THE WEDDING FEE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 51, 21 September 1878, Page 4

THE WEDDING FEE.

How very dark and stormy it was on that March evening. Tho doors and windows kept up a perpetual rattlo; violent gusts of winds and dashes of rain now and then beat ngainst the BOOM, as if hound to teak shelter thoroin.

Little ltobby whs sound asleep in his crib, and tho minister and his wife were spending the evening together in the cozy Bittiug-rootn. The hour for retiring had come, and while Mr. Watson was making the fire safe for the night, and Mrs. \V. was bustling about, picking up and adjusting the nuiuberleau concerns which nobody but a

careful housewife can ever see or think of, there came a most violent rinjr of the be!!.

" Mercy F exclaimed Airs Watson. " somebody must be dying or dead. What a dreadful nigh! for you to go out in!"

Mr. Watson opened the dore and peered into tho darkness. Not a human being could ho see or hear. A few KOOnda passed, when a loud, gruff voice WM heard asking: " Can yon splice us tonight ?"

For an instant tho minister was confused, not being accustomed to the use of thut nautical term in relation to the duties of his profession. A second thought, however, made clear to him tho possibility that splicing, might be within the limits of his particular province ; and bo, raising his voice above the storm, he replied: " If you mean to ask me, sir, to marry you, I shall bo nvist happy to perforin the ceremony. Is the lady with you ¥■' " Ila ! ha ! that's a good one ! Saiy Ann you mean? Don't suppose I'd come to get the knot tied without her, do ye ? No, sir; she's right here in tho cart.". Mr. Watson need not to have stepped back to inform his wife of tho great event which was to take place, for she had heard all the conversation, and was using her utmost endeavors to expel the laugh from her countenance before the happy pair appeared. It must be confessed that the sight of the couple was not conductive to gravity. They had passed, a good while before, the bloom of youth, and had made no special efforts to conceal the fact. lloth had evidently come directly from their work, which, indeed, the gentleman proceeded io intimate.

" Fact is, paison, 'tin rather a bad night outside; and so I says to Sury, ' What's tin. use ; let's not fix up a bit, but go jest we are. The knot'll hold jest as well as if we had on onr best bib .and tucker' And besides, parson we want to take the old folks by surprise ; and they'd be sure to 'sped something if we' gono to work and put on all the • iggin's.'

Mi's. Watson was glad for thin little opportunity to smile, and promptly improved it. What would she not have {riven for the privilege of a good hearty laugh. The brief ceremony concluded, Mr. and Mrs. Watson extended their congratulations.

"Thar," broke in the newly-married man. "is the ticket ; guess you'll iind it 0. K. Now, Sary, let's be goin. Plaguey tough ride before us. Good-by, parson. Good-by,ma'am. Much obliged lor the job. Hope to do as much for you sometime."

The " cart " rattled away, and Mrs. Wat u on, into whose bands her husband had delivered the certificate, made haste to open it, thinking that, after all, it wasn't best to judge people by the outside, and that the strange man might have done something handsome by way of a fee. There.it was —A bill! Yes, and upon it the magnificent figures of one dollar ! " Well, I declare," shouted Mrs. Watson, "isn't this too mean for anything? Shame on that man; he doesn't derserve to be married,"

" Now, my dear," said tho minister, " you should not be too hard, for I think you had at least a dollar's worth of enjoyment out of the ocensiou."

" Yes, sir, and I noticed somebody who seemed to keep from laughter." Noxt day little Robby's shoes wore bought with tho wedding fee, the ministor's pants wcro brushed and cleaned for tho hundreth time, and tho good lady, by dint of extraordinary management, made tho old dress answer an excolleui purpose.

Tho Spring passed away, and the Summer in all its beautiful bloom and abundant fruitfuiness came on. The wedding on the stormy night had almost passed from the minus of the minister and his wife albeit, now aud then, she would break out with a laugh, and ask her husband if ho don't think it was nearly time for him to splico another couplo. One day, as the happy little family were eating their dinner, and just as the parents were feeling uncommonly proud of some smart thing little Bobby had said, thero came just such anothor ringing of tho bell as that heard on tha stormy night. " Well, there," said Mrs. Watson," one would think for all the world, that that splice man bad como again."

Before tho minister could reach the door it waa opened, and, astonishing to relate, there stood tho identical hero of the wedding occasion. " 'Arteruoon, parson and ma'am ; hain't forgot me, have yo P Member that job you did for mo last Spring? Never did anything bettor in that line, but your life. Didn't know thee bow 'twould turn out. 'liettin married is kinder risky, anyhow. But you won't find a happier pair this ride o'Canaan that's sure. And so I thought 'twas 'bout timo I brought along the rest of tho fee. Whero'U you have these things, parsou ?"

Tho minister went to the door and thcro was tho "cart" literally loaded with fruit and vegetables of every description. Such a store was never before brought into that house! " Oh, don't trouble youreclf 'bouk thanking for this," suid tho man. " Nothing but a fair trado, you know. But if you must thnuk somebody, thank Sary Ann. This garden bosh is from her. Bbo kinder thought 'twould relish this hot whether. Master hot and dry, pastor, this season. Been 'spieling tho crops wouldn't 'mount to not Inn but.

they is gettiu' "ii fust rat* The I»rd generally brings things round 'Unit riidit. I notice. Don't go much on the churches, and plaguev little on some of tie- DMB» bei-s, but you don't eatch mo goin' back on the Lord. Was tellin' Sary only last week we must go over and hear you preach some pleasant Sunday. S'pOM you give 'em the la'al liibie religion, don't yo 'i Thai's what all Bay they do, anyhow." The minister and bis wife had but little opportunity to utter a word, their friend was talkative; but they would insist upon expressing their warmest thanks to him and " Sary Ann " for the truly generous donation. After the rich store had been deposited in the house, the man took the minister by the hand, leaving in it a bill, saying: " That's my part of tho fee ; thank Sary Ann for the sass." And then jumping into his wagon he drove away. The minister unfolded the bill, and lo ! its worth was twenty dollars! MrsWatson clapped her hands, aud fairly shouud for joy. The needed dress and pants were bought, and to this day there is no story which tho minister and his wife lovo so well to tell as that of " The Wedding Fee."—Alta California.