Connecticut western news., 1873-09-12
About a Wedding Fee.

A matrimonial engagement has for some time existed between young gen tleman from Western city and young lady of considerable personal beauty, the daughter of a widowed mother. It was arranged between the parties interested that the engagement should terminate Gas all matrimonial engagements ought to terminate) in wedding-Wednes- day, April 2, being fixed up for the ceremony. The prospective bridegroom arrived from the West last week and on Monday called upon the rector-there, we might have said clergyman and made the thing little more indefinite, the term clergyman being applied to all denominations, but we have said "rector" we'll stick to it and repeat he called upon the rector of one of our Episcopal churches to engage his service for the happy occasion.
 "I want to be married" said the young man, "and want you to marry me-"
 The rector nodded assent.
 "I want to be married on Wednes- day anywhere from eleven to twelve o'clock" said the young man.
 "Very well," said the rector. "We have service in the church from ten to eleven, and there is to be we'd ding in the church soon after. You can be married at eleven o'clock if you like, or you can wait till quarter past eleven or so, following the other wedding."
 "All right" said the young man, "quarter past eleven, half past eleven, anywhere along there. Time for little spread afterwards, you know, and then take the noon train. Call it quarter past eleven"
 "Very well," said the rector, Cat quarter past eleven it shall be-"
 "And new," said the young man, "whatll it cost. I want to do these things all up beforehand you know"
 "Oh," said the rector smiling, "that's matter that's left entirely with the parties interested. It's purely a gratuity."
 "But," said the young man, ''I want to know. Anything that's right you know. How much is it"
 Anything" said the half-amused, half -disgusted rector, anything or nothing"
 "But," persisted the young gent, "what do you usually get ?"
 "Well," said the rector, "I have had five dollars and I have had five hundred dollars"
 "Whe-e-eww calculated the yonng man. Then he drew out his pocketbook, opened it, took out rool of bills and drew up to 8 table, spread out the mon ey and commenced counting off:
 "Five!
 He looked uggestively up at the rec tor, but the rector said never word.
 'sTen!"
 He looked up at the rector again. No response.
 "Fifteen!
 Another glance at the rector, who held his peace.
 ''Twenty!'
 Another glance, full of anxiety, at the rector, but not muscle of the clergy mans face moved.
 "Twenty-fve!'
 ing the money toward the rector; ''there, it's all right; you are to marry us"
 The rector bowed, and the young man departed.
 So far, fact. Now for brief space supposition. It is supposed that the bridegroom expectant went to his future bride and her mother and related the particulars of his interview with the rector, telling the amount of fee he paid. The mother has the reputation of being decidedly close in money matters. and disposed to drive sharp bargains, and it is supposed she was mortified at the ex- travagant expenditure for wedding fee, and made up her mind that it must be got back again into the family.
 So much for supposition now, for fact again.
 The next day, Tuesday, the rector re- ceived message from Mrs. (there, we came very near saying it right outD from the mother, requesting him to call on her at her ho-, boarding place we mean-thatisn't so definite. The rector complied with the message, and on pre- sonting himself, the mother calculated, ooh, Dr. -, we find that my daugh- ter must be married at half-past ten.''
 Impossible p said the rector; "I have 8 service from ten to eleven, the church is occupied, and it would be en- tirely wrong and unheard of to give up 8 regular church service for a wedding. Impossible p
 "Well," said the mother, "the we'd ding must take place at half past ten, so I don't see but that we must get some body else."
 "Very well," said the rector, "then I don't see that there is anything left for me to do but to say good morning;;' and he took up his hat and started to go.
 As he went, the bridegroom prospec- tive, who was present, rushed up to him, seized him by the arm, and said with anxious alarm depicted in every feature, "See here I'm going to see you again, ain't IF"
 "I guess so," said the disgusted rec tor, and departed.
 On coming home the rector enclosed the $25 in an envelope, directed it to "Mr. care of Mrs. -" (was there the least bit of sarcasm in the "care of Mrs. -? ?'' and sent it by 6 clerical friend, who was visiting with him, to the boarding place, with in. structions to deliver it personally. The messenger had no sooner departed thar there came to the door a colored waiter, bearing 8 note, with the verbal mes sage
 "Wants an ansah, sah; right off. | The rector opened the envelope anC found missive from the young man, as follows:-
 "Rev. -, please send that 1925 i'm mediately."
 The rector sat down at his desk ant wrote:-
 "SIR-If you had waited a few mo ments you would have been spared the trouble of sending for your money. I has already been returned. -."
 He directed the note to 'sMr. - care of Mrs. -, and the servant tool it in charge.
 The parties were married the nex day Wednesday, by another clergy man. And there are those who would give a dollar to know how much thl clergyman who did the business got fo