SIX HUNDRED MARRIAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14235, 4 December 1909, Page 5

SIX HUNDRED MARRIAGES.

" How many marriages have you celebrated since you have held the position of registrar of births, marriages, and deaths?" asked counsel, Mr. T. M. Wilford, in the Supreme Court in Wellington recently, 'the witness replied, Oh, well, probably about 600." "Then," said counsel, "you have had a fairly considerable . experience > of ceremonies—perhaps 1 should say functions —in these makers?" The reply.was quietly affirmative. "And you, in your capacity of registrar, have had to marry all sorts of people. You have been asked to marry the elderly level-beaded woman who has been through the ceremony before, • who knows all about it, and who takes the whole matter with just as cool equanimity as if she were simply saying, 'Would you kindly pass the mustard. " (Laughter.) " Yes," said the unoffending registrar, " that is so." " And, of course, you have in your official capacity seen many cases in which the brides were blushing damsels, who were so timorous that they put up the wrong finger for the bridegroom to put the ring on?" (Laughter.) "Yes, that is so," said the registrar, meditatively. " And possibly you have seen instances when the bride has been so interested In tho proceedings that she has eagerly said Yes* in the wrong placeT , "Yes.' (Laughter.) , " :.