The Washington herald., 1922-12-04
PUBLICITY STOPS !.
F. PRAYER NUPT|ALS
Bride Writes Pastor Note, Say
ing She Can't Stand
Notoriety.
By Internatssr.l New. Service.


EAST ORANGE. N. j.. Dec. g.
Rev. George H. Lawson, evangelist
and former professional baseball
player. whose prayers for a wife
seemed to have been answered
when Mrs. May Mason. a wealthy
widow. came into his life. failed
to preach his promised nuptial ser.
mon tonight on the text The
Woman Thou Gavest Me-"
The reason was that Mrs. Mason
failed to show up at the Peoples
Evangelical Church this afternoon
for her nuptials with the clergy
man.
When the engagement was an
nounced about ten days ago Rev.
Lawson told reporters Mrs. Mason
had come to him in answer to his
prayers for a cohpanion.. News
papers in New York and adjacent
cities went to- the story and edi-
torials were printed upon the eff
cacy Of prayer.
spread publicity. On Thanksgiving
@NJ eAAN oiio q POI VI III ut-
parted for Atlantic City, the bride.
to-be leaving behind a note for the
groom saying she was very sorry,
but would not be able to keep her
marriage engagement
To say that the evangelist was
flabbergasted Is putting 1t mildly.
He had begun to make preparations
for a cozy home and had visions of
an easy chair and slippers.
When he became convinced Mrs.
Mason was in earnest and that he
was in grave danger of being left
waiting at the church, Rev. Lawson
was said to contemplate court action,
but only for q moment. He decided
the proper thing to do was to be pa.
tient and pray for his fiancee's re.
turn.
Rev. Lawson went for a long walk
today. returning home after six
o'clock. The wedding had been set
for three o'clock this afternoon. He
left a group of newspapermen and
a pianist waiting at the church. The
minister indicated Mrs. Mason's
friends have convinced him a private
wedding at some future time would
be advisable.
He strenuously denied the impli
cation that Mrs. Mason's money had
anything to do with his desire to
marry her.
Mr.. Lawson admitted he had re.
ceived word Saturday his prospec.
tive bride would be ION time" for
the wedding Yesterday morning
however. he admitted, mutual friends
came with word from Mrs. Mason
that everything would be all right
in the end providing the publicity
was halted, but that the ceremony
could not take place at the appoint
ed time.
The minister said:
Personally I am not opposed to
publicity, but I must consider the
personal request of the woman I
love and end 1t. If II is con-
tinued 1t will only separate us
and drive away. my little flock.
will give Mrs. Mason a chance
to recover from the effects of the
notoriety and within short time
we will be married privately. The
time and place will be kept secret.
Mrs. Mason asked that I be told
she has not broken our engage
ment and has no intention of
doing SO. -
The evangelist was plainly both.
cred by intimations that he had re
ceived letters from women through
out the country and that should his
prayer fiancee" fail to wed him ne
would seek consolation elsewhere
He said:
If I do not marry Mrs Mason,
l will not marry any one.
The publicity given our intended
marriage finally got on my nerves
also. can understand now what
it meant to a woman of delicate
sensibilitieS