Year: 1877

tended. One intensely practlcal youtn stePPeu
boldly forward at the conclusion of the cere'
mony, and unfolding row of bills, demand
ed, in a clear voice, whats the damage,
parson ?" He was informed that he must
find the damage out for himself, but that the
legal fee was so-and-so. His new.made bride
bushed, as if she scarcely knew whether the
question was complimentary or not.


One day man accosted the minister in the
street, and wanted him to 60 at once and
marry couple. They had been waiting ever
since the day before, and had not been able
to find minister. The minister wished to 60
home and adjust bis toilet, but the stranger
said "it would make no difference, and the
young people were getting nervous" The
minister then limited at carriage, but the
man said "it was not necessary it was only
few steps, just across the river" So they
went together on foot, "just across the river"
then "down the river few steps," until they
had walked about three miles. 1t was an in
tensely hot day, still and sultry and dusty.
When they reached the house, the parson
was covered with perspiration and dust, and
almost as much out of patience as the couple
who had waited so long for his clerical SER
vices He wasted no words in the ceremony,
and there was no superfuous sentiment, tut
tered or expressed" in his manner. The ser
vices ended, and the "two waiting souls made
one," the business agent" of the affair ap-
peared on the scene again, and wanted to
know what the charge was. He was told the
amount of the legal fee, but at once said that
was toe much, but he wanted to do the liber'
al thing. He then proceeded to count out
into the minister's hand one dollar and fifty.
three cents, handing it over as deliberately as
if he were paying for sack of -four, or
beef roast.


Once in while one strikes an economical
youth who wants "time," or wants to "pay in
trade" One asked, when he came to make
arrangements, if the minister could not wait
for his fee till "after corn.husking," and then
latter corn-husking" he forgot it. Another
said his future wife was "a very fine butter
maker, and he would like to pay the fee in
butter, if it was all the same" The coolest
thing of this kind, however, was where the
bridegroom, who owned an icehouse, "want-
ed to pay the fee in ice." 1t was good, lib
eral fee, but the GOODNESS of the thing was
quite refreshing. But, perhaps, the most en-
barrassing way is where the bridegroom, or
his friend, holds the fee in the palm of his
hand, and slyly passes it into the parsons
palm as they bid each other good-by. The
effort of the minister to do two things at once,
secure his fee and at the same time give a
hearty shake of the hand, is very sure test
of his steadiness of nerve. A man who can
do these two things we'll, and at the same
time appear as if utterly unconscious of do
ing any thing, is man fit to command an
army, or rule State.


In conclusion, let me add, that he who can
devise an unobjectionable method of trans
ferrng the wedding fee, and make that meth.
cd known to all expectant bridegrooms, will
confer a favor on his race equal to the man
who makes "two spears of grass grow where
but one grew before. ."-Esaminer and Chron-
icJo