Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 20.pdf/124

 THE MARRIAGE OF THE GOVERNOR OF ILOCOS NORTE

75

that since we had left the province he had. A week or two after our return above become engaged to a young lady, and had described, one morning about 7 o'clock I postponed the marriage ceremony in order emerged from my sleeping quarters into to have it solemnized by the Judge of the an anteroom connecting with the dining District. He said that his brother, the room where breakfast was waiting. In the priest, was very anxious to perform the anteroom I found the Governor and his ceremony, and had even used moral per intended. They had been waiting there suasion upon him, by suggesting the possi since daybreak, but he did not wish to bility that a purely civil marriage might disturb the slumbers of his friend. How not be valid in the absence of the sanction ever, after an interchange of greetings it of the Mother Church. The Governor said appeared that the Governor had failed in he proposed to show the priests of that diplomacy, and had that morning before province that he was the head of the daybreak climbed to the upper window province, the supreme authority of the of the home of the bride to be, by means of province, and that he was not dependent a ladder, and had carried her off in his arms upon ecclesiastical sanction for anything after the fashion of the Spanish Cavaliers whatsoever. He wished also to make it clear of the long ago. From the house they had to the people of the province that under come to my house and had been waiting the present benign government which the there ever since, and now desired to be United States had instituted in the Islands, married forthwith. The marriage law re the people were now emancipated from quired ceYtain preliminary investigations priestly tyranny. He proposed to give to by the officer performing the ceremony as the people of his province an object lesson to the age of the girl, the consent of her to this effect. It was hard to convince family, etc. It therefore became necessary them that anything of importance could to explain this to the applicants, and that be done without the sanction of the priest it would hardly be possible to perform the hood. The solemnization of the marriage ceremony before night time. I had entered of their Chief Executive by a temporal quite thoroughly into the delightfully authority would serve this end. It would romantic features of the situation, but show that God's blessing might rest upon viewed from the official side, the moral this union as much so as if it had been effect upon the community toward empha consummated under the auspices of the sizing the complete separation of Church spiritual authorities. and State under our form of government During this last stage of our journey would be greater if there were some pomp the Governor also explained in confidence and ceremony connected with making these that the family of his lady love objected two one. Like a great many other people to the marriage, but that his intended was outside the pale of the Episcopal Church, of full age. He was evidently very much I have always considered their form for the in love with the girl, and also very conscious marriage ceremony infinitely more beautiful of the fact that he was Governor of the than any impromptu remarks of which any province. He was quite impatient at the couple desiring to be married have ever unwillingness of the family to accede to been made victims through the garrulity the wish of so distinguished a person as of ministerial egotism. If the ceremony himself, their Chief Magistrate. It seemed should be performed that evening, say as almost " lese majcstt." However, he knew his late as 8 o'clock, the Episcopal marriage beloved would be unhappy after the marriage ritual could be put into Spanish and the if. permanently estranged from her people, Court Room properly arranged for the and this he wished to avoid by diplomacy. ceremony. So the impatient lovers were