Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1909 — Making Matrimony Pleasant. [ARTICLE]

Making Matrimony Pleasant.

At a wedding in Greater New York the other day the guests engaged in the usual pleasantry of throwing rice at the newly married couple upon their departure. The bride and bridegroom received this invocation to the goddess of good fortune in the proper spirit of appreciation, but unfortunately some of the rice kernels lodged In the bridegroom’s ear, immediately causing intense pain, which increased until it became necessary for the bridal journey to be postponed while the sufferer was given medical attention. An operation was performed and te Intruding rice was removed from the man's ear, and then the tour was started. The bridegroom in this case was fortunate. He might have been hit in the head with an old shoe. He might have been star performer in a runaway accident as the horses of the bridal chariot became frightened at the joyous cheers. of the assembled

multitude or at the floating ribbons fastened to their harness by the merrymakers. Weddings nowadays are no light and tame affaire. They have reverted to the ancient type of barbaric force and valor, wheh the bridegroom won his bride by the exercise of the big stick. As long as the custom of speeding a bridal couple with ribald cheers and flying mlßSles continues accidents will happen, and bridegrooms will be Injured and possibly slain in the melee. The other day a bride was dragged a square by horses that had been frightened by a shoe flung at her by an unskillful hand as Bbe was about to enter the carriage. This was a triumph of tbs joke matrimonial. And yet, despite such handicaps, the marriage institution Is maintained and the license clerks are kept working over time—Washington Star.