El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-17
A Strange Wedding Ceremony.
New York Tribune.


/ New York Tribune.
| The people were so honest and sim
| ple-hearted. that it was a common thing
! for them to leave all their doors un-
! locked when they ent off for a week e
visit. There were no thieves in this
community: it was too primitive for
that However, Mr.. and Mrs. Wheel
err, the parents o. the bride, in a burst
, of confidence, when they called at the
parsonage to add special Invita- ion To
the printed one which came through
the mail, said to my wife and L that
they calculated to make this the swell
est wedding Nelson Valley had ever
witnessed, therefore no time. money or
effort had been spared. 1t was COM
monty agreed that in more ways than
one the affair eclipsed anything OF its
kind that had previously occurred.
"The house was literally, II not
tastefully decorated with evergreens,
with g large arch in one corner of the
parlOr from which was suspended an
evergreen bell decorated with artificial
flowers. Just one hour late the young
woman presiding at the cabinet organ
struck up the strains of the wedding
march from Lohengrin,' the happy
pair descended the narrow stairway,
marched into the parlor and took their
stand under the arch. They dispensed
with the services of bridesmaid ana
best man. Every available space was
Gro wded with the guests who had come
to witness the ceremony. N oead
silence the officiating minister, who
was pompous young fellow with
bushy red hair, drew off to one side OF
the room, about eight feet from the
young couple, and, addressing first the
young people and then the expectant
guests, with one hand thrust under the
coat W hich covered his swelling bosom
and the other straight down by his
side, he began by expatiating upon the
beauties of married life, and then nat
urally fell into an address euloglstlc OF
the young couple, much to their en-
barrassment. After continuing in this
strain for some five minutes, and with
out so much as prayer or even the
mention of Gods name, and without
asking any question of the young peo-
pie, he waved his hand toward them
and said:
Ladies and gentlemen. allow me to
introduce you to Mr.. and Mrs. Shuts.
EVERY one had been waiting for the
ceremony, and at this abrupt introduce
tion the gathered guests STOOD spell-
bound. as though in a trance. for even
their simple taste called for more than
this as wedding ceremony, until the
minister said:
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to
introduce you to Mr.. and Mrs. Shults'
every one had been waiting for the
ceremony, and at this abrupt INTRODUCE
tion the gathered guests stood spell
bound, as though in a trance, for even
their simple taste called for more than
tn is ss wedding ceremony, until the
minister said:
lit is time to kiss the bride and
congratulate the groom Suitlng the
action to the word, he stepped boldly
forward and kissed the bride and wish
ed the bridegroom much JOY, in the
most dramatic manner, and then step
ped back to give the others ch ance.
Then relatives and friends Hooked
around the young people, all the men
kissing the bride, and while the bride
groom kissed all of the women. My
wife noticed that it seemed to be gen
eral kissing bee. and hung back till
some one near her asked If she WASH t
going to follow suit, and then she went
forward, kissing the bride. She shook
hands with the bridegroom, who was a
great, strapping fel Ow, and was about
10 step back, when he drew her toward
him, saying:
".Oh no you don't! I'll treat them
all alike, with which, much to her en-
barrassment, he gave her a smacking
kiss. I his pleased the crowd inn
mensely.
''Immediately after dinner was
served the couple took pencil and pa
per and went to the room where the
presents were on exhibition. making a
complete list of them. Then they
went to the givers and asked how much
they cost. When no price was stated
they asked others 80 help them estim-
ate the cost of such an article. Foot
ing up the columns of figures, amidst q
group of admIring friends, the BRIDE
groom turned to the blushing bride
andl said gleefully:
''Well, it paid, Lib, didu'tit? This is
worth more'n S200r'