It is the opinion of the Vicar of Castle Hedingham, Essex, parish, Bishop Powell, that in these days of higher wages it is only fair that he privilege of being married or ied should cost you more. At present it is possible to be married in the picturesque old church for is. 6d., and it is felt that this is letting off the modern bridegroom a good deal too lightly.
Of the total of 7s. 6d., 5s. goes to the clergyman and 2s.'6d. to the parish clerk. Quite apart from the fact that the parson in this case is a Bishop, and that it is an honour to be married by ce high a dignitary of the Church, it is held that the time has come for the revision of such charges The Bishop himself has no_personal interest in the matter. He is not concerned with solving the problem of how to make his stipend of £200 a year expand into the £1,000 required to keep up the vicarage—the biggest house in the village, with the biggest garden. Luckily, he has other means. It was on quite impersonal grounds that he proposed at the Easter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.