Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-08-28

The Eurtivs Tear That seens . Per,
Of the Inakitntlan

the wedding tear--and also q quie'
humor While a wedding is univer-
sally held to be supreme occasion
for unqualified rejoicing and congrat-
ulation all round, it can safely be said
that seldom are two hearts made one
publicly without the accompaniment
Of tears on the part Of the fair sex.
Generally, curious to reflect, an OBJ
server will notice that the bride is the
only lady present who does not evince
emotion in this particular way-pos-
sibly because, with her, that emotion
is too deep, or because she has for so
long prepared herself carefully
against any such display, which might
be mistaken for regret al the great
step. But with the ladies looking on
it is very different-so much so, that
Il would almost seem as il the cere-
mony were somehow incomplete if
no one was moved to the traditional
tear. And the queer thing aboutitis,
if you asked the average woman what
caused the furtive tear, it is millions
to one she cannot tell you-may even
repudiste the soft impeachment with
indignation.
Some very amusing stories have
been told as to the nonplussed feel
ings Of your clerics who, performing
their first marriage service, may not
have been sufficiently experienced in
the ways Of women to understand the
reason for even subdued weeping.
One is related Of young Leicester
shire clergyman, who was so i'm
pressed by the lachrymal display on
the part of several ladies present that
he conscientiously stopped the serv-
ice halfway, and nervously inquired
if anything in the way off bar sinister
had been kept back.
AT a charming union witnessed by
the writer quite recently striking evil
dence was forthcoming Of the fact
that weeping and weddings 60 togeth-
er. All through the preliminaries
suspicious sniffs made themselves
heard, and, as matters progressed, the
handkerchiefs in use seemed to i'm
ply that many Of the ladies were vic
tins to the treacherous change in the
weather. at the interesting point at
which the fateful ring was fitted to
the fair finger several distinct sobs
broke the silence; and the ministers.
tactful Interpolation to the effect
that, so far from losing one family
had gained son and the other a
daughter, was met with shower Of
real tears. One could almost have
imagined for the moment that the
bride was a martyr led to the stake.
OF course, ten minutes later the hand
kerchiefs had vanished, and smiles
were the order all round; but-"Oh, it
was a beautiful wedding--a complete
success! One couldn't help being
thrilled if one tried"
Just it. The average woman
wouldn't miss the Wedding for worlds
land she has no earthlyidea why she
is impelled to keep wiping her eyes
when shegets there. Itseems to be the
only relief for her overcharged feel
ings. There is something in the mere
thought of wedding which appeals
to her more strongly than any other
ceremony-Ro matter, indeed, if she
has no acquaintance with the parties |
In ten minutes, OF less, |
she has grasped the details and prob |
able cost Of every feminine dress on
view, and then the interesting figure
at the altar rivets her whole attention
land, ten to one, before long, out
comes her handkerchief.
Maybe she is married herself, and
in that case she remembers vividly
her own feelings, and the transcend
ent thrill of the occasion, and feels
an overpowering sympathy with the
bride who is undergoing what is, in
one sense, the greatest ordeal Of her
lifetime Or, if she be still outside
the pale of matrimony, it is all the
same. She is bound TO unconscious
ly picture a moment when she shall
stand in a similar position herself, |
In any case, being woman, she is
pretty certain to feel that She should |
like quiet little cry--goodness alone
knows why, she would say.
The fact is partly, of course, that |
she may have thought a good deal
about the approaching ceremony.