The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-25
THOMAS-ME MERRILL.
A.Notable Wedding at Cumberland Gem
ter Last Evening.

The Congregational church at Cum
berland Center was the scene of one of
the pret5iest weddings of the season last
evening. The contracting parties were
DR.. John Blanchard Thomes and Miss
Maud Wilson Merrill. The groom is the
Cumberland and is well known in Port
land whore he spent some time in the
employ of the Union Mutual Life Insur-
ance company. Subsequently he went to
Dartmouth M edoial school where he grad
uated with honors and afterward
took post graduate courses at the
Post Graduate and Polyclinio school
in New York and served for sometime in
the hospitals there.
The bride is the second daugher Of Mr..
and Mrs. Louville II. Merrill of Cumber-
land, Mr.. Merrill being partner in the
we'll known Merrill Thomes Co., whole
sale fancy goods dealers of this oity.
Both bride and groom are very popular
in Cumberland and this fact was amply
evidenced by .the slarge gathering of
guests which packed the church to COM
pletion. Loving hands had made the
church veritable floral bower and ever
green and wild flowers were massed in
profusion everywhere. The back of the
church was solid mass Of evergreen, the
front being relieved by festoons of white
flowers. Upon the end of each pew re-
served for the families of the bride and
groom was festooned a dainty little
bunch of pansies.
AS soon as the guests were seated the
pews were enclosed with white satin rib
| bon.
| A little before o'clock the immediate
families of the contracting parties ar
rived and were conducted to seats re-
served for them at the front of the
church. While the guests were arriving
Mr.. Enos blanchard played delightfully."-
on the organ aud Miss Ethel Blanchard
sang very sweetly an appropriate select
| ion.
Promptly at s o'clock the joyful strains
of Lohengrin's wedding march burst
from the organ and the bridal party was
seen entering the church.
|
man, DR.. Edgar W. StookwelI of Clare
mont, N. H., who proceeded to the chan
eel where they were met 10y the Rev.
Frank w. Davis, and awaited the ap.
prnach Of the bride. The bridal party en-
tered by both aisles preceded by four
ushers, Mr.. H. II. Herriok, Mr.. G. H.
jenkins, Mr.. H. B. Cole and Mr.. W. @.
Porter, all attired in full evening dress.
Up tho opposite aisle came the brides.
maids, Miss Grace Merrill, sister OF the
bride, Miss Annie. Collins of Cumberland
and life long friend and Miss Margaret
Hubbard of West Boxford, Mass, and
Miss Angie Graves of Rockland, the latter
two young ladies having been school
mates of the bride at Bradford academy
The bridesmaids looked bewitohing ir
their airy costumes of white muslin
Two of them carried blush roses and two
cream oolored roses.
Then came the maid of honor, Miss
Margaret e. Merrill, who looked very
sweet in a costume of pink organdie anG
} pink roses.
s Then leaning on the arm of her father
came the bride in magificent costume
of white satin and long bridal veil fes
tooned with bridal roses, and larg,
bunch of these beautiful flowers was car
ried by the BRIDE Miss Merrill is a state
ly and pretty young lady and carried
herself with a grace and dignity tina
was admirable
i B ehind came the four dainty ..littl
flower girls, two sisters of the bride
Misses Catharine G. and Emma L. Merrill
and Eunice and Elizabeth Crickett. Tn
bridal procession presented a oharmin,
picture as it moved up and was grouped
around the chaucel.
Tho ceremony was performed by Rev
Frank W. Davis, the pastor of the church
in very impressive manner, and the an
swers of the bride and groom were made
in clear voice distinctly audible to tn,
large audience.
4, During the ceremony the organist i'm
provised softly, adding greatly to the
effectiveness of the scene
AS the blessing was pronounced the
strains of Mendels shon's grand wedding
march pealed forth and the party left the
church, the little flower girls strswine
rosebuds in the path of the newly welded
couple.
Everything passed off without a hitof
of any kind and the ceremony was one o.
the prettiest that Maine has seen for {
long time.
Immediately after the ceremony d re-
oeption was held at the home OF the
brides father which was attended by
host of friends. The wedding gifts were
very numerous, attesting to the high es
TEEN in which the bride and groom were
held by their neighbors and friends.
DR.. and Mr.. Thomes will reside In
Pittsfeld, Mass, where the doctor is tc