Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-24
WEDDING STORIES
Experiences Grave and Gay at
the Marriage Ceremony.

According to the stories told by sew
eral of Chicago's leading clergymen,
wedding ceremonies do not always run
any smoother than true love.
People seem to act more insanely at
a wedding than at any other time, save
perhaps a fire" declared one pastor.
land it Is usually the bridegroom who
gets the most clustered. 1t is seldom
that woman gets the responses mix
ed as does the man. One time at a
fashionable wedding where l was Off
ciating the bridegroom insisted upon
saying in loud and distinct voice.
much to the amusement Of his hearers,
4 take me this plight instead of the
usual I plight thee my troth.'
Another time when | was marrying
country couple at my home | asked
the bridegroom the usual question,
wilt thou have this woman to be thy
welded wife, and he replied. with fire
in his eye, What do you suppose we're
here for eff | wouldn't?
1T was at a wedding in my church
that the six-year-Old niece of the bride
groom caused a ripple of laughter.
With big eyes she watched the bridal
procession come up the aisle, and as
1t neared the altar she noticed her
uncle. who had come out Of the ves<
try and with his best man and me
awaited the bride in the chancel. Up
she jumped and. pointing q small fin
ger at the bridegroom, said In her shrill
baby voice. oh. mother, If there isn't
Uncle Bob with his best clothes on and
his everyday noser She had been told
by her uncle, who possessed an I'M
usually prominent nose. that when he
got married it would he shorter.
zone time after reading a ceremony
the bridegroom handed me a five dol
lar bill, saying. I'll give you two
Not understanding him. said. Thank
YOU and put 1t into my pocket. He
touched me on the shoulder and again
said, I'll give you two oh, you
want changer | inquired. He nodded.
and | handed him So"
One laughable wedding was that OF
a widow who married one Of her
boarders. She was a woman past for
~ -INtr WIN al lIC al > VI u ~ nun
girl, and amused all who knew her by
her references on all occasions to her
departed husband. John. In fact
John got 10 he a byword among all
who knew the widow. Among the
boarders was young fellow Of TWEEN
ty-five, who fell in love with the fair
relict Of the sainted John. and In a
short time the rOoTneTs were all in
vited to attend a wedding to be held
in the parlor.
The widow was large. tall and stout
and the bridegroom exceedingly small
for a man. and when on the night Of
the wedding the widow appeared at
the proper moment leading her pros
pective husband into the parlor. much
as a mother leads her little boy. even
the waiting clergyman had to suppress
O smile. After the ceremony had been
read and congratulatory speeches were
IN order the erstwhile widow excIaim-
ed with emotion. "Ch. II only my
poor. dear John we're here to see how
happy / am at this moment" Only
the perfect self control OF the guests
saved the situation.
II was in an Episcopal church that
superstitiOls bride tainted at the al
tar. just * the bridegroom was about
to put the ring on her finger his nerv-
Gus. sinking fingers dropped IT, and it
rolled away across the HOor The
bride. certain that some great calami-
ty would oyertake them. refused to 90
! On with the services and then tainted.