CHAPTER VIII.

Otago Witness, Issue 1862, 29 July 1887, Page 10

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BELGIAN MARRIAGE.

On the 10th January, Mr Langworthy anA his bride drove to 20 Avenue Rubens, fco'the house of the Rev. Dr Potts, aa American Presbyterian minister, where he told her he 3md arranged that the ceremony should be performed. She asked <l Why are we not going to the church ? " "It does not snatter," he, replied; "it makes no difference." Dr Potts confirmed Mr Langworthy's statements. "He had married several couples," he said, "there> both English and American." She was content. The Rev. Dr Potts, an elderly divine, was "duly ordained to the ministry of the Presby'fcerian Church of America. He was stationed •at Antwerp trom ISBO to 1884 as the representative of the New York Seamen's Friendly Society and the London Sailors* Friendly Society, preaching at the British and American chapel, or, as Is commonly called, the Sailors' Bethel, He was a tall, grey-haired, kindly New Yorker, married, •of course, and ready to marry any Englishspeaking couples who applied to him. When the firafe application was made to him to make two lovers man and wife he hesitated and consulted a member of Mb committee. He in turn consulted his lawyer, whoso dictum was as follows :— " Belgian Saw requires only a civil service, and leaves U to the option of the parties to choose their own religious service. Those not intending to reside in Belgium must be married civilly." From this the worthy pastor inferred that he was legally authorised to marry any foreigners by the Presbyterian service as long as they were Englishspeaking people. Such was the gist of the evidence which he gave afterwards before the special examiner of the High Court of Justice on March 18, 1885, and no one ever imputed to him any intention to act ia other than good faith. But Mr Langworthy, a barrister-at-law, could not have been unaware of the fact that in a country where no marriage contract is regarded as legal until ratified^ before the civil authorities, a merely religious ceremony, by whomsoever performed, was not legally valid. Mildred knew nothing of this. She was to be married by an English service ; that was enough. Mr Langworthy had told Dr iPotts that he was not a member of the €hurch of England; that he disliked the publicity of a wedding party ; that he preferred the Presbyterian service ; and so, without more ado, he had promised to marry them. And when, on January 10, 18S3, they arrived at2oAvenue Rubens, everything was ready for the marriage ceremony. Whatever may be thought of the ethics of sexual relationship, there is one point that even the most synical debauchee admits to be indefensible. To ruin a young life, to betray maiden innocence, to triumph in the destruction of a woman's honor— that according to the ethics of the man of the world is but a venial offence. But when to seduction there is added hypocrisy, when the voluptuary lulls the conscience of his victim to sleep by the sound of prayers and holy words, and when the cruellest wrong which one human being can do to another is accomplished by fraud, cloaked beneath the form of religion, that is crime for whioh even in the easy-going ethics of society there is neither palliation nor excuse. It vras the crime of which Mr Edward Martin Langworthy was guilty at No. 20 Avenue .ftubens, on January 10, ISS3.

The service began, according to the simple but beautiful ritual of the Presbyterian Church, with a prayer to the God of all truth and all compassion to witness the vows of the man and woman who, kneeling before His footstool, came to register their vows and enter into this lifelong contract as in His very presence. After the prayer the officiating minister addressed to the couple before him a little homily on the institution of marriage, its mutual relations, its solemn responsibilities. Then, turning to Mr Langworthy, he spoke as follows : "It is for you, the man, to remember that you will herein vow before God and men to be the friend, counsellor, and protector of her who is about to commit herself and her happiness to your keeping, and to cherish towards sier a manly, just, generous, and unchanging affection; for it is required in the Word of God that husbands shall love their wives, eveo as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it." And after addressing a similar exhortation to Mildred, he asked them both : "Are you prepared to make and you to witness these vows ?" And both answered, his voice sounding clear and loud above hers :

"lam."

Then, after another litt'e homily, he joined their right hands, exclaiming "We are ready to receive and witness your plighted faith." Turning to Mr Langworthy, he said : " JDo you, Edward, take Mildred, whom you hold by the hand, to be your wife, and do you covenant and promise in the presence of God and these witnesses that yon will be to her a loving and faithful

huab&nd £&&'&*& do separate you ? This you^ofltfoeV* And then Edward Martin Lattgworthy, in the presence of God and of the four_ or five witnesses, answerad dtatinctly, in the hearing of all in the room-, "I do."

" What pledge," GOUtihue'd 3>r i^otfre,, M &o you give that you will perform TftVj&e Vows ? " Ux L&ttgworthy pi-od'dced the wedding ring, the satoe that fes bought at Dumoret's In Parfe Jn 'Cnriatmas week, and handed it to me Minister. then, turning to the bride, he said i "fib you, Mildred, take him whom you 4K>W by the hand to be your husband) *n'A 'cio promise and covenant, in the pr^e'rice of God and before these wittoefetfSfc, that you will be to him a loving aM faithful wife until death do separ&fo you ? This you promise ? 'Atisl Mildred answered " I do." V{ And do you receive this ring in token of the same on your part ?" he asked, plaeittg It on her finger. Again she replied " I do." After this solemn covenant the little fco&v pany knelt in prayer He began? "AimS^hty God, who hath heard these Vows fn tifeaVen, Thy dwelling place,, blefcs fehls union, we pray Thee, to the gWy of Thy great and holy nanW Wrreix the {V Amen" had been uttered^ Br Potts performed the ceremony th&l in the Presbyterian service is known as Declaiming the Covenant *~

Now, therefore, It accordance with laws divine and human, and ie "consequence of thcao aolema engagements ttsaflc to each other and to God, I pronounce you Wideband and wife, in tho name of the Father and ttoo Son and the Holy Spirit. Tho Lord blesß you and keep you The Lord make His face shine upon yoUj and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance Hpon vfOttAnd give you peace. One word more and all WAS oVer. Turning to the witnesses toe fekclaimed : " Whom God hath jointed together let no unrighteousness of man put asunder. Amen." the ceremony was over. Dr Potts entered in his private register book the Coltowing entry ;—; —

'Antwerp Jan. 10, 1883. Edward Langwosfe^, England, widower, 35 years Old. Mildfed ft, Ltmgr, Belfast, Ire., maiden, 27 years old. Matrtage ceremony by the Rev. Arthur Potts.

i)r Potts drew up the following certificate of marriage, signed" by himself and by the witnesses — his wife and Mrs Bailey— and handed it to the bride :—: —

[Certificate ol marriage.) 20 Avenue Rubens, Antwerp, Belgium', „ , iO>IBB3. This Is to Oerfofy that Edward Lanfcworthy, of England, and Miss Mildred P. fcionß, of Belfast, Ire., vrete Joined in marriage by me this day. Aimfc/ft Potts, 'Chaplain or British and American Cbapel.

Witnnaspa J Mrs ARTIIOR Potts. witnesses j Mfg E 0 Batm;V Se then told her his name and address in ease any question should arise about the marriage-, and> bidding him good-bye, Mr and Mi % a Langworthy drove away. As they entered the carriage, Mr Lang' worthy took possession of the marriage certificate, and, clasping hie bride's hand, he said : "Is my dai-Hng teatisfied now, and happy?" She laughed merrily as she replied she was. "It is worth any sacrifice," he said, "to see my darling, my wife, smile brightly again." He made her swear that for a whole year she would npt disclose the marriage. He feared he might be disinherited if it were known. She asked him for the certificate of marriage, which he was twisting in hie fingers. " No," he replied, "I am going to give it to my solicitors for greater safety." " But," she argued, " won't that disclose our marriage?" "No," he said; "I will put it in an envelope and mark it « Private and important.' " They drove to the train. At the buffet there was no refreshment, only one bottle of sour claret — a eorry wedding breakfast, but one which in aftertime seemed a significant symbol of her married life.