The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
SIZE OF THE WEDDING FEE.
$4,000 THE BIGGEST THESE CLERGY
MEN EVER HEARD OF

n Bride who Appraised Herself-one
Pnrson Got n Ton of Hay-Others Led
Into speoulations - Clerical Etiquette.
Some six or eight olergymen had dlned to-
gether at the rectory Of an American seaside
resort and Immediately after dinner had re-
paired to the reotor's study for O chat. The
%rectors wife being absent. IL was a stag party,
or. as such clerical gatherings are called. q
black crow party. One of the number was In
particularly high spirits, and. being ~interro-
gated as to the cause, he said he had every
right to be happy. inasmuch as he had two
days before received a wedding fee OF $500.
Congratulations followed. and the ball OF mat
rimonial yarns was tossed from one to another.
First OF all. there was n general discussion as
to the average wedding fee. which was found
to vary greatly with the social status OF the
parish. But as each parson had had from two
to i've cures. a fairly accurate average of fees
was arrived at. Leaving out such exceptional
parishes ns st. Thomas's and st. Bartholomew
in New York. Trinity in Philadelphia, and
Trinity in Boston. 1t was agreed that the
average fee was from SO to S15. This. be ii
remembered. includes country parishes mot
mlssions) and the general run OF city
churches. Fees seldom fall below So. and
frequently they rise TO $40 or 500, oc-
oasionally to $50. and in rare instances
to 500. A 5000 fee Is n thing to be
remembered. a $500 one never to be for
gotten. Sometimes the foe Is so extremely
small Us to be held in everlasting remembrance.
For instance. when Brother Smith treal names
not given) announced his $500 fee. and had re-
ceived congratulations. Brother Jones declared
that he held the record In the opposite d.
~rection. having once received n fee OF 8 cents.
which he generously presented to the bride.
But Jones's honors were shortlived. for Brother
Brown at once told his experience. revealing
the depths of moral degeneracy to which man
may fall.
He had a mission in the West at one time.
and competition with the District Judge. who
also was empowered to perform marriages.
was keen. On the occasion in question Brown
was accosted on the street, and at the earnest
solicitation Of the bridegroom-elect accom-
panied him to procure the license. Not till
then did the man become aware Of the fact
that he had left his money at the hotel. He
asked the parson to pay for the license, and as
the eye OF the District Judge was fixed upon
him, Brown readily consented. After the mar
rage the happy man said Thank ye.' and
when the clergyman mildly suggested 50 for
the license and the usual fee. he was startled
the reply.
Thunder! what's yer usual2"
Well" said the parson. we sometimes get
81, sometimes So"
Then Their amt no usual about It," said the |
Happy Man. quickly adding: Tell ye what
I'll do. mister; I'll gamble with yer. I'll wait
a year. an II this pans out o. X. I'll give ye
ten. an II 1t doan't"- He smiled.
To make the story short. the man refused to
disgorge except on these conditions, and as
Brown never heard Of him afterward he was
out the cost OF the license. SO that his fee was
81 less than nothing.
One of the company that night was a clergy
man from Canada. and he followed up Browns
one occasion he received q bag Of potatoes. on
another a frozen goose. Another time the
I'll give you your foe tomorrow. sir. and It
will be the biggest you ever got" And it was.
for mex, day the happy man drove round with
This Canadian had an experience which con-
ccTned one of the fair sex. and, for downright,
rivalled Browns story of the man who let him
in iorthe license. The Canada an had married
ing remained hut the giving and taxing OF the
f f The bridegroom. a strapping young
How much is it" =
The parson glanced at the smiling bride and
slyly, answered: Whatever you think it's
Now. it should have boon worth a good deal.
for the girl was young and pretty. and. under
n masterstroke of diplomacy. But the swain
was dense,
II reckon it's worth about so cents" he said.
The Clergyman looked blankly at the coins.
Sou1 m fn54 e t@ b fse s fdlr one @Wba nld ID Leave Hnm th it to
worth p
What did this young and b~lushing bride
one quarter 70 the minister and put the other
"A thrifty wife" said the Canadian with a
sigh. is her husbands crown"
When the nerrIinent over the Cqnuck,s eI.
IaYily against the mantel and pulling rings OF
DELICATE, aristocratic blue. drawled OUT,
Zee / ever got? Well. III tell You. First.
let me ask q question. What. in poorer days.
was handed to. you? You did Just what / used
70 do; you smiled and put, it in your poke t
VII! TRe ,G c6menny ali Pn nad hdicSI t naa the brother Of
he swell parish resumed:
Exactly: then you sncaked way at the
secret place and f~urtivcly opened that en-
They all laughed. The parson of milionaires
That's what l used to do. but I got over 1t.
Vel, once had a marriage Of a YER, rich New
,r four very richest New York families--..and I
got my envelope IS usuaI, and put 1t in my
'STTcmonHY We'll. ibid. About ten DAYS a!'si later tier
hrust my hanl into the pocket. it encountered
he envelope. Even, then I did not realize what
,nW P p eSrc %H ior h y ,S d5TSSTT 1T out opened it and
This was the biggest fee any of the party had
,yer heard OF. and although rectors OF some OF
no richest conGreGationsin America have been
questioned since then. no other fee to exceed
y 800 has been heard OF. 1t would be In
~cresting 70 know II this fee has ever been sur
passed. When thousands OF dollars are Law
shed. as is not unusual on the display Of flow
,roportionately lavish fee. But sometimes
hose, who make tho biggest display for the
'en9dt Of the public are most niggardly to the
one OF the company told of q notable chance
which once came In his way. He had married
young graduate Of an Eastern university who
vas then Interested in mining In Colorado, and
.fter the ceremony the bridegroom took him
side aud offered him his choice OF 500 or a
crtain hole in tho ground.
Some years ago" said tho bridegroom, "a
ompany sank a shaft u few miles from here;
tter going about nifty feet It flooded. and all
ttempts to pump IL were f%ruitless. Then 1t
vas abandoned. Now three fellows here have
aised $1,000. calculating they can pump 1t
ut and sink the shaft twenty feet further.
they've ordered a dummy engine, and will be-
in operations shortly. One Of these partners
'as lost faith in the thing, thinks the water
ONES from an underground river. and will sell
is share for 5000; Here's your chance; I'll
i've you Il fee of 500. or IN buy that share
Or you. What do YOU say p