Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-17
DRrDEGRooMs WHO BACK OUT.
They Rum Away, Hide Themselves or
Become speechless.

From Happy Thought.
Possibly every man about to marry ex-
periences a novel inward futter when the
critical hour arrives and brings the altar
into sight, but it is not often that one hears
of prospective husband whose nerve de-
serts him to the extent that he fights shy
of the ceremony at the last moment, and
allows the bride to leave the church with
out having changed her name. Hitches of
this startling kind do. however, now and
courage to face the public ordeal. and the
situation becomes both humorous and dra-
matte.
A most amusing attack of nerves of
this order was witnessed by a large crowd
at country church. not long since. The
bridegroom was late in arriving; when at
length he came abreast of the church
gates. heated and fiurried, the sight of his
white robed life partner in the midst of an
imposing party fairly scattered what cour-
age he had churned for the occasion. He
turned and made off across country as fast
as his shaking legs would carry him. The
crowd and a number of his indignant
friends pursuing him, he took refuge up a
tree, and no remonstrances would induce
him to descend and go through with the
cowarlice, however. for the bride promptly
Tilted him, and walked to the same church
with a bolder man few months later.
At another church in the neighborhood a
number of people who had hocked to see u
popular local couple made one were Gu
riously disappointed. When 1t came to the
his vows, he was found to be tongue tied
by sheer nervousness. The longer they
waited for him to recover the worse he be-
came. and finally. white as ghost, he
wheeled about and ran out OF the building.
As no amount of jeers or announcement
served to induce him to attempt the ordeal
u second time. he perforce remained in sim
gle misery.
Plenty of humorous Instances have been
recorded where the intended husband,
brave enough in his wooing. has found
himself unable to stand and be publicly
married. One gentleman became so un-
nerved at sight of the swelling assembly
and the preparations that he slipped into
the vestry and locked himself in until the
registrar lost patience and the ceremony
had to be abandoned.
In another case a missing bridegroom
was discovered locked in his bedroom at
home and sheer force had to be used by his
friends before he could be induced to walk
to the church As II turned out. he was
too late: the bride felt herself Justified in
declining to fulfill her part of the contract
with so diftident partner.
But perhaps as unique an example OF
what may be termed ALTAR fright as any
known was one which caused quite sem
sation in a midland town some years ago.
The circumstances were peculiar enough TO
bear repetition young man. standing at
the altar with the future participant of his
joys and sorrows. suddenly tainted when
asked to declare his Willingness to take a
wife. and had to be carried home in a cab.
a few weeks later he essayed to enter the
lists of matrimony with more success: but,
strange to say. his nervousness again
reached such pitch that he swooned at
precisely the same part of the proceeding.
When, on n third occasion. the same weak
ness overCame him as soon as he entered
the church. 1t became evident that his
physical courage was not equal to the or
deal. Whether the bride declined to look
foolish for Il fourth time. or whether the
ceremony was subsequently performed in
private. did not trauspire.
Brides. IL is interesting to note do not
appear to suffer from any such backward
ness. Their nervousness seems to be of a
different order. and IL is seldom or never
that one hears of Il case where the lady
has failed to come up to the Zine" through
mere dread of publicity.