AN AMAZING MARRIAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 250, 19 October 1907, Page 9

AN AMAZING MARRIAGE.

Probably most of your readers have" heard the story*.of the absent-minded clergyman who got horielessly mixed up/ between ah announcement of a" public baptism- of infants and.one relating to the issue of new hyirin books. His mind wandered, and he convulsed'his congregation by requesting mothers to be "in * the vestry with their babies at such" a " time, and adding dreamily, '.' All who •'•■ "have not' already provided themselves with them, can obtain "them from the verger, in limp'covers for-a, shilling, or with extra stiff backs for eighteenpenee.'» This absent-minded cleric must "take a' back seat" to the parson who officiated: -*' -at a weddingthattook'piace "a" few'daysago in Isle "Abots, a Somerset, village; near Ilminster. He conducted What must be the most amazing marriage celebrated in a church of any denomination. "*" As soon as the ~couple~had~ taken"up their position before the rails, they were amazed- to hear "the --officiating clergyman recite an excerpt-from the Burial Service: ~ "-We therefore commit their' bodies to the ground; earth to' earth, ashes to ashes ... "''-.; , He continued reading until the indignant pair reminded him of the object - 'of their presence, whereupon he'hada-fresh try. , This . was . little ' better. He launched into the Order for Public Baptism of Infants. At the next.attempt he got on the right track, but" when the ■ ring was placed on the brick's finger the reverend gentleman said, " Peaces per- •. feet peace." ' '"_' '•' . . -. ; ":." As practically everything but the marriage service hadbeen touched upon doubt existed in the minds of the contracting parties as to. the strict legality of. : the ceremony, so the best man cycled xnt<i" a neighhouring town and obtained another clergyman, who tied the knot, in the conventional manner. It has transpired that the cause, of the Isle Abots clergyman's peculiar conduct was a mental-breakdown brought about by financial troubles. Interviewed by a reporter, the clergyman stated that as to -what occurred in the church his .mind, was a blank. He had, it appeared, I suffered from: sunstroke in Soutli AJrica,:: j and that,' together with his daughter's I death and his subsequent bankruptcy, I lironght on. insomnia. The Bishop of I Bath and Wells has suspended him from faking clerical duty in the diocese peni. I ing an investigation into his conduct.