WEDDING BELLS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 15

WEDDING BELLS.

At St. Mary's Church, Nelson, on Monday week last, a wedding which attracted a large assemblage of friends and wellwishers of the contracting parties was celebrated. The bride was Miss I. L. M. Broad, eldest daughter of the late Judge Broad, and tho bridegroom, Mr 0. C. Cooper, a son of Mr G. S. Cooper, of Wellington, formerly Under-Secretary for the Colony. The bride —who was given away by her uncle, Mr A. R. Bunny, of Masterton—wore a handsome dress of white silk, trimmed with whito chiffon. She carried a bouquet of chrysanthemums and cosmea. tier travelling costume was of brown cloth. Tho chief bridesmaid was Miss '/,. Uroad, sist9i" of the bride, and the .Misses [j. and P. Riddiford and M. and C. Huuuy of the Wairarapa, all cousins of (lie bride. All tho bridesmaids (excepting the two youngest who wore pure white dresses and curried baskets of flowers) wero dressed in white silk, and pink and green sad.".-; and black velvet hats. Tho chief bridesmaid wore a gold bangle, and the. others gold initial

brooches gifts of tho bridegroom. Mr E. L Broad assisted as best man, and the groomsmen were bis brothers, C. and W. Ijroad. Mr and Mrs E. J. Riddiford, of tho Hutt, Wellington, Mr and Mrs E. V. Bunny, of Wellington, and Miss Cooper, also of Wellington, wero among tie guests. The officiating clergyman was the Rev Father Mahoney. That Mr and Mrs Cooper received the best wishes of many friends was manifested by the large number of valuable presents, among which may be mentioned a handsome canteen of silver cutleiy given by Messrs Barnaul and Abrahams, of Palmerston North, in whose service the bridegroom is, besides some 1-1- or 15 cheques for handsome amounts. Mr and Mrs Cooper will reside at l-'eilding.

Waitaria Bay, Kenepuru, write., a correspondent, was the scene ofja pretty wedding on Wednesday, 29th of April, when Mr Walter Hamilton was married to Miss Margaret Henderson, second surviving daughter of Mr W.Henderson, of Kenepuru. Tho wedding ceremony was performed by tho Ilev E. Ensor. The bride, who was given away by her father, was accompanied by two bridesmaids (sisters of the bride) dressed alike in very pretty

costumes of pink muslin with waist-bands, collars and cull's of white material. 'J he bride wore a lovely gown of cream Indian muslin, with lace on the bodice. Her veil was of tulle embroidered round the edge with white silk, and hung under a spray ol orange blossom. Tho bouquet was composed of white chrysanthemums and rose-buds. The bridesmaids carried beautiful pink and yellow chrysanthemums. Alter the ceremony an excellent breakfast was provided by the bride's parents, and toasts were proposed by the Lev. E. Elisor, Mr J. Henderson and others, which were warmly responded to. A dance was given in the evening, to which a large number of guests assembled. Dancing was kept up fill the "wee sma' hours," and a very eir/.yablo night was spout. The room was very prettily decorated with nikau palms. The bride's travelling dress consisted of a dark green serge trimmed with green watered silk of a lighter shade, and hat to match. The bride and bridegroom loft by the s.s. Torca for their future home at Nor'-West Hay on the following morning, bearing with thorn the good wishes of all their friends. Mrs Hamilton was the recipient of a largo number of very handsome presents.

It is not often that so many persons are present at a marriage ceremony as were gathered together at the Skating Kink on Sunday afternoon, when a Hallelujah wedding took place, the contracting parties 'being Mr Harry Baker, a member of the ! Salvation Army Hand, and Miss 11. M. j Hughes, who has been connected with tho Army for some years. There were at least j 1500 persons in the building. The bride j and bridegroom, with their friends, occupied seats on the stage, or, as the StaffCaptain facetiously called it, "the shelf," facing tho audience, the rear portion of which was occupied by a number of girls wearing blue sashes and boys with red. sashes. The bride was attired in Army costume, wearing a whito sash and white gloves ; the bridegroom being also in Army uniform. Several hymns were sung, after which Staff- Captain Edwards prayed that God would bless the ceremony, and that their comrades wdio were about to bo joined in the bonds of matrimony would' have His aid in treading the rugged paths of life. Addressing those present, lie said that their comrades had been waiting for some time to consummate this ceremony, but this was the zenith, the climax of their waiting. Not alone was he ready to perform the ceremony for those on the stage, but he was prepared to accommodate any others wishing to enter the married state. This was the sixteenth marriage ho had celebrated in Wellington since ho came here twelve months ago, which showed that matters were improving. The children on the stage sang " The Great Review." The Staff-Captain then read tho articles of marriage, according to the Salvation Army, after which the bride and bridegroom stood forward, standing under tho Army flag. When the contracting parties had answered severally, " I will," to tho question if they were to take each other for better for worse, the Staff-Captain interpolated with " That's good." At the conclusion of the ceremony a number of little girls presented the bride with numerous bouquets, after which the chorus, "Joy, joy, j-y," w.is rendered by all present. The newly-wedded pair then come forward at tho invitation of the staff-captain and gave testimony. During the taking of the collection Sister Aberhart sang a solo. The bridesmaids were .Miss Hughes, sister of the bride, and Miss Baker, sister of the bridegroom, the best man being Mr Baker, brother of the bridegroom, 'the bride was given away !

|»v her brother, .Mr Hughes. Tie.' colleetiuu amounted to.-, little over J£\:). On leaving tie: Kink the happy pair were greeted with the orthodox showers of rice, and many wero the good wishes expressed for their future happiness.

A little- girl of Me!,:, I t years old, mimed Louise Fuciis, has just been condemned to eight days' imprisonment for having in-

sulted the German Emperor. The insult consisted in writ in;; a private letter to one of her little friends, in which there was

something disrespectful to His Majesty. Such sentences are quite common in AJsacoLorraino.

As the sum of over ,£9OOO subscribed by the public bOme years ago for the of Sir Henry Parkes will be divided among the children by the first marriage. Lady Parkes has praotioady been lull unprovided for, as well as the five children by the second wife. " f shall h-'vo to lace the world alone with five young children." said Lady Parkes, with tears in her eyes, to a, reporter. " Thev are all very young," she added, "the e1d,,.,:. being j". and the youngest throe years and eight months, and it v. ill be many years before they will be aide to earn their owe living-."