Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-04-16
A CHAPTER ON PROPOSALS.

A CHAPTER ON PROPOSALS.
Mr. EDITOR: Your correspondent, who
is a man somewhat advanced in years, and
capable of looking back upon the folies
and errors of his youth with calm, con-
temp!ative spirit, wishes to open the bud
get OF his experience to the rising genera
ton. As will be understood by the title to
this essay, propose TO offer at present a
few remarks on the subject of matrimonial
proposals. So much has been SAID, thought,
written, ard done upon this subject, that
the man who could offer any thing like al
new, genuine, and efficient chart to the
orn and frightened mariner upon the I'M
certain sea of love, must indeed be a ge-
MUS, the railroad track of whose magma
ton DIVORCES from the ordinary dusty high
way of human thoughts.
Your correspondent proposes no such
flight. For him it shall be sufficient, if he
succeeds in selecting among the many
awkward modes now in vogue of asking
| lady's heart that which is least so; and by
| doing so, he may confer lasting favor
upon the many individuals who are doomed
to tread the dark and shadowy path to-
wards that fairy land from whose bourne
few travellers irish TO return.
But to enter more INFINITELY into the
subject, allow me to give, as in the outset
proposed, brief account of an early adj
venture:
twill not be deemed vanity at my age
to say, that at twenty-five | was possess
ed of a full share of the personal charms
i of youth. OF about the Chesterfieldian
i standard, five feet ten, with locks black and
glossy as the ravens wing, (alasi the dri-
ven snow is not winter nowD fair com
f plexion, cheeks glowing with the red tide
of youth and health, it may be thought my
experience in matters of the heart should
have proved an exception to the rule thai
t {" the course of true love never did rur
! smooth" 1t was my fortune to become
acquainted with young lady possessed o.
, so many charms, mental and personal, inc
: so super-eminent in each, that it was in
e deed impossible for me to avoid falling, a:
e | did, desperately in love with her.
J, As far as chances Of the eye, tremors o
e the voice, and occasional inuendoes nigh
If 90, doubt not that succeeded in impart
If ing to her a knowledge Of the state of my
heart; let it suffice to say this was thu
: case, and the time came when it was in
cumbent on me to make distinct avowa
d Iof my love. After long and perplexinl
n mental debate, Iresolyed to do this by let
n ter; and after writing some forty epistle
on as many sheets of giltedged satin pa
o per, finally succeeded in forming lei
10 ter, amounting to about six lines, contain
" ing as thought the condensed quintes
e sence of every thing that could or ougt
l. to be said on the subject. But unfortu
nately, this specimen Of epistolatory ez
d, cellence was scarcely finished, wher
s. CHANGING to peruse some of the experier
is ces of predecessor in the paths of love
| read that nothing was more unwise G
le dangerous than making an offer of one
e hand and heart by means of pen and pa
lel per. With the credulity of a simple min
| at once gave implicit credence to thi
a doctrine, and frightened at the precipic
0; which lhad so narrowly avoided, l de-
ID stroyed my letter, resolved to declare my
Or self with my own lips, and to hear wit
my own ears, the reply which was to Sc,
a my destiny. Never did an Alexander,
Wallace, or Napoleon, feel the inspiri
e ing effects of heroic resolution MOI
d powerfully than felt the influence of thi
= | had resolved. | would execute! =
d | committed to memory cold 70
mula of words, TO be delivered as II
! school-boy recites his speech, OF which
+ is sufficient for the purposes Of this aTtlc
Is to recollect the following: " Miss Adam
stI will you permit me to offer you my bar
and hearth"
lt The fearful hour had arrived. The ey
le ming for my wonted visit approached, al
$. | found myself seated by The side OF