out Of my study window
and was dumbfounded to see a couple ap-
preaching, arm in arm. and as loving as
a pair of turtle doves. They had
come for their marriage certificate and
their faces beamed with pleasure when
1t was presented to them. At the first
opportunity l drew the husband aside
and asked him to explain his peculiar con-
duct during the ceremony.
=" I'll tell We, doc he replied with an
air of shamefaced candor. Me and Sal
had a little spat that afternoon an 1
jes' thought I'd take it out O. her right
at the Meddin, ceremonN-an, ] did, -