WAITING AT THE CHURCH

Shannon News, 12 January 1923, Page 3

WAITING AT THE CHURCH

COMEDY Id' itEAL Llji'ii. A wedding celebrated at one of the Auckland churches just before Christ mas v, as characterised by a series ot situations which would have clone credit to the most fantastic of comedy plots, says I lie Auckland-". Star." It -was made-notable by no loss than throe false starts before the harasesd couple got. properly away -with a clear run for the matrimonial stakes, and, even then the event was complicated by a vexatious after-event. The first hitch in the piocess'of getting hitched was procrastination on the part of the bride, of whom there was no appearance till some considerable time after the hour set for the event. Parson, bridegroom, and best man fretted and fussed about the altar awaiting the belated lady ur.t'.l the clergyman announced that he had another important engagement to fill and could wait no longer, but promised to return as soon as he could get the other affair off his hands, in an hour or two. He had 'madly got beyond call Avhen the bride arrived, much heated and distressed over the delay that had been caused her and others by an obstacle at home. After a korcro the party decided to dispatch the best man for another clergyman rather than wait an hour for tin? one originally engaged, and he set off in a taxi to a distant suburb. Hardly had he got out of sight when the original clergyman turned up smiling, having made a rush job of his other engagement, and it was decided to g-

ahcad with the ceremony in the ab sence of the best man. This decisio" however, was momentarily held up b" discovery of the fact that the best mar had taker, the ring away with him, and there was another delay while a hu-f was made for a substitute ring This was at last obtained, and the ceremoi:*was proceed'tip: when the best man a;•ived in time for the original ring to be uved for its destined purpose, and ti" a.flair ended happily. Some time later the custodian of the vestry came alon" to !oe'; up. and to make the d'scovc thai: a p".ir of gold sleeve links wh'was included in the vos'ry property v missing, with the result that n pc>! interrogation veas ndd'-d to the sowannoyances suffered by the parties co corned in lhat particular wedding.

probably did not mitigate their fmrd cross to any great extent to know th:-' there had been other weddings in Unchurch the same day. and a number r. r other persons shared with them IVvexation of inquires about the miss'i - ' - golden links. Taken all in all there were incidents and omens enough abou' that wedding to have satisfied the most bloodthirsty village oracle in the superstitious Victorian days, and probably > have turned the affair into a matter v e real and lasting unhappincss for the principals, instead of just a passing comedy of coincidences providing humour for n !. r o').-l honrvinor.ii lauch.