Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-29
TOO MUCH BEST MAN.
A BACHELOR WHO OBLIGATED AT
FORTY WEDDINGS.

Collection of Scarfpins-Each One Of
Them Is the Key to Romance-A
Warning to All Young Men.
Lieutenant Oscar Prince is rapidly
stop asking him the question. "Why
don't you get married." and substitute
for it, "How did it happen, old man,
that you never married?' Lieutenant
Prince is as acceptable as the average
man, and he has no antimatrimonial
views. He is, however victim of we'd
dings, and therein lies the explanation
of his failure to marry. One Of the fin
est collections Of scarfpins in this city
may be found in his bachelor apart
ments, but no wife.
My collection of scarfpins was be-
gun about tSn years ago, y he said, land
each one represents scar more or less
serious. They have simply made a pin
cushion of my heart My case, am
sure, is an unusual one, and | am will
ing to discuss it, that it may serve as a
warning to young men. Let me start
with the assertion that believe in the
noble institution of marriage, and it
was probably my advocacy of it while
was at West Point that suggested to
Observation-Disclosures write me to
act as his best man when he got mar
ried. Let me see. The date on that
pearl pin is 1887, isn't it: Yes, that
was Brown little token. Brown had
fine wedding, and as | had been sta
toned west at God forsNken post since
leaving tho Point it was my first OPP
portuLity to get at short range with
eastern girls. There are no girls like
them, my boy, and don make any mis-
take about that,
Brown was married in Newport
and we did have a good time let me
look at that pin again. Yes, Ethel was
her name. You see have it tagged on
the pin, Ethel was mighty fine girl
tall, good swing and high stopper
We hit it off together i'll fine shape
Who was Ethel? Why. in this case, she
was the maid of honor We had de-
lightful week at Newport, and when
went back to my post had Ethel per
mission to write to her | heard the
other day that her Oldest hopeful was
the star boy in a kindergarten
Lieutenant Prince pulled his pipe
hard for two minutes.
ethel was, all things considered,
about as nice as any of them. We might
have been very happy together but for
Jones wedding think 1t was Jones
Just hand ne that little clover leaf pin,
will you? Yes, it was Jones. Here is
the date, 1883, and tagged to the pin i3
Maud 5 name. You don't understand.
No, of course not. You haven t acted
as best man or usher in 40 weddings l
thought a lot about Ethel while on the
railroad train that took me to Boston,
where Jones married, and Il ere met
Maud. There is something very democrat
izing about tho associations OF wed.
ding party If chap is at all suscepti'
BILE The girls all rejoice with the bride,
and they arc all in their best frucEs
Somehow you begin to speculate about
yourself you know, and wonder how
you would appear as the bridegroom
with ono Of the bridesmaids as bride
Maud was different from Ethel, more
vivacious, and then she was short and
Ethel was tall. On the night OF the
wedding asked Maud if | might write
to her. Dcar Maud! wonder what has
become Of her sent back all of hrr
letters and her photograph J,.st short
time after Adams got married. That Is
the pin in tho cushion-the one With
the small diamond in the center Adams
tl,.,
and | was an usher Those three months
were happy Cnes. and Shall always re-
member Mnud. had been sent east just
before Adams was married. and he
wanted mo to be ushcr hcaDse as be
put it, | had been in the game before.
Mary was her name at Adams wedding.
That doesn t describe her at all No
name could She was just as attractive
as Ethel and Maud, but different We
discussed very serious nlatters, did
Mary and l, aul l knew that sha was II
girl who would make a sensible, thiuE
ing man happy for life
at was a discussion Of trl"pathy THAT
made mo forget Maud, that is Il discus
sion and Il subsequent attempt t. eNrerl-
ment. Mary didn't ask for her letters
back after Rogers we ld!ng | tUl! cal
lv-sho was enc Of the brld 2sunald>, and
a very holly southern girl--all about
Mary, and she said she didn mind l
came very near proposing to sally nut
by this time had bucoHn professional
as an usher and best nlan and since sal
ly there have been Ey N4,Ndl conlt 81
other girls, any enc OF Nil1m n,i2nt
have made me happy. fyl! after meet
ing each one Of them that ii coald
only keep away from Wet.aln-' my nap
piuess might be assured | could marry
the last glrl-thut is, of course, 1t she
would have me. and they were ali very
Yvmuathctic-an feel that WAS lucHy
coulun dodge the weddings, though
IAN NY friends are married now,
and have assisted in each case 1t got
SO that while was at work l would
uuconsciously begin to whistle we'd
ding march. Walking in time tu 1t made
me slow on parade couldn keep up
with nv company have, Am Gid to
saw. done my duty by my til>n ds, bat II
has ruined me sentlAentally W hen l
lool, at that collection Of scarillnS, each
one labeled with the name Of girl who
was t,e ONLY one in the world for me, |
haven the nerve to propose am Il
victim of circumstances. NOW All Oh lay
friends are married and | am not likely
To march again to that tanilllar ul'l
music | have the finest collection OF
scarfrins in this city, but l am stlll
L,,hrlor Iet NV examples he IL warn