SOCIETY MARRIAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1935, Page 5

SOCIETY MARRIAGES

MOST OF THEM HAPPY LONDON. July 20. To’ygive praise for marriffd happiness, about 40 society Couples reviJted this week, St. Margaret’s. Westminster, the scene of their fashionable weddings. It was a simple service, in marked contrast to the publicity attending their marriage vows. There were no curious crowds —no camera men—no dress parade. Almost unnoticed, the former brides, escorted by their husbands, entered the beautiful old church and knelt at the altar to receive Communion. Some had been married only a year, others for many years. To all must have come vivid memories of their wedding day. Canon Carnegie, rector of St. Margaret’s. who conducted the service, said afterwards that he had originated the idea so that husband and wife could join in thanksgiving for the blessings of their married life and in prayer for their continuance. “St. Margaret’s,” he said, “is famous for its fashionable weddings, and 95 per cent, of the people I have united are living happily to-day. That should be a convincing answer to the accusation that the upper classes in this country are becoming indifferent to marriage vows. “Divorces have been few indeed. The pity is tiial we heffr a great deal about the couples who find their way to the divorce court. We hear too little about the great majority who are living decent, homely and happy married lives. It is not true that moral standards in married life have degenerated in English society circles. My own impression is that the standard now is higher than it was 50 years ago. despite the blatant theories advanced about free love and trial marrinses."'

The Bishop of Liverpool. Dr. A. A. David, preaching at a “Fellowship of Marriage" service, said that if a tenth of the time and labour devoted to preparing candidates for confirmation could be given to preparation lor marriage. many disasters might be avoided. “It must be confessed." he said, "that the Church has so far done very little to prepare men and women for married life. It warns them in stern language of the consequence of failure, but it does not offer them much help in preparing -for success."