The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-04-19

preacher, the other day, "and not lit
tie amusement is to be derived from
watching the behavior OF people who
come to YOU to get married, for in
stance:
81 remember when | had parish in
the country big. rough farmer drove
up to my house one day with blush
ing, giggliDg damsel IN his wagor. After
| had married them the bridegroom
said:
"'Money's scarce in these parts,
minister, and | can't raise more than
enough TO pay my taxes this fall, but
I'll draw you two thurnpin' big loads Of
cordwood when snow comes for this
job
81 told him that l had to take so
large a part of my salary already in
cordwood that | didn't care to marry
people for it, but the job, as he called
it, could not be undone and cordwood
was better than nothing. He never
brought it, however, and while his
horses were standing outside they man
aged to chew the entire top of little
ornamental tree l had taken great
pains to plant on my lawn.
GA party of gypsies surprised me one
day, as they don't often insist on so
much ceremony in their weddings, by
walking in and demanding that two of
them be married. | had some diff
Guilty in explaining that license was
just as necessary as minister, but hav
ing decided on a formal affair, they
determined after considerable discus
sion to 60 through with it. So several
of them camped on my lawn while the
bride and groom went for license.
He had no coat, but carried an i'm
mense bundle of something, which he
seemed unwilling to let go for an in
slant. She was in her bare feet, and
seemed to be troubled with no worldly
possessions at all save calico gown.
As they walked she kept little ahead
of him with a saucy air, while he fol
lowed with tie bundle. After the cere
mony he helped her take up the bundle
and she trudged behind. That was the
only difference | could see in the pair,
but it was significant one.
ga young farmer came to me one
day." continued the minister, "with a
girl who evidently had advanced ideas of
style. She was attired in all the colors
of the rainbow, and he thought she
knew it all, though he felt little abash
ed at the unwonted hnery. They
brought no witness, and as my married
sister and her husband were there on a
visit from their city home to my back
woods parsonage and were bound to
get all the entertainment out of my
surroundings that they could, they
gladly agreed to be bridesmaid and best
man at country wedding. They were
very well dressed people, indeed, SO
that their internal cohvulsions of laugh
ter may be imagined when the bride
said:
"'Henry, distribute the gloves
"Henry dutifully fshed out Of his
coattail pockets several pairs of coarse,
white gloves Of the short wristed, elastic
bound variety, which had evidently
done duty before at some bucollc fu-
neral, and gravely handed them around.
"They wefe SO deeply in earnest
about it and so evidently thought that
they were doing the thing up in the
latest style that we all pulled on the
gloves and wore them without a smile
throughout the ceremony, though nine
sadly intertered with turning the leaves
Of my prayer book. When [ called on
the bride afterward l found conspicuous
on her parlor centre table a pretentiouS
book on etiquette, from which, no
doubt, she had curied her ideas on
How to conduct marriage ceremonies.
"There are plenty OF men, too, who
want to get the thing done as cheaply
as possible, and are prepared 10 haggle
over the fee.
"'Is that all there is to it?' they say,
when the ceremony is over. Pretty
short, amt it2 Didn't take much trou
BILE. What's the fee, sir? Times is
hard just now and
con, just pay whatever you think
your wife is worth, | always say to
these fellows, with smile at the bride.
That generally stops the haggler and
raises laugh against him.
"Thc thrltles' man who ever came to
me for this purpose, however, was one
| met with in Canada, where | had a
parish for short time just after | came
out from England, my native land. He
came alone and opened the conversa-
ton iii this way:
"What will it cost me, MINISTER, to,
get marriet1
"'Two dollars for the license SAID
'and two for my Tee
"'W-h-e e-y.' he whistItd. -Four
dollars Int there any cheaper way
than that2'
"'You can get along without the L.
cense.' | said, 'by having the banns
published by me for three successive
Sundays IN the church,
".Won't twice doF he asked.
"No, replied.
al can't leave them that long IN the
ground, he said in troubled tone,
'and it will cost me about S. to tell you