The Washington critic., 1888-02-04
How Much il Costs TO Have II Sc.
curely Tied.
MARRIAGE IN THE DISTRICT,
The Usual Fees ana Some Anus
ing Ministerial Experiences.

cense from the clerk of the Supreme
Court of the District, and secure the
services of a minister for almost any
consideration. If the dollar Is not
forthcoming, and he has persuasive
powers sufficient to win over q minis
ter, he can dispense with the license
and yet get married. The marriage
will be legal, and the happy groom
can continue on his way in peace Gf
his bride so elecD; but the poor min
lister will be pounced upon as the
scapegoat and be subject to heavy
fine.
VINO CAN PERFORM THE CEREMONY.
In the District only an ordained
minister can legally perform the mar
riage ceremony. llemust receive and
examine the license, furnish the
couple with q certificate, and without
delay appear in the Clerks office and
certify to the marriage. If he fails
in the latter instance he is liable to
disagreeablc penalties.
DIR. suNDERLAND's MisHAr.
Rev DR.. Sunderland was occasoned
not a little uneasiness by this last
clause when he performed the mar
riage ceremony for President and Mrs.
Cleveland He called at the White
House TO consult the President about
the ceremony, and laid his papers,
the license among them, down in the
Red Room, while he went up stairs TO
consult the then Miss Folsom. While
he was gone some enterprising CORE
40, L., 4, G -
and the Rev. Doctor after much anx-
iety, gave up the license as lost, and
was on the point of getting dupli-
cate, when, two weeks after the we'd
ding, he found it in a bookstore on the
avenue, where it had been left for
him with the injunction that no ques-
tions were to be asked.
DIR. NEwMAN's EXPERIENCE.
In procuring the license errors are
often made. DR.. j. p. Newman not
! long since married q couple, and was
not little surprised when they re-
turned the next day, the bride look
ing detected and the groom distracted.
"Look here, Doctor" he exclaimed,
"you have married me TO the wrong
woman. | wanted to marry Miss
Jackson and you married me to Miss
Jones'"
"Why, this is the lady l married
you to-"
eyes, know it, but her name ISM
on the certificate"
81 put the same name on the GER
tificate that was on the license. You
had better go to the clerks Office anC
see if the mistake did not Occur
there"
The groom hurried away with..hi
bride, doubtful and suspicious, cling
ing closely to his elbow, and founC
that in his excitement he had given {
wrong name for the girl.
THE USUAL FEES
Ministers have no fixed fee, taking
generally what the generosity of tn,
groom prompts him to give, and it il
surprising how many there are who
are not prompted. Sometimes they
will offer a dollar, two dollars, occa
sionally five or ten, for a quiet we'd
ding; generally fifteen, twenty oil
twenty-five for o church wedding
once in lifetime one hundred dol
lars, and there have been very rare
cases where the fee has far exceeded
this latter sum.
One prominent divine, whose ser
mons are noted for their practica
tenor as much as for their beautiful
language, never takes q fee of less
than FIVE dollars, arguing that if q
couple cannot pay that they should
| a
as much as thousand dollars fol
tying the knot, but has looked or
such large sums as partaking more o.
will he marry divorced people, unless
they have been divorced according tC
the Bible.
A RUNAWAY COUPLE
came to one minister's house anG
were married. After receiving tht
certificate, the groom began fumbline
in his pocket, at the same time edging
himself and his bride toward the
door. When he got on the steps he
succeeded in fishing from his pocket
an envelope, which he hastily handed
the minister, and then scudded down
the steps and out of sight in u iiify
The bewildered minister, on opening
the envelope, found a strip Of paper
on which was written in pencil
"Thanks.n And these matrimonial
dead beats are not by any means rare
They will wait until they are married
and then remark to the eXpectant
minister, 81 Il see you later" without
the slightest intention of ever seeing
him again if they can help it.
The groom generally prefaccs his
query asto fee with the remark: "NOu
see, | am not used to this sort OF
thing" and coming from q beardles,
youth il is enough to move the risibleS
of an anchorite. The more sophisti
Gated are prepared with an envelope
with fee inclosed.
One old gentleman who was taking
third partner disturbed the gravity
of the officiating clergyman by dis
playing a ten-dollar gold piece in his
palm, and saying This is what
usually pay"
OUR CoLoRED BRETHREN
are no more scrupulous than the white
i'm this matter. One good shepherd
who guards little flock on Capito
Hill, says he has enough unredeemet
promises of fees to make him ricl
should they ever be paid. lie thinks
two dollars is little enough to binC
together two loving hearts neatly anc
securely The more opulent coloreC
swain, who wants to be real "tony,
will give rs much as five dollars, sci
dom more, although there have beer
weddings among the COlOred aris