The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-17
CUPID's EXPENSIVE WORK.
Courtship, Marriage and Honey
moons Cost $40, 900, 900 Annually
in Britain.

4uOOuS OObL poo OOSyOOO Annually
in Britain.
From London It'd Bits,
Last year there were, according to the
returns of the registrar general, 226, 922
marriages in England and Wales. The
returns from Scotland and Ireland bring
it up to total of more than 200 for
the United Kingdom. Just consider the
amount of money that must be spent in
connection with 215, 600 marriages, and
the conclusions that follow have sug-
gested new train of thought to
contributor 1t means in the first place,
length of a courtshipl That depends
like many other things. But,
seeking happy medium, we
may fairly take eighteen months as an
average. Say One-half Of our sweetheart
ing couples are so situated that letter
writing becomes a necessity. Say they
correspond with each other only once a
fortnight, a calculation which must be
far below the mark; put them on the
moderate allowance of no more than two
sheets of note paper and we shall see the
dainty collection of sweet nothings
amounting in the mass to a postal reve-
nue. of $4,000, and a yearly stationer's
bill of 100000. But these are
very small items to think about.
The jeweler will come in for
a heavier share of the profits There
will be 2tj,0O0 wedding rings at a guinea
apiece, and engagement rings which
we shall, be well within the line in assess
ing at the same price. Then there are
the presents which the lover will natur-
ally bestow upon the lady of his choice.
ranging from the 5000 bracelet of the
duke to the shilling brooch of the coster
If we put them down with the rings at a
guinea in each case, and credit them to
the ieweler again, we shall have an ac-
count Of nearly S5,00O,0O0
Then come the railway companies
They must surely reap golden harvest
out Of counting. With the incVita bic trips
and the travelling of separated sweet
hearts to see one another, we may safely
strike an average of Sl5 for each court
ship which will give us round sum of
S150,000 But all these are only prelimi-
narles. The greatest expenditures will
come with the wedding day. There is the
trousseau more or less cosby, according
to circumstances for the bride, and at
least a new suit for the bridegroom 1t
can be done cheaply enough goodness
knows, when bridal dresses are to be hOugh
secondhand and top hats are obtain
able ION the hire system But most
folk like to do" a wedding to the best of
their ability, and in the upper and middle
classes, NJ any rate, J0e ldliOrS snare oil
the profit is a large one Taking only the
moderate sum of S25 in each case will give
US a total of nearly S3,0000OO Theu
there are wedding cakes and marriage
breakfasts Reckon these expenses of so
cial entertainment at only $40 a head. and
we get another half q million; $4,000
wedding fees, licenses and Clergyman's
charges will amount to above $500. 0OOaud
as many half crowns to pew owners
viii tot up to Sl5O,000 more, while
the livery stable mans bill, allowing only
one carriage to every wedding, win make
100000 more. Finishing up the honey
moon we shall find another tolerable sum
to be added to the costs of matrimony.
Here there will surely be diversity
enough; every stage between the favor
ties of fortune who may fit luXuriantly
through Europe for a year and the daily
laborer whose idea of bliss is limited to a
day Oft. If we accept S25 as a reasonable
average of so many houeymoons we have
final sum of million and a quarter to
carry on our account. Thus. without
speaking of furnishing and other prepa-
ratiOns for married life, and combining our
calculations only 10 the expenses of court
ship and the honeymoon, we shall be
within the mark in saying that the an
nual marriage census Ofthe United King
dom represents a total expenditure of
S35, 600 600 a consideration which would
certainly indicate that marriage is by no
means bad thing for trade.