BALCLUTHA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 04, Issue 6, 4 June 1897, Page 18

BALCLUTHA.

There was quite a stir in the township on Tuesday afternoon (says the (lutlm L, ,/drr of Friday List), the occasion being the marriage ot Mis S Albina (Cissy ) Dunne to Mr. N.J. Moloney, of the Kail way Department. Oamaru. 'I he ceremony was performed in the Roman Catholic Church by the \ cry Key. Father O'Neill. The weather was beautifully line, and there was a very large gathering at the church, which was uncomfortably filled, standing room being hardly available : there must have been close on, if not quite, 200 people present. The parents of the biide are \ cry old residents of Balclutha, and no doubt the majority of those present intended their presence at the marriage ceremony as a token of pood will and best wishes towards their daughter on her wedding day, known as she was from her childhood day-, to a large proportion of tho?e present : although, no doubt the opportunity of witnessing the marriage ceremony of the Roman Catholic Church was a matter of no small interest to many. The church was tastefully decorated with chrysanthemums and greenery. The bride was given awnj by her father. Her maids were her sisters-. Miss Francie Dunne and Miss Tottie Dunne, and Miss Tessie O'Neill and Miss Maggie Moloney. The groom was attended by his brother, Mr. M. Moloney. as »room o man. The marriage ceremony was concise, the formula itself being almost the same as the Presbyterian or Anglican, the ceremonial portion being indeed shorter than either of those of the churches just named. The young couple being declared man and wite, and blessed with holy the Rev. Father officiating administered some timely advice and exhortation for their future guidance in life. At the conclusion of the service Niss Nellie Thornhill. who presided at the harmonium, played Mendelsohn's •' Wedding March." On going out of the church on their return from the vestry, the eagerness ot some of the newly-married couple's well-wishers to convey their greetings in the time-honoured custom ot a shower of rice was temporarily damped by Father O'Neill asking them to kindly desist till they got outside ; but it was only temporal ily so. as- the liberal showers afterwards clearly testified. The wedding breakfast, a tastefully-laid sumptuous repast, was held in the large dining room of the Crown Hotel, at which about fifty persons, mostly relatives and personal friends of the respective families of the bride and bridegroom were present. The toast of health and happiness to the newly-married couple was proposed by Mr. John Find lay in felicitous terms, and supported in eloquent phrases by Mr. George Thomson. The Very Rev. Father O'Xeill responded on behalf of the bridegroom, in a brief but appropriate and humorous speech. The health of the bride's parents was proposed by Mr. Thomson and Mr. J. W. Wilson in complimentary terms, and duly acknowledged by Mr. Dunne on behalf of himself and Airs Dunne. The newly-married couple left for the North by the express, the large crowd that gathered at the station raising three cheers as the train moved off.

The bride was attired in a brown cloth dress stylishly trimmed with cream paw mniti Wr, and pretty violet velvet picture hat trimmed with brown tips and violets, and carried shower bouquet

of white chrysanthemums. The bridesmaids wore blue cloth dresses and black velvet hats. They were the recipients of gold bangles and brooches from the bridegroom. The bride's going away dress was a navy-blue serge costume with black velvet picture hat.

Amongst the presents, which were numerous was a handsome travelling bag, presented to the bridegroom by the railway staff at Oamaru ; railway album, presented by their ron/i n v at Clinton, and others. Amongst the bride's presents were : — A very handsome mirror backed rimu sideboard, mirror-doored wardrobe, upholstered platform rocker, cut-glass cruet, electro egg-stand, salad bowl. oik biscuit barrels, electro butter-cooler, handsome fish knife and fork, set carvers, one dnz^n dinner knives cheque, electro cruet. pedestal clock, coal scuttle, electro sugar basin* ml jelly dishes. shaded glass toilet set, large carved hanging mirror, Rochester lamp, hall clock, albums, photo frames, cheque, hand-painted mirror on easel, dinner set. serviette rings, half-dozen silver tea spoons, cruet (breakfast), umbrella s-ichet. silver salver, cushions. silver butter cooler, claret jus", half dozen tea spoons, epersrne. set electro salt-cellars, gold biooch. Japanese paper rac'<. gold cable bracelet, dressing case, bedroom settee, gold spoon brooch, half -dozen table spoons, pair vases, halt-dozen afternoon tea spoons, sugar spoon, cheque, afternoon tea set, gold brooch .^half-dozen dessert spoons, two travelling rugs, marcella quilt, d oyleys, pillow-shams va«es. barometer, butter-cooler, tray-doths. pin cushions. va«e*. lady's companion, oak tray. *et carvers, lamp. plu*hca«y chair, toilet set. Gladstone bag. travelling riv_r with ioot and book pocket, dessert knives, clock (presented by Catholic choir), table linen, pair Florentine vase*, handsome overmantle, electro jelly dish, marble clock, two rosewood occasional chairs.