The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-10-14
From the Boston Yankee.
COURTSHIP.

|
mothers were courted conscientiousLy.-
People of no experience in the matter NAV
| laugh at the idea and they who have been
counting all their lives long, without ever
getting ahead, may pity me. But am not
fellow to be laughed out of my Christian
name, or pitied out of a fixed belief.
know what | am about, bachelor though
am; and l not only have my reasons for
what say, but very good reasons too.
| There is nothing more difficult to 90 through
with nothing so rare on earth, do believe,
as what call conscientious courtship; a
courtship, that is, where both parties act
like reasonable creatures.
| My brothers, who are all married and set
! tied in life, and who never see me without
expressing wish that would cast anchor
somewhere, late as it is, and give pledge
to posterity for my good behavior-they
would leave it all to nature. But say no.
Nature is never to be trusted in courtship-
if she were, should have been married
| ages ago. Nature may get fellow into
scrape, that she may-but who ever saw
her help him out of one, where the affec-
tons were busy? Marriage, to be respect
able or safe, must be the marriage of the
head. as well as of the heart-of the under
standing and judgment, as well as of the
mysterious sympathies and secret longings
of our nature.
But to the point. When I was young
man, had habit of making love-that is,
of trying to be agreeable to every pretty
woman that fell in my way. There was no
hahn in that, hope.
But as to counting, protest to you, read
er, | never had the heart for such thing
Not that | never had the desire; not that
such stories were never told of me; for |
cannot deny that l yearned after wife,
long before I knew what wife was good
for, and that, in our village, | have been
betrothed to somebody or other for nearly
fifty years; although, as | hope to be
married, | was going to say, though I am
old enough to know better, never squeezed
woman's hand in my life, except by acct
dent-as where she stumbled over a ditch,
or one or both slipped as we held on our
way over ice, and through snow, halfleg
deep in the drifts, on moonlight evening,
in the depth of January nor have touched
the lip of woman, for the last quarter of
century, except in the way Of trade, Il draw
teeth occasionally or after game of but
ton, when I was obliged to obey, whether L
would or no, or loose handkerchief or
penknife, and the girls were obliged to hold
still, or loose their combs.
But to my particular case. When I first
set out in life, determined to be married
as soon as ever I could find tolerabiy
handsome, tolerably good tempered, tolera-
bly, well educated, healthy woman. Whose
fault was it, if, with such reasonable hope,
went wandering about, will not say how
long, | will not say how far, in search of a
companion. | wanted no beauty, no heir
ess, no female of birth or accomplishment
On the contrary, should have been satisf-
ed with any such woman, as any reasonable
man that knew me, my temper, habits, con-
dition, family and feeling, would have rec
commended to me. Nay, would have abat-
ed something even from this, had l been
allowed to Judge for myself.
But though | made up my mind to be
married without delay, | was determined
not to buy pig in poke, nor ever to mar
ry in hurry, and repent at leisure but to
look before l leaped--according to the
maxims of my grandfather, himself an old
bachelor, with whom they originated. But
how was | to find out the real temper and
work at once in the shape of lover :?
!
wife how, without being made acquainted
with their true temper, their household
worth, that which the married man would
have to put up with, and live with all his
life long, without being allowed to visit
them on the most familiar footing? To go
when | was invited--to GO when others
were invited-would never satisfy me. /
should be sure to see my dear in a holiday
humor. No, no. like to catch people in
the suds-I like to fall upon them by sur
prise, when it is washing day, not Only with
their hands, but with their temper.
You see now what was obliged to do
and did it conscientously-I was obliged
to give the folks an idea that did not mean
to marry at all that was not after a wife
and then, that | might avail myself of the
stratagem, Ia lawful one, insist upon it,
where man really wishes to marry like
reasonable creature,( was obliged to be-
come very intimate with the only woman |
knew that appeared to be fitted for me. She
was warm-hearted, generous girl, of no
great beauty to be sure, as the world goes !;
but she had clear eye, a rich mouth,
plenty Of good humor, was not worth
shilling, and appeared to be somewhat in
danger from her poverty. l succeeded
pretty well-the first week or two was
regarded as a neighbor, then as friend,
then as sort of relation, and finally, before
the month was over, as an adopted brother.
Hang such brothers, | say! We were on
such good terms, that was allowed to pop
in without knocking, at all reasonable hours,
night or day; to furnish her little bedroom
with flowers; to lift her blind mother about
in the old arm chair, and 60 to church with
her arm-ln-arm, like child, through the
only street of the village. But, in the mean
time, all her other beaux withdrew, the
neighbors took up the affar-and while we
were drawing our conclusions, one by one,
they Jumped them all together, and made