JК
The Gate House :: Demille Nelson
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I gotsilly and said, “It is my intention, Mr. Stanhope, to ask you for your daughter’s hand in marriage, and also to ask you and Mrs. Stanhope for your blessing.”
He may have remembered this from last time around, and sentimental old fool that he was, he was going to get teary-eyed and say, “I am proud and honored to call you my future son-in-law.”
Actually, he snorted.
“Sir?”
“ Blessing? ” He snorted again, and said, “We do not and never will bless this marriage.”
“Then, I suppose, a generous dowry is out of the question.”
“ Dowry? Surely you jest.”
“Well… yeah.”
While we were on the subject of blessings and the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, I said to him, “I am a little annoyed with you, William, for discussing this with Father Hunnings.”
He didn’t seem surprised that I knew about that – it’s usually part of the deal that when you go to a priest with your problem about a fellow parishioner, the priest then goes to that parishioner. That’s the point.
I don’t think I’d want to be a priest – all sorts of people unburden themselves to you, and ask for advice, or guidance, or as with William, they’re trying to recruit God through you, to do some heavy lifting for them.
In any case, William had given some consideration to my statement, and said, “My going to Father Hunnings should not annoy you, John. You should welcome the offer of pastoral counseling.”
I replied, “You don’t want Susan and me to marry – so what type of pastoral counseling are we actually talking about?”
He explained, “The type that would make you understand that what is best for you is not necessarily best for your bride-to-be.”
“I see. Well, I think I’ve already gotten that opinion from you. So why are you involving Father Hunnings in this?”
“I hope I don’t need to explain to you that in our religion, prenuptial counseling is a condition of marriage in the church.”
“Well, there is counseling, and then there is counseling. Why do I feel that you’ve already put the fix in?”
“Are you suggesting that I’ve… influenced Father Hunnings-?”
“I think prejudiced him is a better word. And perhaps offered him an incentive to counsel Susan against this marriage.”
“That is an outrageous statement.”
“Nevertheless, I stand by it.”
“Then I will need to repeat your accusation to Father Hunnings.”
“You will if it’s not true, but you won’t if it is.
I gotsilly and said, “It is my intention, Mr. Stanhope, to ask you for your daughter’s hand in marriage, and also to ask you and Mrs. Stanhope for your blessing.”
He may have remembered this from last time around, and sentimental old fool that he was, he was going to get teary-eyed and say, “I am proud and honored to call you my future son-in-law.”
Actually, he snorted.
“Sir?”
“ Blessing? ” He snorted again, and said, “We do not and never will bless this marriage.”
“Then, I suppose, a generous dowry is out of the question.”
“ Dowry? Surely you jest.”
“Well… yeah.”
While we were on the subject of blessings and the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, I said to him, “I am a little annoyed with you, William, for discussing this with Father Hunnings.”
He didn’t seem surprised that I knew about that – it’s usually part of the deal that when you go to a priest with your problem about a fellow parishioner, the priest then goes to that parishioner. That’s the point.
I don’t think I’d want to be a priest – all sorts of people unburden themselves to you, and ask for advice, or guidance, or as with William, they’re trying to recruit God through you, to do some heavy lifting for them.
In any case, William had given some consideration to my statement, and said, “My going to Father Hunnings should not annoy you, John. You should welcome the offer of pastoral counseling.”
I replied, “You don’t want Susan and me to marry – so what type of pastoral counseling are we actually talking about?”
He explained, “The type that would make you understand that what is best for you is not necessarily best for your bride-to-be.”
“I see. Well, I think I’ve already gotten that opinion from you. So why are you involving Father Hunnings in this?”
“I hope I don’t need to explain to you that in our religion, prenuptial counseling is a condition of marriage in the church.”
“Well, there is counseling, and then there is counseling. Why do I feel that you’ve already put the fix in?”
“Are you suggesting that I’ve… influenced Father Hunnings-?”
“I think prejudiced him is a better word. And perhaps offered him an incentive to counsel Susan against this marriage.”
“That is an outrageous statement.”
“Nevertheless, I stand by it.”
“Then I will need to repeat your accusation to Father Hunnings.”
“You will if it’s not true, but you won’t if it is.