The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-02-10

ne came down through the waters at the risk
OF his own life to save mine"
ANECDOTES OF WEDDINGS.
A clergyman was one evening summoned
to his parlor, and found there q couple who
wished to be married, The groom was a
typical .'Bowery boy" and the bride wo-
man apparently some years his senior. who
looked as though her temper might have
been soured by long superintendent Ct mil
liners apprentices No objection appear
ing on the questioning of the minister, the
couple stood up together and the service
was begun. The first part Of il went of
smoothly, but when it came time for the
bride 70 reply to the question wilt thou
take this man. etc., she replied mo,
| won't" There was sudden pause. some
hurried questioning and expos,ula,ion by
the astonisbei groom. which effected moth
more than a reiteratiOn of the brides
refusal, and the outraged clergyman. in
| dignified and severe words, delivered
scathing re5ai,e, and showed the party 10
the door. \ half hour elapsed, when the
bell rang again, and the same couple APP
pcared. The groom, no way abashel, ex-
| planned to the clergyman that he had made
up the quarrel between himself and the la
dy, after considerable coaxing; and had
prevailed Oh her to return and be married.
The clergyman hesitated, but a, length con-
sented, and tie service was again begun.
When the groom was asked, wit thou
take this woman, ect.," he replied, most
emphatically, mo, won't. Its my turn
now" The bride burst into tears at this
unexpected sign Of pluck in the man she had
fondly hoped TO rule, and the clergyman,
fairly incensed, turned them cut OF the
house with scant ceremony. An hour later
they returned, and the groom again ex-
planned that he had made up with the lady,
and they had finally determined to be mar
ried, and have no more nonsense about it.
The clergyman consented this time with
alacrty, aud the groom responded to the
questions asked with satisfactory prompt
ness, and the lady performed her part with
dignity and ease. When he came to the
last part Of the ceremony, however, the
clergyman said: ''It's my turn now. l
will not pronounce you man and wife. You
may 60 somewhere else to ge, married"
And the tickle couple, after their third at
tempt were turned away still single.
To ask clergyman the amount Of his fee
seems an extraordinarily ungracious thing
to do, but is very frequently done by per-
sons who seem to imagine that there is a
! fixed amount. Naturally enough, tho first
words OF bridegroom after learning that
| he is to fix the amount himself, betray some
indication of his natural disposition. 1t is
told ola New England farmer, who went to
the city to marry well-to-do lady, and who
secured the services Of the .ady's pastor to
| tie the nuptial knot, that, on the compile
ton Of the ceremony, which took place q;
| the lady's residence in the presence of her
friends. he said in his usual tones, which
could be distinctly heard, lguess. Ill have to
pay you sunthin' handsome fur this. hey"
| The lady blushed, and her pastor. wishing
to spare her from modification as far as
possible, replied in a low tone: ..Oh, fix
that to suit yourself, sir The delighted
groom, exclaimed: "Wall, meow. that's
what call raal handsome, amt il, Mandy.
|. Yeou see, moneys kinder skursc up coun
| try, dominic, but darn my buttons ell don't
send yeou a bushel of potatoes next fall"
He was as good as his word, and the pleased
parson the next fall mad the pleasure of pay
ing as much freight on the potatoes as they
would have cost in the market.
The manner IF rendering the fee, of
course, varies according 10 the amount Of
grace and sclf-posscssion Of the groom. In
England he custom which obtains largely
is for the groom TO hand it to the clergyman
together with the ring, thus bringing it in
TO the middle Of the service. In connec-
,ion with this il is said that another thing
is customary, which will seem a little
strange to mos; Americans. l, is for the
clergyman III case the couple are his per-
sonal friends, TO pocket the fee when il is
handed TO him with the ring, but 10 give il
back TO the groom in the vestrv, while the
party are signing the marriage registry.
This. however, he only does in case Of the
party being his personal friend, and may
perhaps be considered in the ligh Of an set
of friendship Among the very High Church
people in England the clergy refuse invaria
bly, 10 receive q fee. as marriage is looked
on BY them purely in the light Of a eacra-
meni
The growing tendency, in America a:
least, to regard i; as a civil contract has
given rise 10 our curious rneiange Of laws
on the subject. some Of which are very ben
efcial in preventing mock marriages. The
accountability to which the clergyman is
held for performing one Of these, even
ignoran,ly, he may easily avoid. He has
the right, i he suspects tina; anything il
wrong.to swear the parties, and. ifihey re-
present under oath that everything is regu
! lar, he is lot holden. The principal diff
Guilty in the way Of the clergy in perform
ing marriages il the doubt that is often
raised of the age Of the parties Some
times . man or woman seems to be under
age. and the clergyman. refusing to believe
their statement, win refuse to marry them
without the consent of parents. Some
clergyman. however. take . different view
Of this, and. holding that it is better to mar
ga young couple than. BY quessiooing them
induce them 10 lie, they seldom or never re-
fuse 20 marry those who make application
Another question which preplexes some
clergymen, while to others II presents no
difficulties. is presented when persone Of
difereas races apply for marriage One
| clergyman said that he was some ten years
ago very much perplexed BY . couple com
ing to him Who we're black and white The
nan Was Of unusually fine presence and
4 L. 1v-