In ordinary speech, a man who is engaged, but not yet married to a lady, when speaking of her, will say: “My intended,” or “My fiance.” The young lady, on a similar occasion, will say the same.
Generally, English girls receive no marriage portion (weddingdower) on marrying, as a man is obliged to maintain his wife and children himself.
On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom and bride with the best-man and bride’s-maids, family and friends, go to church for the wedding service. There they are joined in matrimony by the
clergyman, who slips a wedding-ring on the bride’s ring-finger. This ring she wears for the rest of her life.
When the ceremony is over, all go back to the house, where the lady has been living, to the wedding-breakfast. The prominent feature of the wedding-breakfast is the highly-decorated “wedding-cake.” After the guests have drunk the bride’s and bridegroom’s healths, the happy newly-married couple take leave and depart on their honeymoon or to their new home.
According to an old English custom, they get pelted, at the moment of leaving the room, with handfuls of rice or with old shoes and slippers, which is supposed to bring them good luck.
5. A FAMILY
When two persons are married, the man is called the husband; the woman becomes his wife. When a child is bom in the family, the father and mother of the child are called parents. A family generally consists of a father, a mother and children — sons or daughters or both. The first bom child is the eldest, the last bom — the youngest. Two children that are bom together are called twins.
The father and mother of the husband become the father-in- law (in law — by marriage), and mother-in-low of the wife. The husband is the son-in-law; the wife — the daughter-in-law; they have brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
The other members of the family are the relatives or relations: uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.
The brothers and sisters of any of the parents become the uncles and aunts of the children. The children of two married brothers or sisters or brother and sister are cousins to each other.
In case of a second marriage, we speak of a step-father or a step-mother, step-son, step-daughter, etc.
IL Meeting People
1. ON WEATHER
P. Hello, Nick! Where have you been hiding all this time?
N. I? I was on vacation down south.
P. Really! Enjoyed the time?
N. Half and half.
P. What do you mean by half and half?
N. Because of the weather, you know.
P. What was it like there?
N. Changeable. During the first 10 days we had all kinds of weather varying from clear, bright days to rain and cold.
P. And later?
N. And later it improved. We had a spell of fine weather for, at least, a fortnight.
P. Bathed in the sea? Where were you, by the way?
N. No, I happened to be in the country this year.
P. Oh, you get less fun in the country than at the seaside, don’t you?
N. Well, in some respects, yes, but on the other hand you have the river, the woods, the —.
P. Went about hunting?
N. Not much. On the eve of my departure we did a bit of rabbiting and got caught in the rain. I was wet like a drowned cat.
P. You should have taken an umbrella.
N. And be the laughing stock of the village, eh?
P. I was just joking, Nick.
N. Well, and how was it here?
P. The weather, you mean?
N. Yes.
P. On the whole it was all right. Rather snappy in the morning ... you don’t forget that it’s autumn now.
N. Oh yes. I feel it right now. Should have taken my overcoat ... brrr —. Better get going. Well, see you by and by.
P. So long.
2. A MEETING
EDWARD: Good Lord! If it isn’t George!
G. No other.
E. Let me shake your crab.
G. Yes, and let me do the same.
E. What good wind brings you here?
G. I’m here on business.
E. What a small place the world is, after all!
G. Indeed it is.
E. I could have never thought of meeting you here in this out of the way place.
G. Same me. How are you, anyway?
E. Middling, and you?
G. Pretty well, thank you.
E. Well, well, George! It’s good to see you again after all these years.
G. Yes, and I am glad to meet you too.
E. You have changed a great deal.
G. In what respect?
E. You are thinner.
G. Yes?
E. Older, too.
G. I wouldn’t say that you look younger, eh?
E. Well, where have you put up?
G. I haven’t got fixed up yet. I’m right from the station.
E. How long do you intend to stay here?
G. For a day or two, I suppose.
E. Well, that’s fine. What about staying at my house? We could talk to our heart’s content then.
G. I’d be only too glad if —.
E. If what?
G. I wouldn’t be in your way. You are married, I suppose?
E. Yes, I’m a family man in the full sense of that word — I have a wife and a daughter.
G. Really! Well, I’d like to get acquainted with them.
E. Come along then.
G. All right. Thanks.
3. AN APPOINTMENT
TOM: Hello, George! What luck running into you.
GEORGE: Hello, Tom! Where did you spring from?
T. From the nowhere. And where have you been hiding all this time?
G. I was away.
T. I extremely wished to meet with you, you know.
G. Did you?
T. Yes, I tried to get you on the phone, but I was told you were out.
G. When was that?
T. Oh, about an hour ago.
G. Oh, yes, I’d (had) left by then.
T. Are you engaged this evening?
G. What made you ask?
T. I was just wondering if you could help me in a piece of work that I have to do?
G. Something on your diploma work?
T. Yes.
G. All right. When will you come round?
T. I’d rather you come round to me, if you don’t mind.
G. When would you like me to call?
T. Any time in the evening.
G. If it’s convenient I’ll call round at 8.
T. Couldn’t you possibly come a little earlier?
G. Will six do?
T. Yes, I think that would be all right.
G. So it’s 6 then.
T. Yes. Do try to come.
G. I’ll come without fail. So long.
T. See you by and by.
III. Education
1. A LESSON IN ENGLISH
TEACHER. Well, children, we shall review the last week’s lesson now.
PUPIL. Please, ma’am, may I come in?
T. Oh, Edward Hamilton! Late as usual.
E.H. I am sorry, ma’am. Our clock —.
T. You always have a ready excuse, Edward Hamilton. You may take your seat. Now, are you done with talking, Mary Swan?
M.S. Yes, ma’am, excuse me, please.
T. You may sit down, Mary Swan.
M.S. Yes, ma’am.
T. Open your books, all of you, at page 81. We shall read lesson 12. Nancy Brown, read, please.
N.B. Yes, ma’am. (Nancy B. reads.)
T. That’ll do. You read quite well. Name the parts of the last sentence, please. (Nancy B. names them.) Any remarks, children? None. You did very well, Nancy. 1 shall give you an excellent mark. Now, you read, Edward Hamilton.
E.H. I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’ve left my book at home.
T. No wonder. Nancy Brown, give him your book, please. {Nancy B. gives it to him and Edward H. reads.) Your reading is not very good, Edward — you stumbled three times. Read over again the second line from the bottom of the paragraph, please. {Edward H. reads.) There, you have made the same mistake again! How do you pronounce the second word in that sentence?
E.H. Exercise.
T. You pronounce it with a roll to the “r”. George Western, how do you pronounce it? {George W. pronounces it correctly.) That’s right. Now, you repeat it, Edward. {Edward H. says it right.) There, that’s better! Go to the blackboard, please.
E.H. Must I -.
T. No, you needn’t take your book. {Edward H. goes to the blackboard.) Face the pupils, please. {He turns towards the pupils.) Now, tell us what is the past tense of the verb “to work”.
