Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-17

q sacred tie ana that Defore the race can
pass on to still higher development mar
rage must be first restored to its ancient
sanctity and right purpose.
Then Mrs. Alice C1eather OF London,
whose husband is a colonel in the Royal
Artillery, spoke. She talked of the sa
eredness OF marriage, and of the many
times two people met through all the
centuries.
~ would most earnestly remind you,'
she said, that the real marriage bond
IS far more sacred tie than the modern
world perhaps So much as dreams of.
Think you that 1t Is nothing to stand
hand in hand with the Divine as creator?
It is a tremendously is an awful-re-
sponsibility.'
'Then the permission to marry, grant
ed by the inner council, was read by Mrs.
Julia Campbell Verplank Keightley. The
permit was granted in order that the
young couple might fulfill the destiny of
previous lives and be afforded fuller OPP
portunity for carrying on in future their
appointed labors.'
'aThe reading of this permit was fol-
lowed by a deep silence. The occult body
meditated deeply. How long was not told.
The silence was broken by the deep, full
tones of the cello. 1t was mystical
air beyond human description in the
words of the Philosophical press bureau.
Bride in a Grecian Costume.
'"The entrance door of the assembly
there. She was dressed in a loose flowing
gown of nuns yelling, looped at the waist
with a white silver cord. Her arms and
neck were bare. 1t was an exact repro
duction of q Grecian costume. She had
not single ornament.
Following her was a young woman,
also in a. Grecian robe, member of the
inner council, and Genevieve Mercedes
Gwendoline Gluger of Newark, N. j.,
aged Az. Genevieve Mercedes Gwendo-
HI f.f lnfI
Is the only person not an adult ever adj
mftted to the inner circle She Is q sort
of theosophical prodigy, and marvellous
| things are expected of her when she
grows up. She is thought to be under the
special influence of some Mahatma-
Miss Leonard walked slowly down the
center Of the hall with her attendants
| following, amid deep silence. She was
received by E., August Neresheimer, vice
president OF the society, who stepped
down from the platform. In business HE
| Mr.. Neresheimer is diamond merchant
| IN Maiden Lane.
Then Mr. Wright stepped from the
platform, followed by III. I. Patterson, a
Center street hardware merchant MT.
| Wright wore q frock coat, dark gray
| trousers and lavender tie. The laven-
| der tie was significant. He also wore MS
| big mystically engraved gold ring, pre-
sented to him by Nine. Blavatsky.
THE bride and bridegroom Joined
! hands in front of the Unknown Adept
and then separated, while Genevieve
| Mercedes Gwendoline Kruger stepped
| forward and handed her basket OF lotus
| to the unknown. He took from 1T a
parchment and handed it to Mrs. Height
| ley. This was the pledge, and she read
| 1t aloud:
+ 1--WE pledge ourselves, in renewal of
| the promise given years ago, loyalty to
| continue together in the work of the
lodge, and, since. the link and union
about to be recognized by the whole
world Is effected, for the doubling of our
individual efforts. We pledge ourselves
before all henceforth and forever to sink
all personal ambitions, bending all our
energies to the uplifting of humanity and
abiding together in unity and confidence
| to the end of time
"The unknown again placed his hand
in the basket and drew forth ring. This
ring is a very wonderful thing. 1t pos
| sesses marvellous occult power He plac-
ed the ring on the third finger Of Miss
Leonards left hand. The unknown took
| the left hand of each In his grasp, while
| the inner circle arose and began to chant
mystical songs. At the end Of each five
| lines there was slight pause. Fifteen
| times did the inner circle repeat this
chant. Here follows the description OF
the theosophical press bureau:
"a deep silence followed. During this
the unknown performed silent cere-
he strengthened the bond between the
two souls on the spiritual plane.
1.-The audience stood while the psychic
orchestra played wonderfully entranc-
ing march. Two by two the people in
the hall marched up and congratulated
the pair. This ended the ceremony.
After reading this description am
firmly convinced that the majority of
humanity, the ordinary men and women,
will prefer to continue to marry In the
regular old-fashioned way, with regu-
lar old-fashioned preacher who does not
wear a veil and Is not called an I'm
known Adept. And which one of US de-
sires to appear at irregular intervals In
the cycling of the centuries. and to al
ways have to fall In love with the same
man or woman? Even the most constant
and most loyal hearts would be taxed
severely with romance of 5000 years
standingI A few more such weddings
and theosophy is doomed.