The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-02
TOO MUCH BEST MAN.
A BACHELOR WHO OBLIGATED At
FORTY WEDDINGS.

Collection OF scarfpins-Each Ono Of
Them Is the Key to Romance-A
Warning to All Young Mon.
Lieutenant Oscar Prince is rapidly
reaching the ago when his friends will
stop asking him the question, why
don Il 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
dinss, 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 ten years ago." he said, land
each one represents scar more or less
serious. They have simply made pin
cushion Of my heart. My CASE l am
sure, is an unusual one, and l am will.
ing to discuss it, that it may serve as
warning to young men. Let me start
with the assertion that l believe in the
noble institution of marriage, and it
was probably my advocacy Of it while
was at West Point that suggested to
classnate-Brown-to write mo 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 Browns little token. Brown had a
fine wedding, and as l had been sta
toned west at a God forsaken post since
leaving the Point it was my first op-
portunity to get at short range with
eastern girls. There are no girls like
them, my boy, and don't make any mis-
take about that
Brown was married in Newport,
and we did have good time. Let me
, look at that pin again. Yes, Ethel was
her name. You see, have it tagged OH
the pin. Ethel was mighty fine girl
tall good swing and high stopper.
We hit it off together in fine shape.
Who was Ethel? Why. in this case, she
was the maid Of honor We had a de-
lightful week at Newport, and when 1
went back to my post had Ethel's per-
mission to write to her. heard the
other day that her Oldest hopeful was
the star boy in kindergarten.
Lieutenant Prince putred his pipe
hard for two minutes.
ETHEL was, all things considered,
about as nice asany of them. Wemight
have been very happy together, but for
Jones' wedding. l think it was Jones.
Just hand INC that little clover leaf pin,
will you? Yes it was Jones. Here is
the date, 1888, and tagged to the pin is
Maud's name You don't understand.
No, of course not You haven't acted
as best man or usher in 40 weddings. l
thought q lot about Ethel while Oh the
railroad train that took me to Boston,
where Jones married, and there | met
Maud. There is something very democrat
izing about the associations of we'd
ding party if chap is at all suscepti-
BILE. The girls all rejoice with the bride,
and they are all in their best frocks.
Somehow you begin to speculate about
yourself, you know, and wonder how
you would appear as the bridegroom
with one of the bridesmaids as bride.
Maud was different from Ethel, more
vivacious, and then she was short and
Ethel was tall. On tho night Of tho
wedding asked Maud if might write
to her. Dear Maud wonder what has
become Of her. I sent back all Of her
letters and her photograph just short
time after Adams got married. That is
the pin in tho cushion-the one with
the small diamond in the center. Adams
was married three months after Jones,
and | was an usher Those three months
were happy ones. and l shall always re-
member Maud. had been sent east just
before Adams was married, and he
wanted mo to DO usher because, as he
put it, l 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 matters, did
Mary and !, aud l knew that she was
girl who would make sensible, think
ing man happy for life.
ut was discussion Of telepathy that
made me forget Maud, that is discus
sion and a subsequent attempt to expert
ment. Mary didn't ask for her letters
back after Rogers wedding. told Sal
ly-she was one of the bridesmaids, and
very jolly southern girl-all about
Mary, and she said she didn't mind |
came very near proposing to Sally, but
by this time | had become professional
as an usher and best man, and since Sal
ly there have been by actual count 80
| other girls, any one of whom might
have made mo happy. ! felt after meet
ing each one Of thom that if could
only keep away from weddings my hap
piness might DO assured. l could marry
the last girl-that is, Of course, if she
would have me- and they were all very
mpathotic-and feel that was lucky.
l couldn't dodge the weddings, though.
"All my friends are married now,
and / have assisted in each case. 1t got
so that while | was at work would
uuconsciously begin to whistle we'd
ding march. Walking in time to it made
me slow on parade. | couldn't keep up
with my company. | have, | am glad to
say, done my duty by my friends, but it
has ruined me scntime,sally. When l
look at that collection of scarfpins, each
ono labeled with the name of girl who
was the only one in the world for me, l
haven't the nerve to propose l am
victim of circumstances. Now all of my
friends arc married and am not likely
to march again to that familiar old
music. | have the finest collection OF
scarfpins in this city, but l am still a
bachelor. Let my examples be warn
ing to all young men. New York SIM.
Tho English parliament has met on
Sunday II times, the first in the reign
| e =, l.n I, InnfE nj