Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-16
CUPID's EXPENSIVE WORK.
Courtshfp, Marriage and Honeymoon,
Cost s3o.o00,oo0 Annually i'm Brftain,

LOST Ssso.oOO,OOO Annually I'm Brftufu
Last year there were, according TO the re-
turns OF the registrar general sa6.se2 LAR
riages in England and Wales, SAYS London
I1d Bits. The returns from Scotland ana
ireland bring IT up TO a total OF more than
21S.Uoo for the united kingdom Just con-
slider the amount Of money that must ia
spent in connection with g75.ooo marriages.
and the conclusions that follow have su..
gested a new strain of thought to a CON
tributor. 1t means, in the first place as
many courtships. What is the usual length
of a courtship? 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 \. r.t-
Ing becomes necessity. Say they CORE
spond with each other onlr once a fort
night, q calculation which must be far be-
low the mark; put them on the moderate
allowance OF no more than two sheets OF
note paper. and we shall see the dainty col
lection Of sweet nothings amounting in the
mass TO postal revenue of s2s5, 900. and q
yearly stationer's bill OF 100000. But thrse
are very small items to think about The
Jeweler will come in for a heavier share Of
the profits. There Will be 27S,Qe0 wedding
rings at a guinea apiece and engagerncnr
rings which we shall be well within the
line In assessing at the same price. Then
there are the presents which the lover VIII
naturally bestow upon the lady of his
choice. ranging from the s, 600 bracelet OF
the duke TO the shilling brooch OF the cos
ter. If We put them down with the rings
at a guinea in each case, and credit them
to the jeweler again, we shall have an &C.
count Of nearly 100000
Then come the railway companies. They
must surely reap a golden harvest out Of
counting. With the inevitable trips and the
travelling Of separated sweethearts to see
one another we may safely strike an aver
age OF SIS for each courtship, which viii
give us round sum OF ss5oooo. But all
these are only pre'iminaries. The greatest
expenditure will come with the wedding
day. There is the trousseau tmore or less
costly according to circumstances for the
bride, and at least a new suit for the bride-
groom 1t can be done cheaply enough.
goodness knows when bridal dressee are
TO be bought secondhand and top hats are
obtainable" on the hire system" But most
folk like TO do" a wedding TO the best OF
their ability, and in the upper and middle
classes. at any rate, the tailor's share OF
the profit is large one. Taking only the
moderate sum OF 81 in each case will give
us total OF nearly s3.0O0.Oo0. Then th.sro
are wedding cakes and marriage break
fasts. Reckon these expenses Of social en-
tertainment at only so head. and we get
another half a million: $1,000 wedding fees
licenses and clergyman's charges will
amount to above $4,000. and many half
crowns TO pew owners will tot up 20 Ns0-
coo more. while the livery stable mans hin,
allowing only one carriage to every we'd
ding, will make 5000 600 more. Finishing I'd
the honeymoon we shall find another tol.r-
able sum TO be added TO the costs Of matri-
mony. Here there viii surely be diversity
enough; every stage between the favosi.es
of fortune who may fit luXuriantly through
Europe for a year and the daily labOrer.
whose idea Of bliss is limited 10 a day of.
II We accept SIS as a reasonable average Of
so many honeymoons We have a final sum
OF S.2,OoO0 to carry on our account. Thus,
without speaking OF furnishing and other
preparations for married life. and conaning
our calculations only to the expenses %
courtship and the honeymoon. we shall Re
within the mark In saying that the annual
marriage census OF the united kingdom
represents total expenditure Of SS.Va. 90
a consideration which would certainly tn
dictate that marriage is by no means a Tao
thing.