Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-10-29
THEY KISSED HIM
OSCULATUORY WELCOME GIVEN TO
A PREACHER AND HIS BRIDE

sy Cape Cod Church Pcople-It Was a
Custom for the Whole Congregation to
Kiss the Bride and Bridegroom When
a Pastor Got Married.
81 had kissed good many brides
before | was married, and thought 1T
my privilege as the officiating clergy
man. said preacher but was quite
nonpulsed when l took my bride home
and my whole congregation not only
insisted on kissing the bride but the
groom also. This was one of my funny
experiences while pastor of little
church down on Cape Cod.
about the middle of my second year
as pastor got leave of absence for two
weeks to go over into New York State
and get married. My people gladly
granted my request, and said they
would be ready for me when 1 return
ed with my bride, only | must inform
them in advance of the day l expected
to arrive. Innocent that l was l was
careful to do so.
I'VE returned late one afternoon in
September, arriving at our journeys
end much fatigued by a long railroad
journey and ten mile drive in an old
New England carryall over sand dunes.
We were greeted at the parsonage door
by half dozen motherly DANES, who
had got everything in readiness for the
parson and his bride, and then we were
left alone, as we supposed, for the
night.
Eat Z o'clock in the evening we were
startled by loud knock at the door.
When it was opened found my oldest
and most trusted friend in the church,
Sandy McIlwain, with two others
standing in the shadow. Sandy acted
as spokesman and said:
Dominic, we are all waiting over
at the church to greet the bride and
bridegroom, and they have sent us to
escort you over, so come, hurry and get
ready, for they are impatient to get the
first kiss
'Soon we were on the way, my wife
walking with Sandy and with the 9TH
er two. l asked one of them what
Sandy meant by getting the first kiss,
and to my horror he said it was the
custom for the whole congregation to
file by and kiss both bride and BRIDE
groom when it happened that the pas
tor got married. He, added, with evil
dent pride, that this would be the big
gest kissing time in the history of the
~ L. i
portunity in about dozen years before
and the people had turned out in extra
large numbers, about 800 strong. This
was news to me, and | thought the fell
lows were trying to jolly me. On
reaching the church we found it crowd
ed, and were met by hum of voices
as we entered tie door. 1t grew per-
fectly quiet as Sandy led the way up
the aisle and seated us within the chan
Gel Before the ceremonies proceeded
further l deemed it wise to ascertain
the part we were to play in the pro-
gramme, and so l asked Sandy, and he
replied:
Dominic, after word of welcome
from myself on behalf of the church to
the preacher and his bride, you will be
expected to make a response, and then
we shall all want to kiss you both
and thus adopt you into our church
family
But said, Sandy my wife is ex-
tremely tired, and l am not willing
that this entire crowd should increase
her WEAKNESS by this peculiar custom.
Can it not be avoided in some way?
Won't it answer if she is left out?'
Dominic. you can do just as you
like about it, but I can tell you now
that unless the people do have chance
to kiss the bride and bridegroom you
might as well pack up and leave town,
for you could do no further work
among us. This is our way of adopt
ing you into our families, and it means
to us that no matter what comes to you
in after years, whether joy or sorrow,
we will share it. By this you become
one of u.s.
From what had already learned of
the people and their habits, l could I'M
derstand the situation, and so told
Sandy to go ahead and we would keep
our part of the programme An we
did (biaaoo Twill