MARRIAGE FEES. 261 



of the young lady whose hand is thus sought 

 in marriage. The tender emotions engender- 

 ed between lovers during walks and rambles 

 along the banks of silent streams, are never 

 experienced m this country ; for the sexes are 

 seldom permitted to converse or be together 

 alone. In short, instances have actually oc- 

 curred when the betrothed couple have never 

 seen each other till brought to the altar to be 

 joined in wedlock. 



Among the humbler classes, there are still 

 niore powerful causes calculated to produce 

 uregularity of life ; not the least of which is 

 the enormous fee that must be paid to the cu- 

 rate for tying the matrimonial knot. This 

 system of extortion is carried so far as to 

 amount very frequently to absolute prohibi- 

 tion: for tlie means of the bridegroom are 

 often insufficient for the exigency of the oc- 

 casion; and the priests seldom consent to join 

 people in wedlock until the money has been 

 secured to them. The curates bemg with- 

 out control, the marriage rates are some- 



what irregular, but they 



proportion to the character of the ceremonies 



and to the circumstances of the parties. The 



lowest are adapted to the simplest form, so- 



lenyiized in church during attendance at 



mass; but with 



vice and ceremonies, particularly if performed 



at a private house, the fees are increased often 



as high as several hundred dollars: I have 



heard of $500 being paid for a marriage cere- 



naonv. The followins: communication, which 



