Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-16
BY SEWELL FORD


lister. the best man, the maid Of honor.
bridesmaids and ushers. The. clock
hands point to two minutes OF the an
pointed hour. The organist has begun
the prelude. The people in the packed
pews whisper and crane their necks to
look at the doors. Why? Because they
are conscious that a dramatic climax
has arrived. They feel the thrill OF un-
certainty. VIII the show go on as sched-
uled? 1t Is time. The hour Is being
doomed out on the big bell In the steeple.
A minute has gone past, nearly two.
Can anything have happened to
the bride? Has she tainted. per-
haps; or can't the modiste get her
veil to hang right? Or is it the groom
who causes the delay? Buzz-buzz!
go the tongues of the gossips. Maybe
the best man missed his train. Or the
boy from the florists got lost with
the bridal bouquet"
Say, I'll be hanged If you amt
maxim me nervous" breaks in.
And look at Bedford. Why, he's
ready to paw with his front foot"
mot as yet" says Bedford. go on
with the agony, Garry. With an
imagination like that you ought to be
q life insurance solicitor"
But I'm not drawing on my i'm.
agination in the least" insists Garry.
Amy of these tragic things may oc-
cur-have occurred. Pinckney. you
remember how Billy Dean almost
forgot about the wedding license and
was scorching back with it when he
was arrested for speeding? And it was
two hours before he could raise the
cash bail, with several hundred peo-
pie waiting in the church and the
brides mother in Mysteries. And how
many times. wonder, have the we'd
ding rings been mislaid, packed in
the going-away bags, or left on the
car seat? 1 heard of one groom who
was so fearful of making this mis-
take that he tucked ring in either
toe of his dress shoes, and had to sit
down on the altar steps. in full view
of every one, and fish them out.
"All silly tommyrot, Of course, but
very real tragedies. So are the little
ills and ails that come unbidden at
such times, listing not who they light
on. I've seen bride with the snuf-
fes who wiped her red-tipped nose
between every I wilt I've seen them
limp down the aisle, from a sprained
ankle, acquired that very morning.
And a groom with a perfectly out
rageous boil on his neck. Couldn't help
1t, poor things. The spectacle had
been arranged. The show must go
on"
"You must admit. though. Garry"
puts in Pinckney, that very often
nothing Of the kind happens; every
one shows up sound and well, and the
show, as you call it. does go on"
Even So" says Garry, then where
are you? We will concede that at
three minutes past the whole we'd
ding party has been assembled in
front of the church. Let's hope it's
not raining. Here they come, dodg-
ing from the motor cars under the
canopy and past the grinning mob of
strangers gathered to catch a glimpse.
Word has been passed to the organist,
who swings into the opening bars of
the wedding march. The procession
moves. Anything joyous about it, or
impressive, or even dignihed? Try
keeping step to the wedding march,
either Of them, without doing a kind
OF top-heavy sway. complicated by
SPAWN and improving toenails. Turn
tum-te-tum! In the usual slow time.
March. Ell? For bow-legged sailor,
staggering back to his shin After
forty-eight hours of shore leave UNI
wisely spent. But not a tune that
normal human beings should be ask
ed to march to. Oh. IL you can hold
one foot in the air during two beats
and still keep moving. you can hold
the rhythm. But not otherwise.
Yet there they go: ushers, pretty
bridesmaids. flower girl. and the
blushing bride on the arm of a be-
wildered parent. who is trying to
look solemn and fatherly. but h fill
ed with vague protest at being
dragged into this silly woman's at.
fair; all tum-tum- te- tuning as best
they can. and being quite as graceful
and stately about 1t as II walking
over ploughed field in the dark.
Somehow or other. though. they ar.
rive; and IL they have luck, they
group themselves without upsettine
any OF the potted ferns. The miniss
ter begins. The rings are produced.
The Who giveth' question is asked,
and as the bewildered father retires,