Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 279, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1914 — Poor Mrs. Smith. [ARTICLE]

Poor Mrs. Smith.

A minister was recounting some of his amusing experiences In marrying people. “There’s an old custom,” said he, “that the bridegroom shall kiss the bride Immediately after the marriage ceremony is over. It’s a good, practical custom, for it serves more handily than anything else that I know of to dissipate the awkward pause that almost always follows a simple, informal ceremony. For this reason I keep the custom alive. “One day a man whom I shall call Smith came to the parsonage to be married. Mr. Smith was a pompous, consequential little man. The prospective Mrs. Smith Was a line, winsome girt After the ceremony, Mr. Smith, in spite of his pomposity, did not seem to know just what was the next thing to do, so, as is my practice in such emergencies, I said: 'My dear sir, it is your privilege to salute the bride.’ He turned around and extending his hand formally, said: ‘Mrs. Smith, I congratulate you.’”