"THERE'S MANY A SLIP."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 8999, 23 January 1906, Page 6

"THERE'S MANY A SLIP."

A WEDDING FRUSTRATED.

SCENE AT A CHURCH.

One would have to search in. the realms of fiction for the description of such a scene as that which actually took place at St. Mary's Church of England, Queensbury street, North, Melbourne, in the oariy hours of Friday, January 6. It was in connection with a marriage for which all arrangements had been, made. The prospective bride was a young woman of 22, residing with her parents at North Melbourne, and the bridegroom wa6 a State school teacher, of 34, carrying on his • profession only a few miles away, between Melbourne and Geelong. For some mason or another — probably the disparity in years, the fact that the parties were of different religions, or that thn bride had certain expectations — the marriage was strongly objected to by the relatives of the young woman, who made every effort to prevent it. The objections were duly noted by the bridegroom, and he made his plans accordingly. ' Evidently anticipating trouble, he made arrangements for the attendance of a constable, and Constable Curran duly presented himself. The i marriage was fixed to tales place between 6 and 7 a.m., at the house- of a friend of the bridegroom. It was close on 7 o'clock when a (stylish turnout, containing the ' bride and bridegroom,- two bridesmaids, \ and the lady who.. was to givei the bride uway, drove up to the church. The rector (the Rev. H. S. Begbie), in surplice and gown, was in waiting at the entrance to the vestry, and some dismay was caused amongst thei marriage party when it was seen that ha was engaged in earnest conversation with a sister, of the bride. The woman, a strong-minded peTson of aEout .35' summers, warmly grofcfsied against the} ceremony being proceeded

with, and as tlie party was about to enter the church she dung to the bride- boseeching her to think well on the step she was about to take. "For God's sake, stop !" she cried in piercing tones, which, brought Constable Cutran to the spot, The constable was appealed to by the minister to prevent such a scene, and the bridegroom made matters worse .by trying to drag his intended from the clutches of her sister. Finding that he was' uhable to restore ord«T, the constable in turn appealed to the clergyman, who said-, "I .can't celebrate tfi© marriage unless" the lady comes in of her own free will." Whilst the scene was being enacted at the vestry door a crowd gathered in tne street, amongst them being a number of drivers, who manifested a lively interest in the proceedings. Arguments were s£ill proceeding hotly at the door when the sister of the Bride, By a strategic movement, pushed her towards the gate and spirited her away, whilst the minister, evidently glad to be relieved from an intensely trying situation, made a move towards the manse.

The consternation of the bridegroom on finding that fie had been foiled was remarkable to behold. Raising his hands in an attitude of despair, he cried, "I am ruined!" and fell helpless and unconscious on the ground. Assistance was rendered to him, and he soon recovered, only to find, however, that there was no appearance of his bride, and that the onlookers were treating the whole affair in a most flippant' way. One of the drivers was heard to caUl out in facetious tones, "I say, Jack, if my wife had only treated me like that what a happy chap I'd be," at which there was a roar of laughter.